Tag: a.j. surace

Top New Jersey quarterback trainer, Tony Racioppi, will coach in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Tony Racioppi has been invited to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl’s coaching staff.

Tony Racioppi, who is one of the top quarterback trainers in the nation, will be part of the coaching staff for this year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The honor cements Racioppi as one of the best in his profession.

He will coach the quarterbacks for the East squad at this year’s game. Held annually at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, the bowl game is in its second season. The game was founded by Rich McGuinness, who started the original game in 2001.

Racioppi is currently the quarterback trainer for A.J. Surace, a Rutgers football commit. He is perhaps best known for his work with Kenny Pickett, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback coach who was a first round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

He currently works with 12 NFL quarterbacks as well as 15 FBS starters. In addition, Racioppi is one of lead instructors at the Manning Passing Academy.

If that wasn’t enough, Racioppi is the offensive coordinator at The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.)

Surace has been training with Racioppi for several years. A three-star quarterback recruit, he committed to Rutgers football in March.

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Watch: Future Rutgers football quarterback A.J. Surace is impressing in offseason workouts

A.J. Surace is working this offseason with quarterback trainer Tony Racioppi.

A.J. Surace is putting in a lot of work this offseason, this as the class of 2024 quarterback continues to hone and develop his mechanics with one of the nation’s top quarterback coaches.

A three-star quarterback at Notre Dame High School (Lawrenceville, N.J.), Surace committed to Rutgers in February. He held an offer list  that included Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Tennessee among others.

He is the consensus top quarterback in New Jersey.

The Rutgers commit is working with Tony Racioppi, a former college quarterback who is now a mentor and trainer to some of the top young quarterbacks in the region.

Racioppi posted a video of Surace during a recent workout:

 

Surace does nicely on the three-step drop. He sits in the pocket with his feet solidly set before moving into his progression. He then throws a ball into space, allowing his wide receiver to catch the ball in stride.

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Of course, this is all done without any type of pressure, but the tools show a quarterback who is well-coached and developed. This shouldn’t be surprising given that Surace’s father is Princeton head coach Bob Surace and he is being developed by Racioppi, who has trained Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett since high school.

Pickett was a first round pick of the Steelers in last year’s NFL draft.

“(Surace) is working on fundamentals, footwork and Rutgers pass game concepts alongside Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett,” Racioppi said of the training session.

Racioppi continues to work with Pickett during the offseason as part of TEST Football Academy’s offseason workouts. TEST has a facility in central New Jersey that is frequented by several former and current NFL players for offseason conditioning.

Racioppi has worked with 12 current NFL quarterbacks and 15 FBS starters from New Jersey. He is also one of the lead instructors at the Manning Passing Academy, one of the most prestigious quarterback instructional camps in the country.

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Days after Rutgers football offer, C.J. Bell gets another Big Ten offer

Charles ‘C.J.’ Bell is offered by Penn State on Friday.

Earlier this week, Charles ‘C.J.’ Bell earned his first Power Five offer from Rutgers football. On Friday morning, his second Power Five offer rolled in, this one also from the Big Ten.

Bell was offered by Penn State, the New England athlete announced on his social media on Friday morning. He is coming off a strong sophomore season St. Thomas More (Mansfield, MA). At 6-foot-1, 170-pound, the class of 2025 wide receiver also holds offers from Bowling Green, UConn and UMass.

The Scarlet Knights are the first Power Five offer for Bell, who plays for St. Thomas More (Mansfield, MA). He is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver who also holds offers from Bowling Green, UConn and UMass.

The Rutgers offer for Bell came after the class of 2025 athlete performed well at this week’s camp:

 

This will be a big week for Rutgers football on the recruiting front. Tuesday’s camp, the first of the summer season, led to multiple offers going out including Bell and offensive lineman Michael Carroll.

The offer for Carroll came after the Philadelphia offensive lineman impressed head coach Greg Schiano at the camp this week.

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Rutgers will also be hosting a number of national recruits this weekend, headlined by the likes of Jordan Thomas (the top player in New Jersey) as well as four-star athlete Josiah Brown and four-star defensive back Josh Philostin. Several commits, including quarterback [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Monte Keener[/autotag] are expected to be hosted by Rutgers on their official visits this weekend as well.

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Rutgers football: A.J. Surace impresses at the Elite XI combine testing

Rutgers football commit A.J. Surace is impressive at the Elite XI combine.

The future quarterback of Rutgers football seems to have looked the part over the weekend at Elite XI. A.J. Surace created no small amount of hype with his performance over the weekend.

At the Elite XI camp over the weekend in State College, PA, Surace placed sixth among all quarterbacks in athleticism. For a pro-style quarterback, it was an impressive output.

At 6-foot-2 and 211 pounds, Surace also answered questions about his size and strength.  His sixth-place showing in the combine and athleticism events certainly baked up some of the offseason hype from his quarterback trainer, Tony Racioppi.

Surace is a consensus three-star recruit as well as the top-ranked quarterback in New Jersey:

 

Having committed to Rutgers football in early February, Surace is now the centerpiece of a recruiting class that now counts eight verbals. Six of the players are on offense.

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Surace held a strong Power Five offer list included notable programs such as Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

 

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A.J. Surace makes his pitch for other recruits to join him at Rutgers

A.J. Surace believes in the direction of Rutgers football.

A.J. Surace is a believer in the direction of Rutgers football, and he wants other top players from New Jersey to join the rebuilding program.

Surace is the top quarterback in New Jersey and a consensus three-star recruit. He committed to the Scarlet Knights in February. The 2024 recruiting class has eight commits so far, with an impressive six coming on the offensive side of the ball.

The direction of the rebuild, now in its fourth season under head coach Greg Schiano, appears to be going up and improving. Schiano refers to it as a pipeline and in a recent interview with the Big Ten Network prior to the annual spring game, he said that the talent is starting to flow out.

As for Surace, he believes that other players in New Jersey such as linebacker Willy Love and defensive lineman Jordan Thomas, should consider a few things as part of their college decision. Both Love and Thomas are consensus top five players in New Jersey who have official visits scheduled to Rutgers.

Last week, Surace was asked for his message to those players like Love and Thomas who are considering official visits to Rutgers.

“Rutgers has a great coaching staff, culture, can develop players to reach their ability,” Surace said.

“And we are going to win.”

Surace is a top 10 player in New Jersey and a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.

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As the offense looks to add more talent and overall depth, the addition of some skill position players as part of this current recruiting class is exciting for Surace. On Monday, Maryland tight end Matthew Ogunniyi committed to Rutgers over offers from Texas A&M and West Virginia.

“He’s a great player,” Surace said of Ogunniyi.

“The coaches and staff are doing an incredible job recruiting excellent players and people that want to be part of something special.”

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Quarterback A.J. Surace is excited with two new Rutgers football commits this week (both are tight ends)

A.J. Surace talks about the new Rutgers football tight ends.

The recent additions at tight end have A.J. Surace excited about the future of the Rutgers football 2024 recruiting class.

The top-ranked quarterback in New Jersey, Surace is a three-star prospect who committed to Rutgers in February over offers from Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

On Sunday, Michigan tight end Monte Keener committed to Rutgers, just a little over a week removed from his visit to the program. Then on Monday night, Matthew Ogunniyi committed to Rutgers over offers from Texas A&M and West Virginia among others.

The coaching staff had hoped to land two tight ends in this recruiting cycle and they did a strong job in landing a player in Keener who had two Big Ten offers (Indiana, Minnesota) and Ogunniyi, who is very much under-the-radar despite his recent Texas A&M offer.

“I’m fired up! He’s a great player,” Surace said on Tuesday following the news of Ogunniyi committing to Rutgers.

“The coaches and staff are doing an incredible job recruiting excellent players and people that want to be part of something special.”

The news of Rutgers landing Ogunniyi and Keener, a three-star, is something that was met positively by Surace. Both players have good length and a solid catch radius.

“They are huge targets, terrific athletes and play physical,” Surace said.

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The 2024 recruiting class currently stands at seven for Rutgers football, with four commits coming on the offensive side of the ball.

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In addition to Keener, Ogunniyi and Surace, Rutgers has landed commitments from four-star running back Gabriel Winowich and three-star offensive lineman Kenny Jones.

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Judah Pruitt says academics, relationship with Marquise Watson helped him land at Rutgers

Defensive lineman Judah Pruitt opens up on why he picked Rutgers football.

Judah Pruitt committed to Rutgers football on Saturday in large part due to his connection with the school. A connection that he says went beyond the football field.

A three-star offensive lineman, Pruitt picked Rutgers over Power Five offers that included Boston College and Syracuse. He comes to Rutgers as a defensive line commit. With an impressive frame at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, there is the belief that he can handle more muscle with ease.

The Saturday commitment from Pruitt came while on a visit to campus for a scrimmage. Per 247Sports, he is the No. 28 recruit in New Jersey.

A good student at Malcolm Shabazz High School (Newark, N.J.), Pruitt said Rutgers gave him the perfect fit for football and academics.

In talking with Rutgers Wire on Saturday, Pruitt outlined his reason for committing to Rutgers:

“The reason why I picked Rutgers is because it really feels like home, the coaching staff cares about the team and everyone that is going to be a part of the family,” Pruitt said.

“But despite the football part, the Rutgers business school is incredible and that’s what I want to take part in for the next four years in college, leading to the NFL.”

Pruitt is now the fifth commitment to the Scarlet Knights in their 2023 recruiting class. He is the third verbal from New Jersey, joining offensive lineman [autotag]Kenny Jones[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag].

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Capable of playing on the offensive line or as a defensive tackle, Pruitt said that his bond with defensive line coach Marquise Watson is a strong one. The recruitment by Watson is a major reason why Pruitt was attracted to the Scarlet Knights.

“My relationship with coach Watson is great,” Pruitt said.

“I’ve known him since my junior season and he’s been recruiting me since then. He’s like family.”

Last Saturday, three-star linebacker Sam Pilof from Wisconsin committed to Rutgers while on a visit.

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What recruits are visiting Rutgers football on Thursday?

Rutgers football is hosting several bigtime recruiting targets on Thursday.

Another strong list of recruits will be at Rutgers football on Thursday for spring practice.

The following players are expected to attend the Rutgers football practice on Thursday:

  • Benjamin Black, a wide receiver from Mallard Creek (Charlotte, NC)
  • Teddy Foster, a defensive back from Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, FL)
  • Devon Gonzalez, a running back from Holy Trinity (Hicksville, N.Y.)
  • Emanuel Mingo, a running back from East Side (Newark, N.J.)
  • Nick Parisi, a linebacker from Holy Trinity (Hicksville, N.Y.)

There are two committed players who are part of the 2024 recruiting class and are expected to attend Thursday’s practice:

  • [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from Notre Dame Prep (Lawrenceville, N.J.)
  • [autotag]Gabriel Winowich[/autotag], a four-star running back from Detroit County Day (Beverly Hills, MI)

Black will be on-campus for two days, beginning on Wednesday.

It is certainly noteworthy that Foster is on-campus once again for an unofficial visit.

Earlier this week, another strong contingent of visitors visited Rutgers including Aaris Bethea (a three-star defensive lineman from Erasmus Hall; Brooklyn, N.Y.), Colin Cubberly (a three-star offensive tackle from Arlington ; Larageneville, N.Y), K.J. Duff  (a three-star tight end from St. Anthony’s; Melville, N.Y) and Judah Pruitt (a three-star interior offensive lineman from Shabazz; Newark, N.J.).

Three-star offensive lineman Judah Pruitt previews his Rutgers football visit on Tuesday

Rutgers football is hosting Judah Pruitt this week.

Three-star offensive lineman Judah Pruitt is set to visit Rutgers football on Tuesday.

Pruitt, ranked the No. 27 player in New Jersey according to 247 Sports, has a number of Power Five offers. The class of 2024 recruit from Shabazz High School (Newark, N.J.) holds offers including Boston College, Old Dominion, Syracuse and Temple as well as Rutgers.

His first offer came in January from Syracuse. Rutgers was his second Power Five offer in late January.

He is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound interior offensive lineman. In March, he visited Boston College. Tuesday will be his first chance to check-out Rutgers this spring.

Pruitt also plays defensive tackle for Shabazz, a program that went 5-6 last season.

“What I’m hoping to see (Tuesday) at Rutgers is the linemen being physical as ever,” Pruitt told Rutgers Wire. “And things with Rutgers are going amazing right now – they show mad love.”

And mad love, Pruitt says, is “that they’re texting me all day, and making sure I’m good.”

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In the 2024 recruiting class, Rutgers football currently has three players committed:

  • [autotag]Kenny Jones[/autotag], a three-star offensive lineman from New Jersey
  • [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from New Jersey
  • [autotag]Gabriel Winowich[/autotag], a four-star running back from Michigan

As for the school recruiting him the hardest, right now Pruitt says that is Boston College.

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Isaiah Campbell is offered by Rutgers football this week

Isaiah Campbell is offered by Rutgers football this week.

Rutgers football is now the sixth Power Five offer for Isaiah Campbell, a defensive lineman from North Carolina. The Scarlet Knights offered the standout this week, becoming his first Big Ten offer.

A class of 2025 recruit, Campbell is coming off a strong season for Greene Central (Snow Hill, NC). The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive tackle had 61 total tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries as the Rams finished the season 10-2.

In addition to football, Campbell also plays basketball and runs track.

He held previous offers from Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Virginia. His most recent offer came from Virginia in mid-March. Last week, he visited South Carolina.

Campbell tweeted about the offer from Rutgers football on Wednesday night:

 

So far, Rutgers football has three recruits in their 2023 class. Two of the players are from New Jersey (offensive lineman [autotag]Kenny Jones[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag]).

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[autotag]Gabriel Winowich[/autotag], a four-star athlete from Michigan, is the only out-of-state athlete. The highest-ranked recruit in the class, Winowich is from Michigan.

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