Tag: Greg Schiano

Where does the Rutgers football ’25 recruiting class now stand in the rankings?

Rutgers football is putting together a very special class of 2025.

After a run of 18 commitments over the past three weeks, Rutgers football now has one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in the nation.

The Rutgers class, which has five commits who have four-star rankings in the On3 Industry Rankings, is very solid in terms of player projections.
According to Rivals, the Rutgers class is ranked sixth in the nation. Per the 247Sports rankings, the class is ninth.
This class has leaned heavily into in-state recruiting this cycle, with eight committed players from New Jersey. Florida, not surprisingly, is once again prime recruiting turf for Rutgers with five committed players.
(Last year, Florida had eight commits in the Rutgers class, the most of any state).
Now, there is a caveat to this news…the ranking for Rutgers is likely to start moving down in the coming weeks. With 26 committed players, Rutgers has one of the largest classes in the nation. While the quality of the players are quite good, there is likely to be significant movement from several big programs as they start to fill up their own classes.
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The good news for Rutgers is that they made their targets early and got them.
This is a high-quality class that also has significant depth. It is an impressive job of recruiting by head coach Greg Schiano and his staff to say the least.

Rutgers football offers four-star recruit Kai Pritchard

Rutgers football has offered a class of 2026 recruit.

This week, Rutgers football made a scholarship offer to four-star recruit Kai Pritchard.

The Donovan High School (Toms River, New Jersey) product is ranked by 247Sports as the fifth best offensive lineman in New Jersey in the 2026 class. Due to his impressive play, he has received offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, James Madison, and Kentucky. In total he has received offers from 13 schools.

For Rutgers, their interest comes as no surprise. Pritchard is one of the state’s top prospects and would help improve an offensive line that has shown encouraging signs of late. The key for head coach Greg Schiano will be convincing Pritchard that Rutgers is the best place for him to spend his college career.

Kai Pritchard ESPN Jr. 300 No. 189 striking the bag 💥 @kaipritchard6

This OL group is tough‼️ #UANext pic.twitter.com/Xtxtlg7rIj

— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) May 5, 2024

While Pritchard has plenty of options to choose from, he seemed impressed during his talk with head coach Greg Schiano.

He then posted on Monday afternoon about the flurry of hand-written letters the Rutgers staff sent him.

 

The offer came while Pritchard attended the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Camp.

Jake Butt hails Rutgers football – ‘they are tough and they are disciplined’

Jake Butt and Joshua Perry praise Rutgers football on Stadium.

With one of the top recruiting classes in the Big Ten and all of college football, Rutgers football is certainly trending in the right direction. Two national college football analysts who cover the Big Ten certainly see it that way.

Speaking on ‘Red Corner Blue Corner‘ on the Stadium streaming network, former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry and Michigan tight end Jake Butt discussed the Rutgers incoming class.

Asked if he is surprised that Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] has pulled in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, Butt said he wasn’t.

Also an analyst with the Big Ten Network, Butt sees this recruiting class as momentum for Rutgers, saying that “this is an extremely dangerous team.” Rutgers finished last year 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) and with a win over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

“Rutgers is a low-hanging fruit and a punching bag for those that may not follow college football as a whole. But when you watch the tape, they – especially last year – were and are a good football team, and they are tough and they are disciplined,” Butt said on Stadium.

“And you’d be surprised. You cannot say that about everyone across the conference or across college football as a whole. You look at their toughest two opponents, they’re in that game, fourth-and-2 versus Michigan in the fourth quarter. There were a few missed opportunities versus Ohio State, where had they hit those, that game might be completely different.

“JP, they finished 7-6 and after the bowl game. ESPN, had them with the fourth hardest scheduled nationally, OK? Eight of their opponents finished with a bowl record. That’s pretty damn good. Okay, that’s good for a lot of teams, but that’s good for what Schiano is up against at Rutgers. I think he’s a great coach. I think he’s extremely honest with his players, and he’s shared that with us in some of our coaching meetings.”

In the updated rankings on Saturday, On3 has Rutgers with a top 10 class in the nation. Rivals and 247Sports also have Rutgers in the top 10 nationally.

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To watch the entire segment on Stadium, click here. Red Corner, Blue Corner also has a platform on YouTube that is loaded with Big Ten content and some really solid college football talk.

Greg Schiano on supporting ‘CHOP4Change,’ Athletes in Action and the Bob Mulcahy scholarship

Greg Schiano speaks to making an impact with his charity golf classic.

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — In a week where so much of the focus has been on recruiting and the impactful haul of four-star talent into the Rutgers football program, there was the opportunity to step back and focus on the other things that make college athletics special.

On Monday, Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano held his annual charity golf classic at Fiddler’s Elbow.

The event raised $100,000 this year. The three charities that benefitted from the Schiano fundraiser were ‘CHOP4Change,’ Athletes in Action and a scholarship in honor of the late Bob Mulcahy, who as athletic director was pivotal in the development of Rutgers football.

Mulcahy was a giant of a man who remains a legendary figure in and around Rutgers athletics.

Schiano spoke about the impact of the fundraiser and what it means to him personally.

“It’s a great event. I think Pat Morris organizes the entire event does an incredible job. He’s done it for years. KMac (chief of staff Kevin MacConnell) is his wing man and they get it done. It’s amazing what they do. I literally – I’m sometimes embarrassed because what I do is show up and take pictures….say hello to people, but this really is special,” Schiano said on Monday prior to the event.

“The cause to me is in this day and age when everything’s about NIL and everything’s about facilities, I think we got to make sure that we don’t forget there are things that are more important. And when you look at what ‘CHOP4Change‘ does,-  that’s our social justice charity on our football team and they do so many great things – to be able to, help them financially.

“And then Athletes in Action, which is a nondenominational Christian ministry that works with our athletes. It is not paid by Rutgers but has to raise their own money. So, they do a tremendous job

“And then, you know my partner, first time, Bob, Mulcahy. We always want to be able to contribute some money to that scholarship fund. Bob was really a huge part of building Rutgers and Rutgers football and getting us into the Big Ten and all those things. So to remember him with that scholarship to me is something that I’ll do, as long as I’m around.”

 

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There were 328 participants this year at the event.

After a flurry of four-star commits, Rutgers football has a top-five recruiting class

Several new commits pushes up Rutgers football’s recruiting class ranking.

With four commits ranked as four-star recruits coming to Rutgers football in the last few days, the Big Ten program now has a recruiting class ranked among the best in the nation.

The commitments of offensive lineman [autotag]Jaelyne Matthews[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Michael Thomas III[/autotag], both from New Jersey, now sees Rutgers with the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation according to Rivals.

It is also the third-best class in the Big Ten.

The Rutgers class currently has 23 commits.

In the Rivals rankings, Notre Dame has the top-ranked class in the nation followed by Ohio State. New Big Ten member USC is fourth.

While the ranking is likely to be adjusted and move down in the coming weeks as other schools fill-up their own classes, it is still an important measuring stick for Rutgers in the new look Big Ten.

Being able to piece together a top-25 recruiting class, especially after three solid classes brought in by head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], is an important part for a developmental program.

Schiano has consistently said that player development is key for Rutgers as they look to create a pipeline of talent. In the new era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), Schiano believes that Rutgers has to be a program that develops its young players if it is to compete in the ultra-competitive Big Ten.

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Per the team rankings from 247Sports, Rutgers has the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation. They have five commits according to 247Sports who are ranked as four-star recruits.

Greg Schiano says Athan Kaliakmanis won the Rutgers starting job due ‘to his accuracy’

Greg Schiano on why Athan Kaliakmanis won the starting job at Rutgers.

BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY — The decision to name [autotag]Athan Kaliakmanis[/autotag] the starting quarterback following spring football was born from what Rutgers football head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] said was a tough competition.

But it was a competition where Schiano said that Kaliakmanis showed differentiation in his accuracy. It was this attribute that saw the transfer from Minnesota win the starting job at Rutgers outright.

In winning the starting job, Kaliakmanis supplanted incumbent starter Gavin Wimsatt. A former four-star quarterback recruit, Wimsatt led Rutgers to a 7-6 record and a bowl win for the first time since 2014.

He completed 47.1 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Rutgers head coach spoke prior to the start of his ‘Greg Schiano Charity Golf Classic.’

“Athan won the job this spring. And it was very, very good competition. I was really pleased because the quarterback room supported each other throughout the entire competition and that’s what I would expect,” Schiano said on Monday.

“But you know what – when you get into those things, it can get dicey. These guys…they were great together, they supported each other. Athan clearly won the job.

“So that’s why we announced when we did—also wanted to make sure that whoever didn’t win it, in this day of modern college football with the transfer portal that they had a chance if they wanted to look (around). I think that’s the wave of the future. And I think if if your team knows that you’re definitely there to win and make sure they get their degree but you also want to try to help them individually in their pursuit.

“I was hopeful that Gavin might stick around but I understand why he left and wish him only but the best because he’s a special kid and a special family.”

Last season for Minnesota, Kaliakmanis completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,831 yards. He had 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

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When asked what separated Kaliamkanis from Wimsatt, the answer from Schiano was pretty clear.

“I think his accuracy, Schiano said. “I mean, it’s, it was pretty substantial the difference.”

Gerrick Gordon shuts down recruitment, is all in on Rutgers football

Gerrick Gordon talks about committing to Rutgers football.

After committing to Rutgers football on Sunday afternoon, [autotag]Gerrick Gordon[/autotag] has shut down his recruitment. His verbal over the weekend while on an official visit to the Big Ten program represents a significant recruiting win for the program.

Rutgers fought off some stiff competition to land Gordon, who is a 6-foot-4 and 270-pound interior offensive lineman from Trinity Catholic (Ocala, Florida). A three-star offensive lineman, he is the No. 38 interior offensive lineman in the nation per Rivals.

In March, Rutgers joined a list of offers for Gordon that included Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Purdue, South Carolina, SMU, Tulane and West Virginia among others.

Gordon’s commitment came on Sunday following a conversation with head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag]. It was a meeting that impressed Gordon due to Schiano’s honesty with him.

“He was pretty straight forward,” Gordon told Rutgers Wire about the meeting before his commitment.

“Told me my ups and downs. Didn’t just tell me my ups. (I) want a coach that is going to tell you the truth and that’s hard to find.”

Specifically, Gordon said Schiano singled out the “Things I need to work on off and on the field.”

As for his other relationships on the Rutgers staff, Gordon likes how things have progressed with offensive line coach [autotag]Pat Flaherty[/autotag].

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Now in his second year at Rutgers, Flaherty has re-tooled the Rutgers offensive line and helped the unit make a significant developmental leap in his first season back with the program. Flaherty brings two decades of NFL experience back to Rutgers, having been a part of the Scarlet Knights coaching staff earlier in his career.

“Coach Flaherty is a very big reason why I committed,” Gordon said.

“The man knows what it takes to be great. He knows what it’s like to win and what it takes.”

Gordon said he will not be taking any other official visits and is completely committed to Rutgers.

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On the recruiting trip with Gordon was [autotag]Latish Kinsler[/autotag], a mentor who has helped guide him through the recruiting process.

Kinsler is a former standout college football player at Cincinnati who played in the NFL. His son is Jordan Kinsler, a running back at Rutgers who showed some flashes recently at the spring game.

Former Rutgers football head coach Chris Ash is back in the NFL

Former Rutgers football head coach Chris Ash is back in the NFL.

Chris Ash, who spent over three years as a head coach with Rutgers football, has returned to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a role in their personnel department.

Having spent the last two years as a defensive backs coach with the Las Vegas Raiders, Ash will work with the Jaguars as a scout. A former defensive coordinator at Ohio State prior to his time at Rutgers, Ash has spent the last three years of his coaching career in the NFL.

Ash faced a pretty massive rebuild at Rutgers (2016-19). During his time at Rutgers, he posted an 8-32 (3-26 Big Ten) record. He was let go four games into the 2019 season.

He spent two years at Texas as their defensive coordinator before joining the coaching staff of the Jaguars as a safeties coach in 2021.

He then spent the last two years as the defensive backs coach of the Raiders. He was not retained by new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.

The role for Ash was first reported by John Shipley of Jaguar Report, a part of Fan Nation.

 

A number of his recruits went on to have success in the Big Ten and then the NFL, including Green Bay Packers wide receiver [autotag]Bo Melton[/autotag] and Kansas City Chiefs running back [autotag]Isiah Pacheco[/autotag].

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Both Melton and Pacheco played for Ash and then spent their final year in college under current head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag]. Melton and Pacheco were Day 3 selections in the 2022 NFL draft.

What made Braxton Kyle commit to Rutgers football on his official visit?

Braxton Kyle talks about his Rutgers football commitment last weekend.

Rutgers secured a commitment from Braxton Kyle last weekend, adding a player who was very much under the radar but fills a significant need in the 2025 recruiting class.

Kyle was the second commitment for Rutgers during the official visit weekend. There is no denying his production, as over the last two seasons he had 75 total tackles and 13 sacks across 22 games.

A 6-foot-4, 305-pound defensive lineman from North Gwinnett High School (Suwanee, Georgia), Kyle has some big upside and a Big Ten frame.

Rutgers became his second Power Five offer, joining Georgia Tech. He also held offers from Appalachian State, Bowling Green, Marshall, Troy and UAB among others.

“After praying, I felt comfortable knowing I made the right decision,” Kyle told Rutgers Wire.

“It also feels good knowing that I’ll have Mr. Jeff Jones (Rutgers football’s director of professional development) and his team supporting me.”

On3 ranks Kyle as the No. 58 interior defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 91 overall commit in Georgia.

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Rutgers and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] made an impression on Kyle when he was offered in February. The official visit last weekend only reinforced the relationship that had been built during that time.

Kyle sees a big future for Rutgers and for himself in the defense.

“I think the team is going to continue to do big things. The amount of love I received from coach Schiano, coach Ferrell (defensive line coach Colin Ferrell), coach Campenni (defensive ends coach Julian Campenni) and the entire Rutgers family has been unmatched,” Kyle said.

“Under the direction of coach Schiano, I’ll bring the speed, power and athleticism needed to get the job done.”

Where does Rutgers football rank in the ESPN FPI?

Rutgers football’s ESPN FPI was released this week.

Following a season where Rutgers finished with a winning record and beat Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, there is definitely heightened anticipation about the Scarlet Knights. This is reflected in the release of the ESPN FPI this week.

Rutgers is No. 45 in the ESPN FPI. The projected win total for Rutgers is 7.2, as set by ESPN (7.2-4.8). Last season, Rutgers &-6,2-6 Big Ten) finished No. 50 in the nation in the ESPN FPI final rankings.

In the Big Ten, they are ranked No. 11 in the ESPN FPI.

Seven wins in the regular season would be the most for Rutgers since 2014, their first in the Big Ten.

The projection for Rutgers reflects optimism in the turn-around done by head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and the solid offseason where the Scarlet Knights retained much of their successful core from 2023.

Seven wins would reflect another strong step forward for the Scarlet Knights and would certainly build on the momentum that has been established. There would also be a significant impact in recruiting for Rutgers as well, with back-to-back winning seasons showing sustainability in Schiano’s development program model.

Of the top six programs in the ESPN FPI, the Big Ten has three teams:

(The rankings reflect where the Big Ten programs rank in the ESPN FPI projections)

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No. 77 Indiana has the lowest ESPN FPI ranking of any Big Ten program.