Tag: Mark Orphey

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.

Rutgers football is the latest to offer Florida recruit D.J. Williams

Rutgers football offered three-star Tampa athlete D.J. Williams this week.

Class of 2026 athlete D.J. Williams was offered by Rutgers football this week.

A three-star athlete from Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Florida), Williams is listed as an athlete. In the 247Sports Composite, he is ranked as the No. 350 recruit in the nation and the No. 28 athlete.

He lines up as a wide receiver and a safety.

As a junior, he played in 10 games and had 29 total tackles. He had two interceptions and two passes defended.

In Florida’s 2026 class, he is the No. 59 recruit. He holds offers from Boston College, Florida State, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UCF and USF among others.

He has recent offers that include Buffalo, Georgia Tech, SMU and Oregon State.

Williams posted on social media about the Rutgers offer. He tagged head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and cornerback coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] on the post:

 

The class of 2025 for Rutgers football currently has eight commitments and is ranked No. 29 in the nation.

Gerrick Gordon sets up an official visit to Rutgers football

Gerrick Gordon is set for a Rutgers football official visit.

Gerrick Gordon has locked in an official visit to Rutgers football in June.

The three-star offensive lineman is a part of the class of 2025 and plays for Trinity Catholic (Ocala, Florida). At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, he is the No. 53 interior offensive lineman in the nation according to 247Sports. He announced this week an official visit to Rutgers on the weekend of June 7.

On3 ranks him as the No. 96 player in Florida.

He holds a list of national offers from Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Purdue and South Carolina in addition to Rutgers.

In his social media announcement, Gordon tagged Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] and defensive backs coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag], who recruits Florida. He also tagged Latish Kinsler, who is his NIL and recruitment adviser:

 

The current Rutgers football recruiting class stands at No. 31 in the nation and has seven committed players.

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It includes two commits from Florida in the 2025 class. Last fall, quarterback Sean Ashfelder (Saint Augustine) became the first player to commit to Rutgers in this class. Last month, Jyon Simon picked Rutgers in an offer list that included Miami, Mississippi State, South Carolina, South Florida and West Virginia..

Ziyare Addison on Rutgers football offer: ‘They smashed Miami in the bowl game’

Ziyare Addison breaks down his recent Rutgers football offer.

Ziyare Addison was offered by Rutgers football on Thursday, with the four-star offensive lineman already intrigued by the Big Ten program.

A  6-foot-4 and 280-pound offensive tackle from Sumner High School (Riverview, Florida), Addison was offered both by Rutgers and USC on Wednesday. He is ranked as the No. 244 player in the nation.

An offer list that includes Duke, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami,  Oklahoma and Ole Miss among others speaks to a recruitment that continues to grow for Addison.

Wednesday’s offer by Rutgers is one that Addison already has done his homework on.

“Came by my school before the dead period. [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] – the cornerbacks coach – said they were going to go back and watch my film,” Addison told Rutgers Wire.

“He loved my length and athleticism but had to talk to the offensive staff and the head coach. Once we all connected on the phone – the offered was triggered. The one thing about coach Greg Schiano – he used to coach for the Bucs (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and coached at Berkeley Prep.”

Schiano, after two years as head coach in the NFL with the Buccaneers, volunteered as a coach at Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Florida).

One of the intriguing parts for Addison is [autotag]Pat Flaherty[/autotag]. In his second season back at Rutgers, Flaherty has one of the best resumes of any position coach in college football.

He spent over two decades in the NFL as an offensive line coach, where he won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.

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Last year, Flaherty did a miracle job with the Rutgers offensive line, turning around a unit that had been the worst in the Big Ten the last five years into a group that paved the way for the Big Ten’s leading rusher, [autotag]Kyle Monangai[/autotag].

Addison said that Flaherty “is a guru (with) over 15 plus years in the league.”

The offer from Rutgers is new, but Addison is aware of the Big Ten program and the rebuilding project under Schiano.

“They smashed Miami in the bowl game. Plus the head coach has a proven track record of players in the NFL,” Addison said.

“Plus, he was a NFL head coach. Loved the energy they played with against Miami in the bowl.”

Rutgers defeated Miami 31-24 in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. Rutgers finished the season 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) while playing the second-toughest schedule in college football.

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In the bowl game, the offensive line was impressive against Miami. They didn’t give up a sack and they opened up holes for Monangai to run for 163 yards and a touchdown.

Monangai was named the bowl game’s MVP.

Of the four toughest schedules in college football, Rutgers was the only team to make a bowl game.

Jaylen McClain details Rutgers football relationship, upcoming Notre Dame and USC official visits

Four-star Jaylen McClain talks about his recent Rutgers football offer.

Jaylen McClain is eyeing five official visits as one of the top-ranked players in New Jersey closes in on a commitment.

McClain hopes to make his college decision before the season starts. ESPN.com ranks him as the No. 157 player in the nation and a four-star recruit.

He is a class of 2024 defensive back from Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.).

His five official visits, as of now, will be USC, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State and Rutgers. As of now, it appears that USC, Notre Dame, Oregon and Ohio State will be in June and Rutgers might potentially happen in July.

Rutgers has the longest relationship with McClain, the advantage of being the in-state program. McClain cites a good relationship with safety coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] as well.

“I talk with him a lot. He’s the coach I talk with on the staff the most,” McClain told Rutgers Wire.

“We’ve built a great relationship and have kept it going from there.”

He said that Rutgers, Notre Dame and Oregon are the three programs that are on him the hardest as of right now.

USC is one of the programs that will get an official visit from McClain. He cites his relationship with head coach Lincoln Riley as important in his recruitment.

“It’s my first time going down there, I want to get a feel,” McClain said of USC. “Got a great relationship with coach Riley – we talk a lot. Looking to see and experience it.”

McClain was offered in late December by Notre Dame, where he will visit on June 16.

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“Notre Dame has been on me since my freshman year, obviously the offer came a little late but they did it the right way, getting to know me and taking their time to develop a relationship,” McClain said. “It’s great to know that Notre Dame wants that relationship with me.”

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) will definitely factor into McClain’s decision

“Obviously it’s important but it’s not the end all, be all. If you’re allowed to get money, well it will be important. I just want to play football, get to the NFL. If I do, then I’d be making more money than with NIL so fit and finding the right environment to develop is more important for me.”

McClain said that ahead of the decision, he will meet with his family, his head coach as well as his advisor, Latish Kinsler.

Kinsler is associated with a number of New Jersey’s top prospects. A former standout at Cincinnati, Kinsler went on to play in the NFL. He is also working with top players such as Yasin Willis and Kaj Sanders.

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Can Robert Longerbeam be a defensive anchor for the Scarlet Knights?

Robert Longerbeam has contributed to Rutgers’ defense over the past three seasons. Can he be one of their defensive leaders in 2023?

Rutgers football Robert Longerbeam has been an active contributor for the Scarlet Knights over the past three years. In 2020, the Rutgers cornerback saw his first game action. Since then, the Virginia native has become a significant part of Rutgers’ defense.

Last season, Longerbeam was a key piece of Rutgers’ defensive improvements. The Scarlet Knights finished the 2022 season allowing a decade-best 349.8 yards per game. The pass defense stood out the most, allowing 28.1 fewer yards a game than the year prior. As for Longerbeam, he was the Scarlet Knights’ most significant contributor on defense.

Longerbeam finished the 2022 season with 36 tackles (career high), six pass breakups, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions in ten games. The 5-11 170-pound cornerback has appeared in 28 games for his career, recording 48 total tackles, two interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and three force fumbles. Now entering his fourth season with the Scarlet Knights, can head coach Greg Schiano lean on the cornerback to be one of their defensive leaders?

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“Longerbeam has been (doing) very well in terms of taking ownership and actually taking that (next) step as far as being a leader,” cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey told reporters this week. “We’re a better team when we have him out there.” 

The Scarlet Knights lost several vital defensive contributors from last year, but Longerbeam joins Max Melton as two of the main contributors coming back this season.

 

The two defensive backs finished the 2022 season with a combined 16 pass breakups, four interceptions, and four tackles for loss. The cornerback group has benefited from their returning experience, providing leadership on and off the practice field.

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Rutgers football: Accountability is what is making the secondary stand out this spring

Rutgers football cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey sees his group coming together this spring.

The strength of the Rutgers football roster last year and likely for this season is projected to be their secondary. And a big part of that boils down to accountability.

So says cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey, now in his second season with Rutgers football. Orphey’s group is probably, on a player-by-player basis, the most talented two-deep of any position on the roster.

But what is most encouraging for Orphey is that the cornerbacks are not content with their strong overall performance last season. This spring, he said that the group is doing a good job of holding each other to a high standard.

“The biggest thing that stands out to me? They’re holding each other accountable. When they make a mistake on the field field, I hear them on the sideline, in the other corner coaching them up,” Orphey told reporters on Thursday.

“As you do that, you start to build a culture, you’re taking the right step as a team. I think that is something that we did last year that we’ve been doing a good job, especially with the young kids that we have.”

Orphey came to Rutgers from Alabama, where he was a defensive assistant for the Crimson Tide. His previous stop was Utah State, where he was the secondary coach.

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He played his college football at Texas Southern where he was twice named All-Southwestern Athletic Conference.

“The thing about this place is it’s a tough place. The thing I love about here than any other place I’ve been is these kids come to work every day and they work hard,” Orphey told reporters,” Orphey said.

“It’s hard to go to Rutgers, play football and go to school here and the fact that these kids wake up and do it every do, that’s what motivates me as a coach every day to wake up and come and give these kids all I got.”

The secondary is losing some strong talent to graduation and the NFL draft. Coaching up the talent in the group is a major priority for Orphey.

“We just got to play together, play in sync. Obviously, we’ve got some holes to fill so we’re just kind of working through that. We’re making progress – we’re nowhere near where we need to be,” Orphey said.

“But as you know, that’s why we have spring ball, you have fall camp. We’re still trying to figure some things figured out. Hopefully by the time we get to September, we got it figured out.”

 

Raphael Dunn details new Rutgers football offer: ‘I was super excited’

Raphael Dunn talks about being offered by Rutgers football on Tuesday night.

Raphael Dunn was offered by Rutgers football on Tuesday, landing him an offer that the New Jersey defensive back said made him “super happy.”

A 6-foot-4, 200-pound safety from the Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.), Rutgers joins Vanderbilt as Dunn’s other Power Five offer. He also holds offers from UPenn and Temple.

Last season, the class of 2024 recruit had 68 total tackles along with eight passes defended and four interceptions (two Pick-6s). The Big Red finished the season 9-2, winning their final five games.

The offer from Rutgers was an exciting one for Dunn, who said he was thrilled when he finally got on the phone Tuesday night with assistant coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] (safeties coach) and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

“I’m super happy with the offer because of the program they have built,” Dunn told Rutgers Wire.

He said that on the call, he felt welcomed by the staff. In particular, Orphey, who would be Dunn’s coach were he to commit to Rutgers, made the recruit “feel like knew him for years.”

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The value of the Rutgers degree, Dunn said, is also appealing.

Dunn details the call and how the offer came in on Tuesday night.

“I was sitting in my cafeteria when coach Orphey called me and scheduled to speak with him later that day at 6:15,” Dunn said.

“I was super excited as to have an opportunity to play for Rutgers. I was nervous the whole day but when he called I wasn’t nervous. We were talking about Rutgers and it felt right. He brought to me coach Schiano and we started talking about culture and how I could add to it. When coach Schiano offered me, I was super excited. All I could think about was how I could add to the culture.”

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Dunn’s upcoming visits include Illinois, Rutgers and Vanderbilt as well as attending Monmouth’s ‘Junior Day.’

The current Rutgers class of 2024 recruiting class currently stands at three commits:

  • Kenny Jones (a three-star offensive lineman from Delran, N.J.)
  • A.J. Surace (the top-ranked quarterback in New Jersey)
  • Gabriel Winowich (A four-star running back from Detroit, MI)

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Rutgers football 2022 preview: defensive backs

Rutgers Wire continues their 2022 Rutgers football season preview by taking a look at the defensive backs

With the regular season set to kick-off this coming weekend, it is past the time to start getting ready for the return of Rutgers football. Rutgers Wire is here to help with your last minute catch-up needs.

The Scarlet Knights will be looking to improve over their record in 2021, as they finished 5-8. Despite finishing with less than the usual required six victories, they were selected as a replacement team for a bowl game last season. They stepped in for Texas A&M in last season’s Gator Bowl, resulting in a losing effort to Wake Forest. Head coach Greg Schiano was happy his team got the opportunity, but they will be looking to improve and earn a bowl game appearance outright this season.

Rutgers has struggled to find its footing during the program’s time in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have not finished a season with a winning record since 2014 – their first season in the conference. In their ninth season in the power five conference, defense is key. This is Schiano’s third season since returning for a second stint with the program and he wants to continue to build the strength of his defensive units.

Let’s break down how the Scarlet Knights look along the defensive line going into the 2022 season.

Part of building the defense is the fresh coaching staff brought in for 2022. Almost every defensive coach who was with the Scarlet Knights in 2021 was replaced in 2022. First year coaches include both cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey both defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak. Safeties coach Drew Lascari is in his fifth year with the program, but his first as the head of the safeties room. Orphey comes to Piscataway from Alabama, where he helped put together the gameplan for the SEC Champion Crimson Tide.

Catch up on Rutgers Wire’s preview series here:

Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Offensive Line

Defensive Line Linebackers 

Secondary is an area of strength and one of the groups returning a good amount of experience. The Scarlet Knights are deep at cornerback with returning starters Kessawn Abraham and Max Melton. Plus they will be getting former Temple Owl transfer Christian Braswell after he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

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Abraham had a great year in 2021, seeing 12 starts and time in all 13 games. The senior accumulated 44 tackles – three for loss – and tallied nine pass defenses. He was named to the Pro Football Focus First Team All-Big Ten last year and was named the Rutgers Defensive MVP in 2021. Melton looks every bit the NFL prospect his brother was and should have another strong season to boost his status on draft boards. He led the team last season with three interceptions, running one back for a pick six. Melton finished with 28 tackles – two for loss – along with nine passes defended and a fumble recovery. Braswell may not have played last season, but played strong across just six games in 2020. The senior finished with 21 tackles, an interception, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His experience is a welcome addition and if he can regain that same level of play, should start more games than not.

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The key players at safety also bring some experience in Scarlet and White. Avery Young moved to safety from corner last fall. Joining him at safety will be returning senior Christian Izien and sophomore Desmond Igbinosun who saw good playing time as a true freshman last season.

Young claimed a spot on the All-ECAC Defense last season. He finished second on the team with a whopping 81 tackles. The Coatesville, PA native recorded two of those tackles for a loss and added one interception, two pass defenses, and one forced fumble. Izien is coming off consecutive seasons where he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten. The senior was near the top on the team with 75 tackles, nine for a loss. He did have no picks and only four pass defenses after coming up big in both categories in 2020. Rutgers will need him to put up the results from two years ago if they want to improve on their low-rated defense. Igbinosun saw most of his time in the second half of the season. Across seven contests, the true freshman recorded 14 tackles (two for loss) and a strip sack that happened to come in the Gator Bowl. The former three-star recruit in a physical presence in the secondary, standing at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds.

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Overall, the secondary may have looked good but did not get enough takeaways. As a result, Rutgers was near or at the bottom of the Big Ten in almost all defensive categories. There was a need to overhaul the defensive approach and Schiano made sure to do that. Now, with a new staff in place and a few days before game time – it is time for the players to perform and apply the changes instilled in the defensive unit. Rutgers could see one of their better secondaries in recent memory.

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Georgia eighth grader Tyler Atkinson talks Rutgers football offer

Rutgers football offers a bigtime recruit from Georgia.

Tyler Atkinson isn’t even a freshman in high school yet and he is already one of the most coveted recruits in the nation. Earlier this week, he pulled in his ninth Power Five offer, this one from Rutgers football.

A 6-foot-3, 190-pound edge rusher at Grayson (Loganville, GA), Atkinson already holds Power Five offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas, and Texas A&M.

He has 22 scholarship offers total.

The offer from the Big Ten program came just days after the staff saw him up close at a Florida State football camp. Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag], cornerbacks coach [autotag]Mark Orphey[/autotag] (recently named to a prestigious coaching watch list) and defensive line coach [autotag]Marquise Watson[/autotag] attended the camp in Tallahassee and walked away impressed with the eighth-grader.

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Impressed enough to make an offer.

“I was able to meet coach Schiano, coach Mark and coach Watson during camp over the weekend. They felt I had a great day at camp. I was able to speak with coach Schiano again [on Wednesday] and I earned my offer from him personally,” Atkinson told RutgersWire.

“I think what makes me the most excited about my offer from Rutgers is that the coach Schiano was able to see me work in person and tell me things I can fix.”

It is certainly early in the process for Atkinson – in fact, extremely early – but he did say that “I have made some really good relationships with Georgia, Ohio State, LSU, Florida State, Texas, Michigan State, and Michigan coaches.”

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Because it is so early in the process for Atkinson, his focus isn’t as much on the recruiting component as he is on getting ready for the fall.

“Just working and getting ready for high school. We just finished our first week of summer workouts at Grayson,” Atkinson said.

“I am just focusing on being at my best all-around so I can help our team win [the] state.”

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