Tag: Isaiah Crumpler

Rutgers football: What are the noticeable position changes for the Scarlet Knights this spring?

Rutgers football has some significant position changes for spring practice.

There are a couple of significant moves for Rutgers football heading into spring, with several players making position switches.

The biggest position change for Rutgers football is that punter [autotag]Flynn Appleby[/autotag] is not returning the program. Last season, Appleby was very solid for Rutgers, averaging 39.6 yards per punt.

Jacob Allen, Jake Eldridge and Joe DeCroce all have medically retired.

Other prominent position changes:

  • [autotag]Vilay Nakkoun Jr.[/autotag] (moves from wide receiver to defensive back)
  • [autotag]Jesse Ofurie[/autotag] (moves from wide receiver to defensive back)

One interesting note from the roster concerns [autotag]Isaiah Crumpler[/autotag]. The true freshman, who is enrolled early, is listed as a defensive back. When he signed with the class of 2024, Crumpler was listed as a wide receiver by the program.

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[autotag]Al-Shadee Salaam[/autotag], who moved from running back to defensive back midway through last fall, remains in the secondary. And there is [autotag]Kenny Fletcher,[/autotag] who moved from defensive end to tight end during bowl practice.

Fletcher remains at tight end on the spring roster.

Taeshawn Alston pulled in a Rutgers football offer this week: ‘They are a hard working football team and staff’

Taeshawn Alston breaks down why Rutgers football made his top six.

Rutgers football certainly seems to be making up for time with Taeshawn Alston, a three-star edge rusher from North Carolina. One of his most recent offers, Alston nonetheless says that Rutgers is doing well in his recruitment.

Alston is a class of 2025 defensive lineman recruit from Vance County High School (Henderson, North Carolina).  According to On3, he is the eighth-ranked recruit in the state and the No. 22 edge rusher nationally.

His top six, announced this week, included South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, West Virginia and Virginia Tech. Rutgers certainly had good timing in all of this as they had offered just four days earlier

According to Alston, things are going well and he cited his growing relationship with head coach Greg Schinao and Scott Vallone (named the Rutgers tight ends coach this week).

“They are good people with a good staff and they want it bad,” Alston told Rutgers Wire this week.

“Coach Schiano is a great coach with a great program and around him, so we built that relationship quickly. Me and coach Vallone made that connection when he came up to my school and ever since then we’ve been talking a lot.”

Vallone was instrumental last year in Rutgers pulling in [autotag]Ben Black[/autotag] and[autotag] Isaiah Crumpler[/autotag] from North Carolina.

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As for official visits, Alston right now is projecting that all six of the programs that made his final six will get an official visit. Plus, he said he would like to visit Tennessee.

Given that Rutgers was his most recent offer, it was intriguing to see Alston include the Big Ten program in his top six that came out just a couple of days later.

“They made my top six because they are a hard-working football team and staff,” Alston said.

“And they really make that connection with the guys they really want and I love that about them. (A) Really great program and like I said, they want it all.”

The staff on the defensive side of the ball is different for Rutgers, with the recent hires of [autotag]Colin Ferrell[/autotag] (defensive line) and [autotag]Julian Campenni[/autotag] (defensive ends).

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The relationship there is growing, he said.

“The connection (is) good. Me and coach Camp have been building that relationship since he’s been there,” Alston said.

“I been talking to him a lot. He loves how I move on the field and he likes me as a person. He’s excited for me to be up there this spring.”

 

Isaiah Crumpler breaks down strong start to the season and his upcoming visit to Rutgers

Rutgers football commit Isaiah Crumpler has had a strong start to his senior season.

Isaiah Crumpler is off to a strong start this season, the Rutgers football commit showing why he is such a big part of the Big Ten program’s recruiting class.

A 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver, Crumpler is picking up from last season when had 55 catches for 614 yards with five touchdowns for D.H. Conley (Greenville, N.C.). This past weekend in a 27-0 win at Washington (Washington, N.C.), Crumpler had over 100 receiving yards with three touchdowns. Also playing as a defensive back, he had an interception.

At the time of his commitment, he held Power Five offers from Duke and Rutgers. He also has significant offers from the likes of Charlotte, East Carolina and James Madison.

Crumpler will be on campus this weekend for an unofficial visit and to check out the season opener on Sunday against Northwestern

I’m excited, I’ll be going to that first game. This time around, I’ll know the coaches and players more which is good,” Crumpler told Rutgers Wire.

“Hoping to see a good game and a Rutgers win, obviously.”

Crumpler, a very down-to-earth and humble recruit, is focused on the team side this fall with Conley. But personally, he is hoping to show a more rounded and complete side to his game.

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He hopes to enroll early at Rutgers in January and has already begun the application process.

As for position versatility, Crumpler certainly has a high ceiling at defensive back. But there is no questioning that he can be a playmaker at wide receiver when he arrives at Rutgers.

“I really don’t know what they have for me but I know I’ll be starting at the WR position,” Crumpler said.

“I like it a lot, I like playing wide receiver.”

Crumpler said he hopes to also make the Rutgers home game against Virginia Tech in the third week of the season.

In terms of his recruitment, Crumpler said it is closed and no programs are reaching out to him. He said he has a close relationship with coach Dave Brock (wide receivers) and Milton Cordero (quality control).

This Thursday, Crumpler’s D.H. Conley plays at Hunt High School (Wilson, N.C.). Both programs enter the game at 1-1.

“I’ll say it’s a big game for us to keep going that path and build on this past weekend,” Crumpler said. “It is an important one for us to get that win and really keep growing in the right direction.”

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Why has Rutgers football targeted North Carolina this recruiting cycle? Greg Schiano explains why

Greg Schiano explains why the Rutgers football recruiting class features three players from North Carolina.

In recent years with the move to the Big Ten, Rutgers football has expanded its recruiting footprint into the Midwest. But this year, Rutgers is expanding its recruiting into non-traditional areas, including one state that the program has seemingly not recruited in recent history.

The 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers football has clearly expanded geographically, with just five commits from this current class of 22 verbals coming from New Jersey and New York.

And most interesting, there are as many commits from North Carolina as there are from New Jersey…but why?

The answer, according to head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], is multiple, varied and….welll…a bit nuanced.

Location, however, is one point that Schiano said factored into landing three players from North Carolina, an area that Rutgers has traditionally not recruited heavily. Rutgers is easily accessible which makes recruiting easy and is a selling point for families to come visit the program.

“We go to look (and) find the guys that fit. So they’re good enough, as I said, athletes, and then there is a cultural fit,” Schiano said in a recent interview with ‘Eye on Piscataway.’

“And you know, sometimes it’s when you change who’s recruiting the area. Sometimes it’s when it’s just the way that it goes by the year there are more athletes there that fit your makeup, but for whatever reason it’s worked that way. And I think again, you know, Charlotte, so many flights into New York, we have an international airport right here and then two others that are surrounding – three others us that are surrounding us within an hour .So you know, there’s plenty of opportunity to get here.”

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The interview with Schiano was conducted by Piscataway mayor Brian Wahler.

According to 247Sports, Rutgers currently has the No. 31 class in the nation. The three recruits from North Carolina are:

All three North Carolina commits are ranked as three-star recruits per 247Sports.

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Rutgers football’s four-stars react to Kaj Sanders committing

Two of the four-star commits to Rutgers football react to the addition of Kaj Sanders.

On Saturday afternoon, Rutgers football received a bigtime commitment from Kaj Sanders. The four-star safety is one of New Jersey’s top players and his announcement for Rutgers is huge for the program’s rebuild.

What the addition of Sanders does is bolster a class that already was very solid. Rutgers now has four players ranked as a four-star by one of the major recruiting services (Rivals, 247Sports, ESPN and On3).

Bringing in Sanders was greeted by one of those four-star commits, Isaiah Crumpler. A wide receiver out of North Carolina, Crumpler is a four-star according to On3.

“I love seeing Kaj Sanders commit to Rutgers, especially with all the talent we got already,” Crumpler said.

“It makes it even more exciting for the upcoming season for the 2024 class for Rutgers.

“It should let all colleges know that Rutgers is coming for every team. We are going to be back where we started, Kings of the Jungle.”

In January, Rutgers received a commitment from Gabriel Winowich. The four-star running back from Michigan was the second player to commit to the class.

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He is a four-star according to 247Sports and ESPN.

He too was excited about seeing Sanders, a top five player in New Jersey, join this Rutgers class.

“Well it’s obviously a huge get and any time you’re getting a stud like Kaj it’s a huge boost. Kaj is the type of player that is going to be a difference maker on Day 1 on the field but also the locker room,” Winowich said.

“And I know how fired up I am to be able to play alongside him for years to come not to mention the rest of this 24’ group.”

In late June, Rutgers landed a verbal from four-star tight end/wide receiver K.J. Duff. The Long Island prospect is ranked the top player in New York according to Rivals.

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Rutgers football: Isaiah Campbell pulls in four Power Five offers over the past week

Isaiah Campbell gets several Power Five offers this past week.

North Carolina defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell has had a busy week with multiple Power Five programs coming in and offering the four-star.

In late March, Rutgers was the first Big Ten offer for Campbell, who is emerging as one of the top players in North Carolina. He is a class of 2025 recruit and a  consensus four-star at Greene Central High School (Snow Hill, N.C.).

All four major recruiting services rank him as a top-five player in North Carolina.

Last season as a sophomore, Campbell totalled 61 total tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Since mid-May, he has been offered by Penn State, Georgia, Notre Dame and LSU. He holds prior offers from Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Virginia among others.

 

As for Rutgers football, they are making a push into North Carolina in this current recruiting cycle.

Their most recent commitment has come from Isaiah Crumpler, a class of 2024 wide receiver from D.H. Conley (Greenville, N.C.). He is a four-star recruit according to On3.

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Film highlights: 2024 WR Isaiah Crumpler commits to Rutgers football

Rutgers football adds offensive weapon Isaiah Crumpler to their 2024 recruiting class. How can Crumpler’s skillset help the Scarlet Knights?

Last week, Rutgers football added an offensive weapon in Isaiah Crumpler, to their 2024 recruiting class. The three-star wide receiver is another significant commitment for the Scarlet Knights on offense, with a group that already includes running back Gabriel Winowich and tight ends Monte Keener and Matthew Ogunniyi as well as quarterback A.J. Surace to their 2024 recruiting class.

The North Carolina native from D. H. Conley High School in Greenville, N.C., committed to Rutgers on May 5th after receiving a Power Five offer from Duke. Crumpler recorded 55 catches for 614 yards and five touchdowns for the Vikings last season. Also, Crumpler logged 23 carries for 137 yards and three touchdowns in 2022.

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According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-1 180 pounds tight end is ranked No. 127 in the nation and the No. 27 recruit in North Carolina among his recruiting class. The 2024 prospect has a 5.5 rival rating and is the fifth-best recruit in North Carolina per On3 (No. 157 national rankings).

Film Analysis

Athleticism stats are according to Hudl.com:

40 Yard Dash Shuttle Vertical Bench Squats 400 Meter Dash 100 Meter Dash Clean
4.65 Seconds 4.06 Seconds 35 inches 225 Ibs. 340 Ibs. 50.41 Seconds 11.06 Seconds 260 Ibs.

Crumpler, brother of former NFL tight end Alge Crumpler, is a speedy breakaway wide receiver. Crumpler’s strength, elusiveness, and explosiveness are highly noticed throughout his highlight film. The 2024 prospect is deadly in the open field, outrunning many defenders. His shifty moves make him extremely difficult to tackle.

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Crumpler has excellent hands and can line up in the slot or out wide. He can run multiple route combinations, making him versatile in many offensive sets. The new Scarlet Knight can add depth to special teams with his experience returning punts and kicks. Crumpler should work on his route release as he develops into a Big Ten wide receiver. He tends to take a false step as he releases off the line of scrimmage.

Crumpler is the first wide receiver to join Rutgers’ 2024 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, the Scarlet Knights are now No. 26 in the 2024 overall recruiting rankings in the country.

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Recruiting insider: North Carolina offensive lineman Trenton Mitchell offered by Rutgers football

Rutgers football offered Trenton Mitchell on Monday night.

Rutgers football became the fifth Power Five offer for Trenton Mitchell.

A 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle from Ashford High School (Gastona, N.C.), Mitchell is beginning to see his recruitment take off. He recently pulled in a pair of Power Five offers.

In mid-April, he was offered by North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. A couple of weeks ago, he visited Maryland for their annual spring game.

With a good frame that can handle more weight in a strength and conditioning setting, Mitchell also has a nice wingspan.

His offer list from Power Five programs now stands at five: Maryland, North Carolina State, West Virginia and Virginia Tech as well as his recent Rutgers offer.

He tweeted about his offer from Rutgers on Monday night, tagging head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and offensive line assistant [autotag]Scott Vallone[/autotag]:

 

Rutgers made a splash over the weekend, landing four-star [autotag]Isaiah Crumpler[/autotag] from North Carolina.

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Crumpler is ranked the No. 157 player in the nation according to On3. He chose Rutgers over Duke and East Carolina among others.

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He cited his relationship with the coaching staff as well as the NFL experience of wide receivers coach Dave Brock in his recruitment as helping to play a role in his decision last week.

Were Mitchell to commit to Rutgers, he’d likely play for Pat Flaherty, who spent two decades in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants as their offensive line coach.

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Relationships and experience mattered to Isaiah Crumpler in committing to Rutgers football

Isaiah Crumpler is impressed with the Rutgers football coaching staff.

In landing Isaiah Crumpler, Rutgers football did a tremendous job in selling the experience of their coaching staff. It is this new-look staff, long on Power Five and NFL experience, that played a role in getting a commitment from Crumpler.

This offseason, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano shook up the offensive coaching staff with two hires that were big in Crumpler’s recruitment. In January, Schiano snagged Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca to take on the same position with the Scarlet Knights. He also added Dave Brock, who spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons.

The addition of Brock certainly paid dividends in getting Crumpler, a four-star wide receiver, to Rutgers. The resume that Brock boasts is certainly rare and borderline unique in college football.

There aren’t many position coaches in college football who also coached that very same position in the NFL. Brock’s last job with the Falcons was as their wide receivers coach, meaning that Crumpler is getting some high-level coaching when he arrives at Rutgers.

“My relationship with coach Brock is very good. He knows what it takes to get to the pro-level, with my hard work and his coaching I will make it to the pro-level,” Crumpler told Rutgers Wire.

“I know that coach Brock can coach me up to be the best version of myself. I know that he can push me to be the best.”

The commitment from Crumpler, which came on Friday night, is big for Rutgers as he is a four-star recruit and a top-five player in North Carolina according to On3.

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During his junior season this past fall, Crumpler was sensational with 55 catches for 614 yards with five touchdowns for D.H. Conley (Greenville, N.C.).

But despite his attributes as an elite athlete – he is the No. 157 player in the nation according to On3 – Crumpler doesn’t have an ego. He doesn’t demand a certain role in the Rutgers offense coming into the system because, frankly, it doesn’t matter to him.

“We haven’t talked much about how they are going to use me for the new offense but I know that they can put me wherever they want to,” Crumpler said. “I just want to help the team as much as possible.”

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Isaiah Crumpler believes in the direction of Rutgers football

Isaiah Crumpler details his commitment to Rutgers football.

In picking Rutgers football, Isaiah Crumpler said he didn’t want to waste any more time. That time was important to him, he says, because he had found his home for the next four years.

Crumpler is a four-star recruit and a top five player in North Carolina according to On3.

This past fall, Crumpler had 55 catches for 614 yards with five touchdowns for D.H. Conley (Greenville, N.C.). He committed to Rutgers on Friday night via a post on his social media.

He becomes the eighth verbal in the 2024 recruiting class and the sixth player to commit on offense.

“Rutgers is great overall, the fans, the coaches, the academics,” Crumpler told Rutgers Wire. “They all contributed to this decision.

“I know that I don’t want to waste any time in trying to look for something better when I know that Rutgers is home.”

He said he is 100 percent committed and will only be taking an official visit to Rutgers from June 2-4. In other words, his recruitment is shut down.

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Crumpler has made two visits to Rutgers football in the past six weeks, allowing him the chance to connect with the coaching staff in what he says was a meaningful way.

“The coaches didn’t act differently in a way that seemed sarcastic, they were themselves and transparent towards me,” Crumpler said.

“The atmosphere was always great, their academic advisors were great and they want to help their football players stay on top of things in the classroom.”

From his two visits in March and late April, Crumpler said that he got a different sense and feel from the Rutgers football staff. This feeling extended beyond the football field to include the support that is provided off the field which Crumpler said is very appealing.

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“Rutgers have coaches with pro-level experience,” Crumpler said. “Plus they have multiple academic advisors that are on the team and strictly help with players on academics.”

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