Tag: Monte Keener

Rutgers football is doing A-OK with N’Kye Wynn after an offer this week: ‘Couldn’t stop smiling’

N’Kye Wynn talks about his recent Rutgers football offer.

N’Kye Wynn was offered by Rutgers football this week and already, the Big Ten program is doing well with the offensive lineman from Michigan.

Michigan has increasingly become a focal point for Rutgers football recruiting in recent years. In the 2024 cycle, Rutgers landed three-star linebacker [autotag]Montele Johnson[/autotag] and three-star tight end [autotag]Monte Keener[/autotag].

In addition, four-star running back [autotag]Gabriel Winowich[/autotag] transferred from Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, Michigan) to New Jersey for his senior season.

Now, back to Wynn.

His offer from Rutgers came during a video call with head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

“I got on a call with coach Schiano. We talked a little bit about my life and what I do on and off the field. But he gave me chills because of how passionate he is about family, character and football,” Wynn told Rutgers Wire this week.

“Then once we got to know each other, he offered me. I was very excited and happy, I was smiling from ear-to-ear and couldn’t stop smiling. I don’t have a visit with those guys set yet but me on the lookout.”

It has been a process for Wynn to get to know Rutgers, but the relationship is one that seems to be developing.

[lawrence-related id=33711]

Per 247Sports, Wynn is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound interior offensive lineman is a three-star as well as the No. 17 player in Michigan. He holds offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky and Pittsburgh among others.

[lawrence-related id=36707,36692]

“I started talking to Rutgers back during the season with coach Ruiz (director of recruiting Ramon Ruiz),” Wynn said

“They wanted to get me there for a gameday visit. I think Rutgers has an amazing program. They are a top 25 school for academics – that’s big for me, very important.

“I’ve been talking with coach Hux (quality control assistant Jordan Huxtable) a lot, that’s my guy. We talk a lot about the family and culture that Rutgers has,

“They go by FTC (Faith, Trust, CHOP) which is very inspirational once you know the meaning but it’s also a way of life.”

 

What stood out to Rutgers football commit Monte Keener on his official visit? The Scarlet Knights staff

Rutgers football commit Monte Keener talks about his recent official visit to the Scarlet Knight.

Three-star tight end Monte Keener is sold on Rutgers football after taking an official visit to the program this past weekend.

Keener, who committed to Rutgers in late April, is an intriguing tight end prospect. At 6-foot-7, there is a lot of room for Keener to fill out and his length as well as his wingspan project well in the Big Ten.

Last season at Linden High School (Linden, MI), he had 25 catches for 318 yards with three receiving touchdowns.

Keener is, per 247Sports, the No. 33 recruit in Michigan and the No. 66 tight end in the nation. Before committing to Rutgers in late April, Keener held Power Five offers from Indiana and Minnesota. In addition, a handful of MAC programs and Ivy League schools also extended offers to the Michigan tight end.

The visit on Saturday went along great according to Keener.

“It was great. We went on campus and facility tours, went to the Jersey shore, New York City and Topgolf,” Keener said.

On Friday night following meetings with the staff and tours, Keener and his fellow recruits took a train to New York City where they had dinner. On Saturday following meetings, they had lunch down the shore.

The recruits then had dinner at Topgolf while the parents had their own plans.

Keener said the whole experience was a positive one for him and he remains 100 percent committed to the program.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-related id=27529]

But what stood out to Keener? It was the events or the presentations. It was the place and the people.

“Just the whole staff being super friendly and the campus being super cool,” Keener said.

[lawrence-related id=27560,27543]

Days after Rutgers football offer, C.J. Bell gets another Big Ten offer

Charles ‘C.J.’ Bell is offered by Penn State on Friday.

Earlier this week, Charles ‘C.J.’ Bell earned his first Power Five offer from Rutgers football. On Friday morning, his second Power Five offer rolled in, this one also from the Big Ten.

Bell was offered by Penn State, the New England athlete announced on his social media on Friday morning. He is coming off a strong sophomore season St. Thomas More (Mansfield, MA). At 6-foot-1, 170-pound, the class of 2025 wide receiver also holds offers from Bowling Green, UConn and UMass.

The Scarlet Knights are the first Power Five offer for Bell, who plays for St. Thomas More (Mansfield, MA). He is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver who also holds offers from Bowling Green, UConn and UMass.

The Rutgers offer for Bell came after the class of 2025 athlete performed well at this week’s camp:

 

This will be a big week for Rutgers football on the recruiting front. Tuesday’s camp, the first of the summer season, led to multiple offers going out including Bell and offensive lineman Michael Carroll.

The offer for Carroll came after the Philadelphia offensive lineman impressed head coach Greg Schiano at the camp this week.

[lawrence-related id=27385]

Rutgers will also be hosting a number of national recruits this weekend, headlined by the likes of Jordan Thomas (the top player in New Jersey) as well as four-star athlete Josiah Brown and four-star defensive back Josh Philostin. Several commits, including quarterback [autotag]A.J. Surace[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Monte Keener[/autotag] are expected to be hosted by Rutgers on their official visits this weekend as well.

[lawrence-related id=27382,27375]

Film Assessment: Did Rutgers recruit a sure-handed TE in Monte Keener?

Monte Keener committed to Rutgers football, adding another 2024 recruit. Did the Scarlet Knights recruit a sure-handed tight end in Keener?

Rutgers football received a commitment from tight end Monte Keener, adding another offensive addition to their 2024 recruiting class.

The 6-foot-6 215 pounds tight end is the second recruit from Michigan (running back Gabriel Winowich is the other) the Scarlet Knights snatched up deep in Big Ten territory. Michigan is not prime recruiting territory for Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights are recruiting beyond their typical blueprint.

The three-star recruit from Linden High School (Linden, MI) had 22 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns last season for the Eagles. According to 247Sports, Keener is No. 72tight end in the nation and the No. 34 overall recruit in Michigan among his class. The 2024 prospect helped the Eagles to the Metro League championship game and the third round of the Division 3 playoffs.

[lawrence-related id=26471]

He received Power Five offers from Indiana and Minnesota and offers from several MAC programs (Buffalo, Miami (OH), Ball State, Central Michigan, Kent State, and Toledo). According to Rivals.com, the three-star recruit has a 5.5 rating.

Film Assessment

According to Keener’s Hudl profile, the junior tight end had the following athleticism stats:

40 Yard Dash Shuttle Vertical Bench Squats Deadlifts
4.79 Seconds 4.51 Seconds 30 inches 265 Ibs. 290 Ibs. 415 Ibs.

Keener is your typical Big Ten tight end, blocking and catching passes in high-traffic areas. He is not a burner but has a big frame for the tight-end position. The 2024 prospect is a solid route runner, using his strong hands when making catches in traffic. With the ball in his hands, he is hard to bring down, dragging defenders for extra yardage. Keener is willing to block when needed and can line up in the slot to catch passes.

As Keener develops into a Big Ten player, strength and blocking technique will be areas of development. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano will get Keener into their strength and conditioning program to build his size while tight ends coach Andrew Aurich works on his blocking technique.

[lawrence-related id=26543]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzemge3q5y0qdjayaf playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzemge3q5y0qdjayaf/01gzemge3q5y0qdjayaf-5cc4f5eced115587021fb7ebd3c24135.jpg]

Three-star Michigan tight end Monte Keener breaks down his Rutgers football commitment: ‘I found my home’

Monte Keener explains his Rutgers football commitment.

Over the weekend, Rutgers football received a commitment from tight end Monte Keener. And the Scarlet Knights went deep into Big Ten territory to pull out this three-star recruit.

It was yet another offensive addition to a recruiting class that is certainly heavy on the offensive side of the ball.

At the time of his verbal on Sunday, Keener was the sixth commitment to the 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers. That number now stands at seven as Rutgers added another tight end in Matthew Ogunniyi on Monday.

Last year for Linden High School (Linden, MI), Kenner had 25 catches for 318 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In the recruit rankings from 247Sports, Keener is a three-star tight end as well as the No. 33 recruit in Michigan and the No. 66 tight end in the nation.

Keener held Power Five offers from Indiana and Minnesota at the time of his decision for Rutgers. He had visited Rutgers in late April where he met the coaching staff including head coach Greg Schiano and tight ends coach Andrew Aurich.

“I’ve been talking with coach Aurich for a couple of months now. And when I finally got up to a practice, and watched him coach, it felt right,” Keener told Rutgers Wire.

“I had to wait for all the adrenaline to go away before I actually made the decision!

“The overall culture and the direction where the program is going made the decision really easy! I also really like how coach Schiano develops his player.”

Typically, Michigan is not prime recruiting turf for Rutgers. But in the 2024 recruiting class, the Scarlet Knights have landed two players from the state in Keener as well as four-star running back Gabriel Winowich.

[lawrence-related id=26493]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The connection simply appears to be that Rutgers is targeting players from Michigan who are a good cultural fit for their program. In the case of Keener and Winowich, the feeling is mutual.

“I’m not sure, Michigan and Michigan State didn’t do a very good job of recruiting me, for whatever reason,” Keener said.

“I don’t mind it though – I found my home. I knew I wanted to play in the Big Ten though.”

[lawrence-related id=26481,26479]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzj2qn0q9qwh8ypynt playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzj2qn0q9qwh8ypynt/01gzj2qn0q9qwh8ypynt-8332519e3ec7038579ce96109f271894.jpg]

Quarterback A.J. Surace is excited with two new Rutgers football commits this week (both are tight ends)

A.J. Surace talks about the new Rutgers football tight ends.

The recent additions at tight end have A.J. Surace excited about the future of the Rutgers football 2024 recruiting class.

The top-ranked quarterback in New Jersey, Surace is a three-star prospect who committed to Rutgers in February over offers from Boston College, Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

On Sunday, Michigan tight end Monte Keener committed to Rutgers, just a little over a week removed from his visit to the program. Then on Monday night, Matthew Ogunniyi committed to Rutgers over offers from Texas A&M and West Virginia among others.

The coaching staff had hoped to land two tight ends in this recruiting cycle and they did a strong job in landing a player in Keener who had two Big Ten offers (Indiana, Minnesota) and Ogunniyi, who is very much under-the-radar despite his recent Texas A&M offer.

“I’m fired up! He’s a great player,” Surace said on Tuesday following the news of Ogunniyi committing to Rutgers.

“The coaches and staff are doing an incredible job recruiting excellent players and people that want to be part of something special.”

The news of Rutgers landing Ogunniyi and Keener, a three-star, is something that was met positively by Surace. Both players have good length and a solid catch radius.

“They are huge targets, terrific athletes and play physical,” Surace said.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

The 2024 recruiting class currently stands at seven for Rutgers football, with four commits coming on the offensive side of the ball.

[lawrence-related id=26479]

In addition to Keener, Ogunniyi and Surace, Rutgers has landed commitments from four-star running back Gabriel Winowich and three-star offensive lineman Kenny Jones.

[lawrence-related id=26475,26470]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzfgay08evyq7vjc05 playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzfgay08evyq7vjc05/01gzfgay08evyq7vjc05-287b0fb4a84fe3d0479791fc849577d5.jpg]