Tag: Rutgers football recruiting

New Jersey tight end Charlie Wingfield adds an offer from Rutgers football this week

Rutgers football offers New Jersey tight end Charlie Wingfield.

Charlie Wingifield was offered by Rutgers football on Wednesday night. The New Jersey tight end prospect is seeing his recruitment continue to trend up.

Rutgers joins a recruitment for Wingfield where the likes of Boston College, Duke, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest and West Virginia have all offered. His most recent offer came from Princeton.

He is a class of 2025 recruit from Rampao (Franklin Lakes).

At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Wingfield has good size projections for the Power Five level. Last year as a junior, he had 315 receiving yards and 26 catches for six touchdowns in 11 games played.

He is a multi-sport athlete who plays basketball and baseball for Ramapo:

 

The class of 2025 is off to a solid start for Rutgers football and currently features four commits. Last fall, Florida quarterback [autotag]Sean Ashenfelder[/autotag] was the first commit in the class.

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This year, three prospects from New Jersey have committed to Rutgers, headlined by [autotag]Talibi Kaba[/autotag], a four-star linebacker and a top-five player in the state.

Also joining Kaba in this class are three-star offensive lineman[autotag] Jayden Elijah[/autotag] and three-star defensive back [autotag]Renick Dorilas[/autotag].

Rutgers football offers four-star tight end JC Anderson from Illinois

JC Anderson, a tight end from Mt. Zion in Illinois, was offered by Rutgers football on Tuesday.

JC Anderson was offered on Wednesday by Rutgers football, becoming the latest Power Five offer for the Illinois prospect.

A class of 2026 recruit, Anderson is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound tight end from Mt. Zion (Mt. Zion, Illinois). He holds a strong national offer list that includes Baylor, Cincinnati, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Tennessee among others.

Last year, Anderson had 30 catches for 307 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Rivals ranks him as a four-star tight end and the top player in Illinois in his class.

He is a multi-sport athlete, also playing as a forward or a center on Mt. Zion’s basketball team.

On Wednesday evening, Anderson tweeted about the offer from Rutgers:

 

Rutgers currently has four commits in their 2025 class, headlined by four-star linebacker Talibi Kaba, a top five player in New Jersey in this class.

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Another high-profile commit for Rutgers is three-star offensive lineman Jayden Elijah, who held has offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech when he committed in February.

Jayden Loftin talks about his recent Rutgers football offer, upcoming Tennesse visit

Jayden Loftin discusses his recruitment, recent Rutgers football offer.

Jayden Loftin was offered by Rutgers football over the weekend, putting the Big Ten program very much in the mix one of New Jersey’s top players.

Rutgers is now in the mix for Loftin he says. And it is a busy time in his schedule, with a visit to the Tennessee Volunteers on tap for this weekend.

He is a 6-foot-4 and 235-pound edge rusher from Somerville (Somerville, New Jersey) and is part of the class of 2025.

He is the No. 42 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 20 overall rospect in New Jersey in this current class according to 247Sports. Over the weekend, Loftin took an unofficial visit to Rutgers.

It was on that visit that head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] offered Loftin.

“It felt real good to have an offer from the hometown team,” Loftin told Rutgers Wire.

“They are building something special there.”

Loftin took a dive into the particulars of the offer from Schiano and his reaction to the program officially getting involved in his recruitment.

“Coach Schiano really emphasized what the program stood for and what he wanted for the program in years to come,” Loftin said.

“I like the F.T.C. (mantra) because that is something my family has really drilled into me since I was little so it was very relatable.

“They are in my top 10 for sure, I enjoyed the visit.”

As for an official visit, Loftin said he is booked with his four official visits “so we didn’t discuss anything about an official visit.”

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His four visits are:

  • West Virginia (May 31-June 2)
  • Tennessee (June 7-9)
  • Minnesota (June 14-16)
  • Penn State (June 21-23)

This upcoming weekend, Loftin has an unofficial visit to Tennessee.

“I’ve never been but the coaching staff has been in frequent contact and I’ve enjoyed talking them,” Loftin said.

Oh yeah! Rutgers football wide receiver KJ Duff wins the Gregg Sarra Trophy

KJ Duff is named the top offensive player in Long Island high school football last year.

KJ Duff pulled in another postseason honor this week as the Rutgers football wide receiver won a top honor out of Long Island.

On Sunday, Duff was awarded with the Gregg Sarra Trophy, which is awarded to the top offensive and defensive performers on Long Island’s football fields. The trophy is named after Sarra, a longtime (and legendary) journalist who covered Long Island sports for nearly four decades.

Duff was a four-star athlete in the 247 Sports Composite coming out of St. Anthony’s High School (Melville, New York) when he committed to Rutgers football over the summer. He had a strong offer list that included a final two of Miami and North Carolina in addition to offers from Arizona State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Texas A&M among others.

 

In nine games played as a senior, Duff had 55 catches for 929 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

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The 6-foot-5, 200-pound wide receiver enrolled at Rutgers in January. He brings some position flexibility with the ability to also line up as a tight end.

Dane Pizzaro breaks down his Rutgers football commitment

Dane Pizzaro breaks down why he committed to Rutgers football over the weekend.

Over the weekend, Rutgers football landed a commitment from kicker Dane Pizzaro. It is an important commitment for Rutgers to add a specialist who has a big upside.

Pizzaro committed to Rutgers football on Saturday after playing just one year of high school football. Prior to that, Pizzaro was an All-Catholic League soccer standout for Father Judge (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). In act, Pizzaro was so good at soccer that he played for the Philadelphia Union Academy, one of the top developmental programs in not just MLS but North America.

It was a long road to get to Rutgers for Pizzaro.

Contact with Rutgers began late last year. While he was hearing from a number of other programs such as Western Michigan, Sacred Heart, Incarnate Word and Western Illinois, Pizzaro felt a strong connection with Rutgers during the recruiting process.

“I chose to commit to Rutgers this weekend because I love everything about their program,” Pizzaro told Rutgers Wire.

“I love the mentality they have as a hard-nosed football team. The environment being their felt amazing. Other reason I chose Rutgers is because coach Allen (Eddie Allen, special teams quality control) is an outstanding coach and I feel great having him for the next four years. Lastly, their facilities are like nothing I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe how great their facilities were.”

Transitioning from soccer to football wasn’t easy

“It was crazy the way it happened. One day I was going to my high school soccer practice, the football team had left a ball on the field from the day before,” Pizzaro said.

“My soccer teammates were all trying to kick field goals. My assistant coach called me over to kick some because he knew I had a pretty big leg. I hit three in a row from 50 yards out.”

The head football coach at Father Judge heard about Pizzaro’s performance and approached him about playing for the team.

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“I thought ‘Why not do it for fun?’ not knowing it would soon become my future,” Pizzarro said.

“After realizing that I could do something with this, I got training and started to become a lot better. Though the transition was not easy after playing soccer for 14 years, I do not regret it at all.”

It worked out pretty well for Father Judge and Pizzaro.

Last year, Pizzaro was 7-for-8 on his field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards. He connected on 33-o-35 point after attempts.

On kickoffs, he reached the endzone on 30-of-38 attempts.

Watch as Rutgers football recruit Kole Briehler squats 555 pounds

Kole Briehler put together an insane squat during a recent workout.

Kole Briehler is a workout warrior, the Rutgers football recruit showing why he is an in-demand recruit with a strong offer list.

One of those programs that has offered Briehler is Rutgers. The defensive lineman from The Hun School (Princeton, New Jersey) was recently on campus in early February.

The class of 2025 recruit has offers from Boston College, Duke, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Stanford among others in addition to Rutgers.

In a video posted to social media on Monday, Briehler showed his strength and offseason gains with an impressive squat.

Briehler, utilizing a wide stance, doesn’t bend or lean with his back. He stays upright and in-form for both squats. No cheating involved, just good, solid form here from the three-star recruit:

 

Truthfully, when he racked the weight he looked like he had one more in him.

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In the 247Sports Composite, Briehler is the No. 16 overall recruit in New Jersey’s class of 2025. Nationally, he checks in as the No. 50 defensive lineman.

Michael Carroll announced a top 12 that includes Rutgers football

Michael Carroll puts out a top 12 that includes Rutgers football.

Four-star offensive lineman Michael Carroll announced his top 12 on Monday afternoon, and Rutgers football made the cut.

Carroll has consistently spoken highly about Rutgers in his recruitment.

Making the top 12 is nice for Carroll, but there is stiff Power Five interest here for the offensive lineman from Central Bucks East (Doylestown, Pennslyvania). Penn State is the perceived leader here in Carroll’s recruitment.

Carroll is a four-star offensive offensive lineman according to ESPN and Rivals, where he is the No. 236 recruit in the nation. ESPN ranks him as the No. 12 recruit in Pennsylvania.

At 6-foot-6 and 298 pounds, Carroll is physically impressive and dominant against rushers at the high school level.

He posted his top 12 on X, the social media platform that was formerly known as Twitter:

 

Carroll moves well in open space, taking long strides. He is a good downfield blocker as well.

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In being able to cope with space, Carroll moves well laterally and engages physically and violently with his hands. He finishes his blocks off well.

 

The New Jersey earthquake didn’t stop Raedyn Bruens from taking an unofficial visit to Rutgers

Rutgers football hosted Florida edge rusher Raedyn Bruens over the weekend.

For Raedyn Bruens, the unofficial visit must go on. Even if that visit included an earthquake that took place just 25 minutes from Rutgers.

For Bruens, his two-day visit to Rutgers was his first time on campus.

An edge rusher who attends Mosley High School (Lynn Haven, Florida), Bruens is ranked a three-star according to 247Sports, where he is the No. 69 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 117 player in Florida in this recruiting cycle.

He holds offers from FAU, Jacksonville State, South Florida, Troy and Tulane among others.

His visit to Rutgers over the weekend began on Friday. Just a couple of hours into the visit, something memorable happened.

Well, it would have been memorable if Bruens had realized it at the time.

“I actually didn’t at first,” Bruens told Rutgers Wire about the Friday morning earthquake, which measured a 4.8.

“I didn’t even know till later. I did feel an after shock after I had gotten to the hotel.”

At the time that the earthquake rumbled across New Jersey, Bruens and his family were pulling up to the academic center at Rutgers for a meeting. Bruens learned about the earthquake when a friend of his mother texted her to check in on the family.

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The friend had seen the news about the earthquake in New Jersey and wanted to make sure everyone was safe.

As for the rest of the visit, the part that was truly memorable for Bruens, it was a good first experience at Rutgers.

“We got there late Thursday night and Friday was a life day for them,” Bruens said.

“So we got to watch them lift and had meetings with some coaches and academic advisers. Saturday was a scrimmage day so I got to see them practice then scrimmage for an hour. It was a great time.”

Last year, Bruens had 48 total tackles including eight tackles for a loss. He had two sacks and five quarterback hurries as well as four passes defended.

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He said he is planning on taking an official visit to Rutgers this summer.

“I loved it,” Bruens said. “Seems like a great system and a great culture.”

Bruens did feel the aftershock several hours later on Friday evening. The aftershock measured in at 4.0 and, much like the morning earthquake, rattled throughout New Jersey.

“In the hotel, we had felt the after shock and it shook the room,” Bruens said.

What attributes can 2025 recruit Talibi Kaba add to Rutgers football?

Talibi Kaba is a physical linebacker prospect who committed to Rutgers football.

In early February, Rutgers football added a standout prospect in Talibi Kaba to their 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound linebacker is a quick and fluid linebacker who covers a lot of ground and can shine within the Scarlet Knights’ defense.

A linebacker at Hillside (Hillside, New Jersey), Kaba is ranked the No. 5 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 20 ranked linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Kaba received offers from Boston College Duke, Iowa State and Kent State during his recruitment.

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Film Review

The future Scarlet Knight is extremely athletic, covering a ton of ground at the linebacker position. He can change direction quickly and is solid in run support and pass coverage. Kaba plays sideline-to-sideline, chasing down ball carries in the open field.

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He is a two-way starter at the high school level, logging multiple carries at the running back position, and showing off his top speed. With his elite speed, Kaba can play the rover position within Defensive Coordinator Joe Harasymiak’s defensive scheme. Also, he can share time playing at the middle and outside linebacker positions.

As Kaba develops toward the Power Five level, he needs to focus on getting stronger and more physical. If Kaba can counter his speed with strength, he can shine at the collegiate level.

 

Rutgers football adds PWO kicker Dane Pizzaro

Dane Pizzaro committed to Rutgers football on Saturday.

Dane Pizzaro knows futbol better than football, but the latest commit to Rutgers certainly boasts some upside to his game.

On Saturday, Pizzaro committed to Rutgers football. The class of 2024 kicker from Father Judge High School (Philadelphia) was an all-conference selection in both soccer and football last year.

A standout soccer player (Pizzaro was a member of the Philadelphia Union Academy which is arguably the best in the United States), Pizzaro’s commitment is an important addition for Rutgers this offseason.

Pizzaro has been impressive in his transition to gridiron football, committing to Rutgers football on Saturday as a Preferred Walk On (PWO).

He posted his commitment to Rutgers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter:

 

He is the first kicker to commit to Rutgers in the 2024 class. He was offered by Western Michigan and Incarnate Word in February.

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The Scarlet Knights have a strong tradition of solid kicking over the years. Currently, redshirt freshman Jai Jai Patel is the starting kicker, having won the job in training camp last year.