Tag: Jack Hines

Jack Hines talks Rutgers football official visit this weekend: ‘I think they’re building something special here’

Jack Hines details his relationship with Rutgers football and his upcoming official visit.

This weekend, Jack Hines will be making an official visit to Rutgers football. It will be another chance for Hines to connect with the Big Ten program, a school that he says is in regular and steady contact with him.

A class of 2024 prospect, Hines checks in at 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive lineman and plays his high school football at Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT). One of the top programs in New England, Avon Old Farms that finished last season 6-3

In early February, Rutgers football offered Hines, becoming the sixth Power Five offer for the offensive tackle alongside Boston College, Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and West Virginia. He also holds other offers including Liberty, Marshall, UMass, Old Dominion, SMU and Temple among others.

His relationship with offensive line coach Pat Flaherty and offensive line assistant Scott Vallone has been a key part of the recruiting process for the offensive tackle.

“I am really excited to get around the players and just get to know them more and ask them how they like Rutgers and the coaches,” Hines told Rutgers Wire on Thursday.

“I’m a big connection guy, and coach Vallone and coach Flats (Flaherty) did a really good job building a good relationship with me. I really believe also that Rutgers can be a great football and I think they’re building something special here.”

Hines has been vocal about his relationship and respect for Flaherty, who comes to Rutgers after two decades coaching in the NFL. Flaherty is among the most highly respected positional coaches in NFL history, having won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants as their offensive line coach.

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“We have a good connection, I can tell he loves football,” Hines said.

“But he also talks about life too. He has done a really good job communicating with me and just getting to know me better as a player and person.”

Rutgers is doing well with Hines, who is a consensus three-star and one of the top 10 players in Connecticut. They are one of the two programs that he says are distinguishing themselves in his recruitment in terms of attention and showing him love.

“I would say Wake Forest and Rutgers both are showing a lot of love,” Hines said.

“Both these schools have made me feel like a priority for them.”

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3-star offensive tackle talks possible official visit with Florida

The Gators are in good position to get an official visit from this coveted lineman.

Three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Jack Hines[/autotag] received a scholarship offer from the University of Florida on May 2, and subsequently, made an unofficial visit to campus the following weekend. After being impressed by what the Orange and Blue have to offer him, the 6-foot-7-inch, 280-pound lineman is considering an official visit to Gainesville this summer, according to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn.

Offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton and offensive coordinator Rob Sale have been at the forefront of the behemoth athlete’s recruitment.

“The facilities were crazy,” Hines told 247Sports after his recent stop on campus. “That was really good. They have two full-time offensive line coaches. I don’t think any school in the nation does that so they really care about building an o-line, and building the culture in the room.

“Historically, it’s a really good school.”

The rising high school senior currently has OVs set with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Kentucky Wildcats, while also strongly considering a stop with the Boston College Eagles as well. With one official visit remaining out of that bunch, the Gators still have a shot at rolling the red carpet out for him in the Swamp.

Hines is ranked No. 1,122 overall and No. 93 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite; the On3 industry ranking has no data for him but Rivals also gives him a three-star rating. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Rutgers in the lead with a 41.4% chance of landing him, followed by the Syracuse Orange (19.0%), Akron Zips (16.3%) and UMass Minutemen (1.2%).

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Gators hosting blue-chip defensive lineman on first visit

The Florida Gators are doing some recruiting up north and will host the top recruit from the state of Connecticut over the weekend.

Avon Old Farms (Avon, Connecticut) defensive lineman [autotag]Benedict Umeh[/autotag] will be in Gainesville this weekend for a Saturday visit with the Florida Gators, according to Corey Bender of Gators Online.

Umeh hasn’t been to the Swamp before, so this visit will be a first for him. He’ll join teammate [autotag]Jack Hines[/autotag], who is also visiting over the weekend. Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer offered Umeh in January, but the Gators haven’t really been a factor in the race until now.

Penn State currently leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 39.0% odds to land him. Duke (25.8%), Bowling Green (7.8%) and Stanford (6.5%) round out the top four, but the Florida visit could change things.

Umeh is 6 feet-5 inches tall and 260 pounds of mostly muscle. One describes him as a “genetic freak,” and he’s an excellent student, which helps with the admissions process at Florida.

He is a consensus four-star recruit that is ranked as high as No. 29 overall in the country by On3. 247Sports and Rivals are less bullish on him and have him at Nos. 134 and 139, respectively.

The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of the four major services, ranks Umeh at No. 52 nationally and No. 9 among defensive linemen in the class of 2024. He’s also the top recruit out of the state of Connecticut.

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2024 OL target sets date for first-ever visit to the Swamp

Offensive tackle Jack Hines will be in Gainesville this weekend after picking up an offer recently from the Florida Gators.

Billy Napier is looking all over the country for offensive linemen to add to his team, and Avon Old Farms (Avon, Connecticut) tackle [autotag]Jack Hines[/autotag] is the latest big man to be connected to the University of Florida.

After receiving an offer a week ago, Hines scheduled an unofficial visit with the Gators for the upcoming weekend, according to Gators Online. It will be his first trip to the Swamp, but Hines says he’s familiar with the program. In fact, he called Florida a “dream school” of his growing up.

“I mean, since I was a kid, they have been a dream (school) of mine,” Hines said. “They have a rich history in football of being really good. They also have two full-time offensive line coaches, which really interests me.”

Hines is a three-star recruit on both 247Sports and Rivals.com ratings. 247Sports ranks him No. 78 among offensive tackles in the class of 2024 and No. 10 among recruits coming out of Connecticut.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine currently favors Rutgers (41.4%), Syracuse (19.0%) and Akron (16.3%) in the race for Hines, but a visit to Florida should change things. Penn State hosted him at the end of March, too, so the Nittany Lions could be a program to watch moving forward.

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Coveted New England OL ponders Florida visit date after offer

The Gators are traveling outside their comfort zone in pursuit of this coveted offensive lineman.

The focus of Florida football’s recruiting efforts have primarily been within the borders of the Sunshine State, spilling into some of the neighboring states as well. But that does not mean that Billy Napier and Co. are ignoring talent from beyond the four-hour radius surrounding Gainesville.

Three-star offensive tackle Jack Hines out of Avon (Connecticut) Old Avon Farms received a scholarship offer from assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton this week and in the wake of that news has begun pondering an official visit date with the Orange and Blue. The 6-foot-7-inch, 280-pound lineman has his eyes on a May date to get his first gander at the Gators.

“I have been talking to my parents since they offered me actually, and we are thinking we may go down there the weekend of May 12 for an unofficial visit,” Hines told Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. “Get a chance to see those new facilities, hang out with more of the coaches and meet more people. Just getting a better experience of what Gainesville is like.”

Still early in his recruitment, Stapleton and offensive line coach Rob Sale have spearheaded the recruiting efforts for the Gators.

“Things have been pretty good so far, but it’s still early,” he also told Swamp247. “I have only talked with Coach Stapleton and Coach Sale so far. They both seem like great guys. We are still building the relationship, but so far so good. We are getting to know a little bit about each other, talking about the program, and just things like what they can bring to me and my game. So pretty good so far.”

Other programs in the mix for the high school junior are the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Florida State Seminoles, Boston College Eagles, Massachusetts Minutemen and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He has official visits set to see the Kentucky Wildcats as well as Rutgers set for the month of June, which leaves him three openings for other schools – including the Gators.

“I could definitely see myself taking an official visit there. Ever since I have followed college football, I have always watched Oregon and Florida. There really is no reason why, but you know, just being a kid. 10 year old me watching football, definitely Oregon from the jerseys, and Florida in general is just cool. I guess you could say it’s a dream offer type for me.”

They have good culture of winning, they play in the SEC so that is the best, the coaching staff seems great with two offensive line coaches, and just being in Florida in general all impress me about them.”

Hines is ranked No. 1,186 overall and No. 99 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking does not have any data for him. However, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Rutgers ahead of the pack with a 41.4% chance of signing him, followed by the Syracuse Orange (19.0%), Akron Zips (6.3%) and UMass (1.2%), respectively.

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How is Rutgers football trending with three-star offensive lineman Jack Hines? Will they get an official visit?

Jack Hines took a visit to Rutgers football this past weekend.

Fresh off a weekend visit to Rutgers football, Connecticut offensive lineman Jack Hines has the Scarlet Knights trending well in his recruitment.

One of several standouts who visited Rutgers this past weekend for Saturday’s scrimmage, Hines is a three-star recruit from Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT).

According to 247Sports, Hines is ranked the tenth best prospect in Connecticut and the No. 76 offensive tackle in the nation. In March, he was offered by North Carolina as well as Florida State.

He holds other Power Five offers from Boston College, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Wake Forest and West Virginia among others

“It was a great day,” Hines told Rutgers Wire of his Saturday visit to Rutgers.

“I brought my uncle and cousin down this time, they had a good time. It was good seeing coach Flats  in the meeting rooms and on the field, getting to see how (the staff) coaches. Getting to meet some of the players really stood out to me. They seem like great people there.”

The growing relationship between Hines and Flaherty is well-documented. Saturday was another opportunity for it to grow and deepen a bit more. Hines also said he connected with offensive assistant coach Scott Vallone on his trip.

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Flaherty came to Rutgers this offseason with over two decades of coaching in the NFL. While with the New York Giants as their offensive line coach, he won two Super Bowls.

“(It) has been good,” Hines said. I really enjoy getting to know him better as a coach and as a person.”

As for official visits, Hines said that he will visit West Virginia on June 2, Rutgers on June 9 and then Kentucky on September 16. He hopes to make his commitment in July.

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Who is visiting Rutgers football on Saturday?

Rutgers football set for a star-studded group of visitors this week.

Saturday will be a busy day for Rutgers football as the Big Ten program will host a number of top recruits for practice.

Several top recruits from Ohio as well as one of New Jersey’s best offensive linemen will be at the scrimmage. Here is a look at some names to keep an eye out for

  • Jack Hines, a three-star offensive tackle from Avon Old Farm (Avon, CT)
  • Elijah King, a three-star defensive lineman from Gahanna Lincoln (Columbus, OH)
  • Monty Keener, a three-star tight end from Linden High School (Linden, MI)
  • Jason Patterson, a running back from Sneads High School (Sneads, FL)
  • Judah Pruitt, a three-star offensive lineman from Malcolm X. Shabazz High School (Newark, N.J.)
  • Devyn Zahursky, a three-star tight end from Midland (Cleveland, OH)

The trip for Pruitt indicates a second visit in as many weeks, a good sign as Rutgers continues to trend well with the No. 28 player in New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights are believed to be the favorites right now for the 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard prospect.

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The visit from Hines is more good news for Rutgers as one of New England’s premier players makes another trip to the program. Hines has spoken positively about the program and offensive line coach Pat Flaherty in a recent interview.

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Rutgers football made an impression on Jack Hines during weekend visit

Jack Hines breaks down his weekend visit to Rutgers football.

Jack Hines made another visit to Rutgers football over the weekend. The time spent with the coaching staff stood out to Hines, who is one of the top offensive linemen in the nation.

Hines has emerged as a priority recruit for Rutgers football and head coach Greg Schiano over the last month. An offensive tackle at Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT), Hines is ranked the No. 8 prospect in Connecticut by 247Sports and the No. 64 offensive tackle in the nation.

He is a three-star recruit with recent offers including North Carolina as well as Florida State,

Recently, Hines was quite positive about his relationship with new offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, who won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants, as well as offensive line assistant Scott Vallone.

“It was great,” Hines told Rutgers Wire on Monday. “Coach Barr (assistant coach P.J. Barr) and coach Vallone were showing us around got to see everything. Coach Flats (Flaherty) went through my film with me and I got a meeting with coach Schiano.”

Hines said that Rutgers football will be one of his official visits.

Rutgers is rebuilding their offensive line and the offseason hire of Flaherty is a huge part of it. The 66-year old comes with lots of experience, having spent two decades in the NFL including his two Super Bowl rings win as offensive line coach with the Giants.

Shaun O’Hara was the starting center with the Giants in 2009 for Flaherty’s first Super Bowl win with the organization. He thinks that Flaherty and his NFL experience is going to help boost an offensive line that has struggled the past three years.

Hines enjoyed the time to review film and get insight into his development.

“I was with coach Vallone all day and I got to sit down with them and go over my film,” Hines said, “I really feel like I have a good connection with them.”

Hines is visiting Boston College and Wake Forest in the middle of March.

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The Rutgers football tandem of Pat Flaherty and Scott Vallone leaving an impression on three-star Jack Hines

Rutgers football is seeing positive returns from the new offensive line coaching duo of Pat Flaherty and Scott Vallone.

There may not be a better or more accomplished offensive line coach in college football than Pat Flaherty, who is returning to Rutgers football after 35 years away from the program. He returns with Super Bowl rings and nearly two decades of NFL experience.

Named the new offensive line coach at Rutgers in early February, Flaherty won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants, where he spent 11 seasons total with the franchise. He was with six NFL teams in his nearly 20 years in the league.

Consider Jack Hines, one of the top offensive linemen in the Northeast and a player who is a priority recruit for Rutgers football. The three-star recruit, who has recently been offered by North Carolina as well as Florida State, said that Flaherty’s resume is certainly impressive.

“He’s a really good guy, definitely knows what he talking about,” Hines told Rutgers Wire about Flaherty.

“I’m very excited to keep building our relationship.

“He is a down-to-earth man that has been around for a while.”

Hines is an offensive tackle at Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT). He is ranked the No. 8 prospect in Connecticut by 247Sports and the No. 64 offensive tackle in the nation.

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Flaherty’s skillset as a coach is certainly impressive and unique in college football. He is partnered at Rutgers with Scott Vallone, who was named offensive line assistant in mid-February.

Vallone, a former Rutgers standout defensive lineman, is starting to grow and expand his coaching career. He was a four-star recruit out of Long Island who, upon graduating from Rutgers in 2012, spent time in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.

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“He’s a younger guy who went through it and knows what he is talking about,” Hines said.

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Set to visit Rutgers in March, Connecticut offensive lineman Jack Hines gets offered by Florida State

Jack Hines gets an offer from Florida State.

It was a pretty big Monday for Jack Hines, with the standout offensive lineman pulling in an offer from Florida State.

A 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive lineman at Avon Old Farms (Avon, CT), he is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.

Earlier in February, Rutgers football offered Hines, becoming what was then the sixth Power Five offer for the offensive tackle alongside Kentucky, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and West Virginia. Hines also holds other significant offers from programs like Liberty, Marshall, UMass, Old Dominion, SMU and Temple among others.

Hines tweeted about the offer from Florida State on Monday afternoon. The Seminoles are now the third ACC program to offer:

 

Hines has been upbeat about Rutgers football and is planning to visit the program on March 4. He told Rutgers Wire last week that the Scarlet Knights are doing well in his recruitment:

“Feeling great. They have been showing lots of love,” Hines said.

“They are showing me that they want me. They text me every day. I got like 27 letters from them. They are making me feel wanted.”

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