A.J. Surace isn’t the highest-ranked player in the Rutgers football recruiting class, but he likely ends up being the most important. That’s because if Surace continues his developmental arc, he is likely a multi-year starter at quarterback for the Big Ten program.
Along with the rest of the 2024 recruiting class, Surace signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play for Rutgers football.
Surace is a three-star quarterback prospect who is coming off a fantastic senior season at Notre Dame Prep (Lawrenceville, New Jersey). He is ranked the fourth-best player in New Jersey according to 247Sports.
On the season, Surace was 130-of-188 for 1,862 passing yards. He had 26 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also had 909 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
“AJ, he’s a tremendous football player. It’s in his blood. His dad is a long-time head coach at Princeton and in the National Football League before that and just a great family,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano told reporters on Wednesday.
Family of educators. His grandpa was a legendary coach down in south Jersey. So you guys know the story, and AJ is every bit the culmination of all that. He’s a football guy. He’s a great student, and I think is going to be a great quarterback at Rutgers.
What stands out about Surace is his pocket poise and presence. He has an understanding of ball placement and the ability to throw his receiver open. It is a rare trait and skill set for a high school football player.
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Given his production and how well he did in camp settings, Surace could well have been a four-star quarterback. However, at 6-foot-2, he doesn’t have the size that jumps out to most recruiting analysts.
But he is certainly Big Ten caliber size, and his performance on the field as both a passer and a runner backs up his ability to transition at the next level. He enrolls in January.
The potential is there for Surace to be a multi-year starter at Rutgers and to develop into the type of quarterback that Gary Nova and Mike Teel were for the program.
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Surace’s father, Bob Surace, is the highly respected (and successful) head coach at Princeton.