Tag: Dominic Funke

Rutgers football got the Funke – four-star edge Dominic Funke takes a Thursday visit

Dominic Funke took a visit to Rutgers football.

Dominic Funke took an unofficial visit on Thursday to Rutgers football, continuing his relationship with the Big Ten program’s coaching staff.

Funke, a three-star defensive end from St. Sebastian’s Country Day (Needham, Massachusetts), is a class of 2026 prospect. He has been a regular visitor to Rutgers football over the past season.

He holds offers from Boston College, Syracuse, Temple and Wisconsin. Last weekend, he took an unofficial visit to Wisconsin. He has no other visits planned anywhere in the near future.

Funke is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound presence off the edge. The unofficial visit on Thursday was another important step for Rutgers to continue their relationship with one of the top edge rushers in the nation.

“The visit was great. Loved watching practice and seeing the culture that the staff brings and the intensity that team plays with. Also had some great conversations with the coaches,” Funke told Rutgers Wire.

“I enjoyed getting to know coach Campenni (defensive ends coach Julian Campenni) and coach Harasymiak (defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak) better on this trip. Their detailed and passionate coaching style stood out to me.”

Rivals ranks Funke as the No. 13 defensive end in the class of 2026.

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Campenni was hired by Rutgers in January and this was Funke’s second time meeting with him the defensive ends coach. Fuke said the relationship took a step forward this week as he “Enjoyed building that relationship more today and seeing him in action at practice.”

“I’ve gotten to know Rutgers very well and feel very comfortable there,” Funke said. “It’s always been high on my list.”

Dominic Funke earns Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors

Dominic Funke got a big honor this week.

On Monday, Rutgers football recruit Dominic Funke landed himself an impressive distinction.

The St. Sebastian (Needham, Massachusetts) standout was recognized for his play as he earned Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors. Statewide, he was the only member of the 2026 class recognized on the list.

In his sophomore season, Funke recorded 12 sacks and added 71 tackles to his resume. He also forced three fumbles and recovered two in eight games. Regardless of the opponent, Funke was a disruptive force to opposing offenses.

 

Due to his statistics, it is no surprise that Funke is one prospect college programs are keeping an eye on. He has already received offers from Boston College, Rutgers, Temple, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, according to 247Sports.

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Additionally, Funke was named to the All-ISL and All-NEPSAC first teams. When he is not striking fear into his opponents on the gridiron, Funke wrestles and plays lacrosse.

While Funke’s future is far from certain, he will have plenty of schools to choose from. That list should continue to grow as programs look to add more talent to their 2026 class. 

 

Rutgers football recruiting: Dominic Funke impressed following Sunday visit

Dominic Funke breaks down his Sunday visit to Rutgers.

Dominic Funke checked out Rutgers football on Sunday, the class of 2025 recruit getting a chance to see a strong performance from the Scarlet Knights in their season opener.

Rutgers played complementary football in a 24-7 win over Northwestern. Scoring on their first three drives to roll out to a 17-0 lead, Rutgers didn’t allow Northwestern to score until their final possession of the game.

A defensive end from St. Sebastian’s (Needham, MA), Funke is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound prospect, Funke. has offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Temple and Wisconsin among others. In January, he was offered by Rutgers.

The class of 2026 recruit talked with Rutgers Wire this week about attending the season opener on Sunday.

“The experience on Sunday was awesome. It was great to get down to Rutgers again, but it was different this time because it was game day,” Funke told Rutgers Wire on Tuesday morning.

“The atmosphere in the stadium and the energy from the team was electric. It was great to see how much people care for Rutgers football and to see the intensity the team played in a real game. I loved how aggressive and powerful Rutgers was, especially on defense. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience this Sunday.”

Funke is a priority recruit for Rutgers, as evidenced by his strong offer list so far. He is forming a good connection with the coaching staff, including defensive line coach Marquise Watson and linebackers assistant coach Charlie Noonan.

“The coaches I’ve been in touch with the most have been coach Noonan and coach Watson. I’ve been keeping in touch with them for a while now and I look forward to continuing those relationships,” Funke said.

“I’ve also gotten to meet coach Schiano (head coach Greg Schiano) on a few occasions and it’s always great to talk with him and get a glimpse of his leadership and wisdom. There are a lot of great guys on the RU coaching staff who I’ve made relationships with and I’m excited to further those relationships as well.”

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Funke’s season hasn’t started yet but Funke said “I’m ready for a great season and to make some noise.”

Dominic Funke talks Saturday trip to Rutgers football: ‘The team’s culture really stood out’

Rutgers football hosted Dominic Funke this weekend.

One of several recruits on campus for a Saturday visit, Dominic Funke walked away from his time spent with the Rutgers football program holding what he says is a better and deeper understanding of the coaching staff as well as the school.

A defensive end from St. Sebastian’s (Needham, MA), Funke is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect who was offered by Pittsburgh on Sunday. He held previous offers from Boston College, Rutgers and Temple. Funke was offered by Rutgers in early January.

Saturday’s visit was a good one for the class of 2026 defensive end, who was an FBU Freshman All-American. He got a tour of the Hale Center, the football program’s facility, as well as the greater Rutgers campus.

“The visit on Saturday went very well. The team’s culture really stood out to me,” Funke told Rutgers Wire.

“It seems to be a team that highly values hard work and has a family-like connection. I liked the mottos ‘FTC’ and ‘CHOP’. I also thought the football facilities as well as the campus were really nice and I enjoyed touring them.”

Also part of the day for Funke was time spent with Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano as well as defensive line coach Marquise Watson.

“I had an amazing conversation with coach Schiano. He’s a great coach and I love his philosophy. I also got to talk with coach Watson and I really enjoyed that conversation. He gave me some feedback on my film and told me how Rutgers runs their defense. It was also great to catch up with coach Noonan again too.”

There may not be too many visits this spring for Funke given what is a busy schedule.

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“I’ve got lacrosse starting up this week, but I’ll be getting in the weight room and training for next season too.”

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