Tag: Greg Schiano

Houston we have a Rutgers commitment! Jourdin Houston commits this weekend

Rutgers football landed three-star wide receiver Jourdin Houston.

Rutgers football’s recruiting roll continued on Sunday with the commitment of three-star wide receiver Jourdin Houston. Rutgers has pulled in multiple commitments this official visit weekend.

Houston has a strong Power Five offer list that includes Boston College, UConn, Duke, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Wake Forest. The commitment is a major recruiting win for Rutgers and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

He will attend St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Connecticut) this fall.

Rivals ranks Houston as the sixth-best player in Connecticut and the No. 99 wide receiver in the class of 2025. He is ranked the No. 69 wide receiver in the nation by 247Sports.

His commitment was made public by Houston via his social media:

 

Rutgers has had a big weekend, marking the first official visit weekend in style. Several commitments came rolling in for the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, starting with defensive lineman [autotag]Miron Gurman[/autotag].

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Those were followed by interior defensive lineman [autotag]Braxton Kyle[/autotag] from Georgia and three-star Florida edge [autotag]Raedyn Bruens[/autotag], who just recently pulled in an offer from Miami.

 

Athan Kaliakmanis preparing to lead Rutgers offense

Athan Kaliakmanis has the skillset to help Rutgers football this season.

When Rutgers football opens its season against Howard on August 31, there will be a new quarterback under center in Athan Kaliakmanis. The former Minnesota starting quarterback was named the starter after his performance this spring on May 1.

In his first season as the starter in Piscataway, Kaliakmanis will be looking to help Rutgers take the next step following a winning season last year that was capped off by a bowl win. Kaliakmanis joined Rutgers out of the transfer portal during the offseason.

The Scarlet Knights beat Miami last year in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl to finish the year 7-6.

During his career as a Golden Gopher, he recorded 17 touchdown passes and 2,784 passing yards. The talented sophomore only threw 13 interceptions and was a threat at times on the ground, rushing for 234 yards. While Kaliakmanis is still adjusting to a new team, he has had a familiar face to lean on in offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who recruited him to Minnesota as a three-star high school prospect and coached him in 2021.

Although Rutgers took some steps forward last year, they struggled in the passing game. That is where Kaliakmanis is expected to provide he biggest upgrade. During the 2024 campaign, he posted a 53.1 completion percentage. Rutgers ranked last in the Big Ten last season with a 48.3 percent completion rate.

Brotherly Love ‼️

Athan Kaliakmanis hits Dino Kaliakmanis for the touchdown! pic.twitter.com/MW2btjeJRI

— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) April 27, 2024

In Rutgers’ spring game, Kaliakmanis’ accuracy was on display. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards, including a 42-year touchdown pass to Naseim Brantley. His performance was a preview of what Rutgers hopes to see when the regular season begins.

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While Kaliakmanis’s last few months have been full of change, he has already built trust with his new coaches, such as Greg Schiano.

“You know, the portal can be a scary place,” Kaliakmanis said in March. “I was very fortunate that a lot of schools (were) interested but very thankful that coach Ciarrocca and coach Schiano (head coach Greg Schiano) were interested in me. But yeah, I mean, our relationship is very, very tight -it was at Minnesota. And just picking his brain, I think he’s a very, very smart coordinator. He’s very intelligent, and I trust him.”

 

Three-star offensive lineman Chris Vigna previews his Rutgers football official visit

Chris Vigna talks about his upcoming Rutgers football official visit.

The first official visit for Chris Vigna will see him take in the scene with Rutgers football this weekend. The relationship with the coaching staff, Vigna said, played a big part in him choosing to make an in-state official visit.

Rutgers offered Vigna during an April visit. He is ranked the No. 36 recruit in New Jersey during this recruiting cycle.

Still just 16 years old, Vigna plays interior offensive line for Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) He holds offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, James Madison, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.

Vigna will take an official visit to Boston College and Pittsburgh in the following weeks. Along with Rutgers, they form his final three schools.

Right now, Vigna is working on his relationship with Rutgers and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] as well as his staff.

“I have had a couple of great visits and the coaches have taken the time to get to know me and have been in constant contact,” Vigna told Rutgers Wire about his decision to take an official visit.

“Rutgers is a great school and plays against top competition in the Big Ten. They are close to home and it is a program that is getting better every year under coach Schiano.”

Part of the process for Vigna is also getting to know [autotag]Pat Flaherty[/autotag], the offensive line coach at Rutgers.

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Flaherty, who returned to Rutgers last year, turned around an offensive line that was among the worst in the Big Ten. The growth of the line under Flaherty helped Kyle Monangai become the leading rusher in the Big Ten and see the offense finish middle of the table in the conference in total offense.

Having spent two decades in the NFL and with two Super Bowl rings from his time with the New York Giants, Flaherty certainly has an impressive resume.

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“I feel like I have a great relationship with coach Schiano and coach Flaherty,” Vigna said.

“They both have studied my film closely and understand that I am a true junior, still 16, with a lot of growth ahead of me. So I appreciate the plan they have for my development if I commit to Rutgers.”

He hopes to make a commitment after his official visits are completed in June. Father’s Day, Vigna says, is a possible target date for his announcement.

Ayden Pouncey breaks down his recent Rutgers football offer

Four-star Ayden Pouncey talks about his Rutgers football offer.

A recent offer from Rutgers football has gotten the interest of Ayden Pouncey. The four-star defensive back is looking to take a visit to the Big Ten program this summer.

Versatile and explosive, Pouncey is a class of 2026 prospect who plays both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and a cornerback for Winter Park High School (Winter Park, Florida). He was offered late last week by Rutgers.

A class of 2026 recruit, Pouncey is the No. 128 ranked recruit in the 247Sports rankings. In addition to his recent offer from Rutgers, he has been offered by Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Louisville, Penn State, Oregon, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Tennessee among others.

In addition, he is the No. 152 recruit in the nation in the ESPN 300.

The offer came in late last week for Pouncey during a conversation with head coach Greg Schiano and running backs coach Damiere Shaw.

“I’m really excited,” Pouncey told Rutgers Wire last week. “They don’t offer a lot of guys – they told me the guys they offer they want to sign and I’m excited to get on a visit hopefully this summer.”

“Their message was (that) I fit their culture and they only recruit guys they want to sign.”

Last season he had 21 total tackles with four interceptions.

The conversation with the Rutgers staff was an opportunity for Pouncey to learn more about the program. He appreciated the opportunity to connect with the head coach as part of the offer process.

“He seems like a really genuine coach,” Pouncey said about Schiano. “And he cares about getting good people into the program and building that culture.”

Where was Greg Schiano ranked for his playing career among Big Ten football coaches?

On3 takes a look at the on field playing careers of the Big Ten’s head coaches.

There is a compelling argument that Rutgers football head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] consistently isn’t ranked enough among a recent pecking order of the top Big Ten football coaches.

But the order has nothing to do with the acumen or success of the Big Ten’s coaches (Rutgers after all went 7-6 last year with a bowl win over Miami). Instead, Schiano (set for his fifth year at Rutgers), and his colleagues were ranked by On3 for their playing careers.

Topping off the list, and it shouldn’t be a surprise, is DeShaun Foster. The first-year UCLA head coach had a distinguished career in the Pac-12 with the Bruins and was a second-round pick in the 2002 NFL draft.

Schiano was ranked as having had the No. 11 career among all head coach in the Big Ten according to On3’s Tom Dinehart.

Dinehart called Schiano, who was a multi-year starter at Bucknell as “the ultimate tough guy.”

“A three-year letterwinner for the I-AA Bison, Schiano was named to The Sporting News’ preseason All-American team in 1987…was a captain his senior year after leading non-scholarship Bucknell with 114 tackles as a junior en route to garnering All-Patriot League honors.”

Dinehart’s list is good and really solid, but there are a couple of issues with it.

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He ranks Penn State head coach James Franklin as fourth on the list. Franklin, while enjoying a distinguished career at East Stroudsburg, played at the Division II level.

Tough to see him above several people on the list including Ryan Day (an FCS standout at New Hampshire) who was fifth on the list.

No. 6 Ryan Walters (a starting safety at Colorado) and No. 7 Luke Fickell (a multi-year starter for Ohio State) both deserve to be higher on the list than Franklin.

That is no knock on Franklin and his distinguished career at ESU. Just a hard, analytical look at career accomplishments.

This is a big year for Franklin and Penn State, who are having a strong offseason in recruiting and the transfer portal. It could be the year where the Nittany Lions take a step forward as a program and move into the upper echelon of the Big Ten.

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Oh for what it is worth, Dinehart is really good at his job with tremendous insight into the entirety of the Big Ten. Just taking issue that Franklin is a bit too high on this list.

Who is Michael Clayton? Get to know the latest cornerback offered by Rutgers

Rutgers football offered Michael Clayton last week.

Last week, Rutgers football offered Michael Clayton, becoming the first Power Four offer for the athlete from Georgia.

Clayton is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound athlete who plays as a wide receiver and a cornerback at Northside High School (Warner Robins, Georgia). The offer from Rutgers came in for the class of 2025 prospect on the defensive side of the ball.

Last season, Clayton had 35 total tackles and five passes defended in 10 games played.

The offer from Rutgers is in large part due to Clayton’s very impressive measurables. He runs a 4.47 time in the 40 with a 10.81 in the 100 meters. He has a vertical of 31 inches and a squat of 405 pounds.

Clayton said that head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] were in on the call last week where he was offered by Rutgers.

“It was a great moment,” Clayton told Rutgers Wire.

“I was on the phone with the corners coach and the head coach they explained to me about their program and what they’re about and then they offered me.

“I feel like they have a great culture, from the information I’ve gathered it seems like they’re big on unity all with a common goal and working together to reach it. And I feel with the coaches they have, they’re also very focused on developing players as well.”

Clayton will be taking an official visit to Central Michigan on the weekend of June 15. On the next week, he will visit Georgia State.

 

The last weekend of May, he will be at Rutgers, making the Scarlet Knights the first program to host Clayton on an official visit.

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In terms of what he is looking for in a school and a program, Clayton laid out his priorities.

“Just a school with a program that can develop me as an athlete and teach valuable lessons to progress me in life,” Clayton said.

“And a team where I can have the greatest impact and become the best player I can be.”

Clayton is eyeing a commitment date in late July.

Florida defensive end Romando Johnson schedules a Rutgers football OV

Romando Johnson is set for a Rutgers football official visit.

Romando Johnson is locked in for an official visit with Rutgers football.

A 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive end from Monarch High School, Johnson has an offer list that includes Florida, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Louisville, Miami, Penn State and Tennessee. He announced his Rutgers football official visit via social media on Friday.

Earlier this month, Johnson was offered by Boston College.

A three-star edge, 247 Sports ranks him as the No. 32 player at his position in the nation and the No. 60 overall recruit this cycle in Florida.

Last year in 11 games played, Johnson had 28 total tackles including three tackles for a loss. He also had six sacks with a pass defended, a fumble caused and a fumble recovery.

 

Florida continues to be an important pipeline for Rutgers and [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag]. From the eight committed players in the 2025 class, two are from Florida.

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In April, defensive tackle [autotag]Jyon Simon[/autotag] committed to Rutgers. The three-star from Florida (ranked the No. 62 prospect in the state by On3) had offers that included Texas, Tennessee, USC (University of Southern California), Pittsburgh, Jacksonville State. North Carolina State and Colorado.

The first commit for Rutgers in the 2025 class came last fall from [autotag]Sean Ashenfelder[/autotag]. The three-star quarterback was offered by UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, Liberty, Pittsburgh, USF, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others

Rutgers football offers Robbie Johnson, official visit set for next week

Robbie Johnson Jr. was offered by Rutgers football on Thursday.

Well, that escalated quickly. Rutgers football offered Robbie Johnson Jr. this week and an official visit is already in place

A 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end from Salesianum (Wilmington, Delaware), Johnson pulled in an offer from Rutgers on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights join the likes of Duke, Old Dominion, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia in offering the talented edge rusher.

An official visit to Rutgers is set for this weekend. He also has a June official visit set up at Minnesota.

Johnson visited Rutgers during spring practice in March.

A multi-sport athlete, Johnson is also a standout on the basketball court where he is a forward and plays for an AAU team.

Johnson posted on social media about the offer, tagging head coach Greg Schiano and defensive end’s coach Julian Campenni.

 

Schiano currently has Rutgers as the No. 33 recruiting class in the nation with eight committed players.

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The class has one committed defensive lineman, Florida three-star prospect Jyon Simon who is an interior prospect. Simon committed to Rutgers in mid-April.

The 6-foot-1, 260-pound defensive tackle picked Rutgers from an offer list that included Texas, Tennessee, USC (University of Southern California), Pittsburgh, Jacksonville State. North Carolina State and Colorado.

 

Florida offensive lineman Demetrius Campbell sets up a Rutgers football official visit

Demetrius Campbell has set up a Rutgers football official visit.

Demetrius Campbell, one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the nation is set for a Rutgers football official visit.

On Saturday, Campbell posted about the Rutgers football official visit, although he did not announce a date for the visit.

Ranked the No. 66 offensive tackle in the nation by 247Sports, Campbell is a bigtime, Power Five prospect. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound prospect from Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Florida) is the No. 104 recruit in the state in the class of 2025.

He has an offer list that includes Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and UCF among others.

He also has official visits planned for Miami, Ole Miss and UCF.

On the social media post, Campbell tagged Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and running backs coach Damiere Shaw.

 

Campbell is a powerful offensive line prospect who moves well. He leverages his strength in his lower body and gets a good push on initial contact.

Where did former Rutgers assistant Fran Brown debut on the CBS Sports power rankings?

Fran Brown, a former Rutgers football assistant, is ranked by CBS Sports.

Former Rutgers football assistant [autotag]Fran Brown[/autotag] is off to a hot start as the head coach at Syracuse without so much as having yet played an official game.

But CBS Sports says that Brown, who was the secondary coach at Rutgers for two years, still has plenty to prove when being stacked up against the rest of the Power Four.

Brown is No. 67 on the list out of 68 head coaches, but this shouldn’t be taken as a slight. As CBS Sports noted in their rankings, Brown has yet to coach a game and someone has to be at the bottom of the list.

Where things get interesting for Brown is the outlook at Syracuse, where he does have the Orange positioned well. There is potential for Brown to be able to build Syracuse up, provided that his staff can develop their incoming players.

Here is what CBS Sports had to say about Brown:

“This hire is one that I look forward to following. Brown was a good coach and incredible recruiter for Georgia, but will his recruiting acumen translate to upstate New York? It’s a very different sell, but Brown is off to a strong start. Now we await what kind of results the Orange can get on the field. “

Syracuse is putting together a very solid recruiting class, one that is filling up quickly. It is top 10 nationally according to 247Sports, in large part due to having 19 commits.

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Brown comes to Syracuse after two seasons at Georgia as their safeties coach. Prior to that, he spent two years on staff at Rutgers.

At No. 68 on the list is Dashaun Foster, the first-year head coach at UCLA. Rutgers will play UCLA at SHI Stadium on Oct. 19.

Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] is at No. 40 on the list, up 10 spots from the previous year.