Desman Stephens II was offered by Rutgers football on Friday, putting the Big Ten program in the mix for a player who is likely to see his recruitment explode over the next few months.
A class of 2024 recruit, Stephens plays his high school football for Clarkstown (Clarkstown, Michigan). He is a three-star athlete who projects as a defensive back at the next level.
ESPN ranks him as the ninth-best player in Michigan this season.
Stephens holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Purdue and Vanderbilt among others. He also has a pair of Ivy league offers from Columbia and Yale.
Last season, he had 61 total tackles, five tackles for a loss and three interceptions.
He posted about the offer from Rutgers on his social media:
Blessed to Receive an Offer from Rutgers University! @GregSchiano @cjhetherman @C_NoonanRU @RFootball pic.twitter.com/b8B0et7Ir0
— Desman Stephens II (@DesmanIi) October 27, 2023
Clarkstown is 5-5 this season.
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Rutgers is currently 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten) on the season and has qualified for a bowl game. This marks the fourth season under head coach Greg Schiano and his rebuild of the program.