Tag: Rutgers recruiting

Watch: Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine (yes, not a typo) touchdowns in a game

Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine touchdowns in playoff win on Friday night.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rashad Rochelle had a tremendous Friday night, the three-star Rutgers verbal showcasing his ability to be an impact player at the next level.

Rochelle, who plays quarterback for Springfield High School (IL), is coming to Rutgers as a wide receiver. He had 401 yards of total offense in a playoff 94-72 win over Rock Island. That’s football, not basketball mind you.

A real defensive battle that one turned out to be…

All kidding aside, the Rutgers commit was simply tremendous. Rochelle was 9-of-16 for 263 yards and six touchdowns passing the ball, running for another 184 yards and three touchdowns. That is an insanely gaudy stat line from the senior quarterback.

Especially considering it was a playoff game.

A three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, he is ranked the No. 26 player in the state according to the site. Rochelle held ‘Power 5’ offers from the likes of Duke, Illinois and Purdue at the time of his commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

He attended Saturday’s Rutgers game, a 20-14 win at Illinois. Rutgers is now 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten) and hosts Wisconsin on Saturday at SHI Stadium. His parents purchased the tickets for him, just a couple of rows behind the Rutgers bench.

Rutgers lands Blair Academy 3-star tight end Mike Higgins Jr.

Rutgers football beats Illinois then gets a commitment from Blair Academy tight end Mike Higgins Jr.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football got a second victory on Saturday, the Scarlet Knights beating Illinois on the road and then landing tight end Mike Higgins.

Higgins, who played at Don Bosco before going for a post-graduate year at Blair, earned the offer earlier this month. The Scarlet Knights were his only FBS offer. He is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.

The 6-foot-5 Higgins has good athleticism and range, showing maturation and development during his season at Blair. He is the only current Rutgers commit who is coming in as a tight end.

 

On Saturday, Higgins’ future team beat Illinois on the road 20-14. Rutgers was solid, not turning the ball over and dominating at the line of scrimmage to even their record at 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten). The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Rutgers, all in Big Ten play.

His father, Mike Higgins Sr., was a baseball player at Rutgers who was taken in the 1993 MLB Amateur Draft by the Colorado Rockies.

What five programs are after four-star tackle Samson Okunola the hardest?

Four-star offensive lineman Samson Okunola talks about the five programs after him the hardest.

Samson Okunola is one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2023. The four-star offensive tackle is hearing from nearly every major program in the country but he says that a handful of programs are after him the most right now.

Okunola isn’t ready to cut down his list quite yet, but the sixth-best offensive tackle in the nation and No. 1 player in Massachusetts in next year’s class is certainly intrigued by the schools chasing him the hardest. He said that Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Rutgers are showing him the most attention in their recruitment.

One program that isn’t in that group is Michigan, but the No. 6 Wolverines are making a positive impression on Okunola.

“I like their program – [I] talked with the head coach (Jim Harbaugh) a few times. He is a good person, they play good football too,” Okunola said.

“He really likes my game, how athletic I am as a lineman, and thinks Michigan would be a good place for me.”

The 6-foot-6, 295-pounds is the No. 65 player in the nation according to Rivals. He plays for Thayer Academy in Massachusetts. This week, he provided ‘Rutgers Wire’ a breakdown of the five programs he said are after him the hardest (all but Wisconsin have offered).

 

On Pittsburgh:

“I like the program. They run a good offense and the offensive line coach is a pretty good coach off what I have talked with him.”

On Notre Dame:

“Their offensive line coach – he has a history of sending offensive linemen to the NFL and developing them. Their message is that you get to play football at a higher level and get to be developed by one of the top offensive line coaches but also get a good education.”

On Northwestern:

“I like the offensive line coach. He’s a great coach off what I have talked with him and I like the idea that I get to play football against high-level teams but also like getting an Ivy League education without having to go to an Ivy.”

On Wisconsin:

“How their season is going right now will factor in my discussion but they haven’t offered me…other than that their history interests me but I still need to talk more with the coaches to further get to know them.”

On Rutgers:

“They run a good program and they have a great family aspect in the team. It is very possible they can rebuild in the future.”

What offers have come in for Davison Igbinosun since he re-opened his recruitment?

Former Rutgers football commit Davison Igbinosun counts four new offers since de-committing from the Scarlet Knights in early October.

[mm-video type=video id=01fk29rp6pd30jhe178r playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fk29rp6pd30jhe178r/01fk29rp6pd30jhe178r-f8f049b1d6c6907e235c17611d3c2d24.jpg]

Since de-committing from Rutgers football on October 5, Davison Igbinosun has seen his recruitment take off. Four more offers have come in for the recently minted four-star defensive back.

The No. 1 player in New Jersey according to 247Sports, Igbinosun has seen his stock rise in recent weeks as he puts together an impressive senior season. His recent bump to four stars didn’t hurt his status either.

It is believed that Rutgers is still in the mix for Igbinosun as well as programs such as Ole Miss and Tennessee. He recently took a visit to Tennesee and it is believed that they are a major factor in his recruitment and might well be in the lead.

Rutgers recently tried to make a splash in his recruitment, with head coach Greg Schiano using a helicopter to visit the player at a recent game.

Other top programs such as Boston College, Notre Dame and Pitt are believed to not be a factor at this point.

Four programs have offered Igbinosun since he opened up his recruitment earlier this month. A look at what programs have recently joined his recruitment and what it means for one of the top remaining uncommitted players in New Jersey.

 

Rutgers football first to offer 6-foot-6, 300 pound high school freshman lineman Jaelyne Matthews

Rutgers football is the first in on 6-foot-6, 300 pound offensive lineman Jaelyne Matthews.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Jaelyne Matthews is flying high after receiving an offer from Rutgers football this. The Toms River North offensive lineman has been following the program for a while and is intrigued by the rebuilding process.

The call from the Scarlet Knights coaching staff this week marked the first offer for Matthews, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman who is a freshman.

That’s right, a freshman.

“The way I found out was me and coach [Oizerowitz], the head coach at my high school Toms River North, were on the phone with the Rutgers coaches,” Matthews told ‘Rutgers Wire’ on Thursday.

“I’m not really a stranger to the Rutgers coaches; I actually went there for a camp back in 2020. While we were on the phone we talked about my grades and what ‘CHOP’ means. Shortly after that, they gave me a committable offer to Rutgers University.”

 

This is Matthews’ first year of real training and working out. He is currently bench pressing 205 pounds and squatting 285 pounds. He has been training for the past three years with Dan Benishti, who was a standout offensive lineman in college at Montclair State University.

Matthews has started all six games for Toms River North (2-4).

Boston College visited two weeks ago and Matthews spoke with Joe Dailey, the program’s wide receivers coach. Dailey, a New Jersey native, asked Matthews his height and weight and told him to keep up his grades.

Matthews said that the Boston College assistant told him the program will be keeping up with him.

Which Rutgers football commits will have the biggest immediate impact?

Rutgers football has a tremendous recruiting class for 2022. Which players are best suited for playing time as a freshmen?

[mm-video type=video id=01fjhp66drf1xqq3dygx playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fjhp66drf1xqq3dygx/01fjhp66drf1xqq3dygx-75bd85ea33ae8ffff5086a7afffdcada.jpg]

For Rutgers football, the hope is that the 2022 recruiting class can be a gamechanger.

The 2022 recruiting class has the chance to be one of the top classes for Rutgers in the past decade and could well be the program’s best overall class since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014. With needs at offensive line, wide receiver and at defensive back, several of these recruits could well see themselves pressed into service sooner rather than later for Rutgers.

Rutgers is 3-4 on the season, having lost their first four games of the Big Ten schedule (three losses coming against the top 10 teams in the nation in the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll). The need for depth is apparent, as is the overall need to continue to upgrade the roster.

A look at what Rutgers recruits could be poised for a big role as freshmen:

 

What recruits will visit Rutgers football for the Michigan State game?

Rutgers football is hosting a number of top recruits from the 2022 and 2023 recruiting class.

While last weekend against Ohio State was the big one for recruiting for Rutgers football, Saturday’s game with No. 11 Michigan State certainly isn’t lacking for star power. A number of top recruits will be at SHI Stadium for the showdown.

Rutgers will host a mix of committed and non-committed players as they look to close out the 2022 recruiting cycle strong and begin with some of the talent on the 2023 radar.

Several priority Rutgers verbal commits such as Erasmus Hall linebacker Moses Walker, a four-star recruit and one of the top players in New York, will be on hand. He will be joined by several other members of the 2022 recruiting class.

A look at some of the players who will be at Saturday’s game:

Former NBA scout analyzes Rutgers basketball verbal Antwone Woolfolk

Antwone Woolfolk has lots of potential and a former NBA scout thinks Rutgers got a nice piece this week.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers basketball landed a big man on Monday night with the addition of Antwone Woolfolk. He is now the third member of the Scarlet Knights 2022 recruiting class.

Originally a tight end prospect in football, Woolfolk is now choosing to focus on the hardcourt. The 6-foot-7 senior is raw but oozing with potential.

Former NBA scout Michael VandeGarde, who spent 18 years with the Philadelphia 76ers organization, sees plenty of promise in Woolfolk’s emerging game. He was asked to evaluate the limited tape on the verbal commit.

“He is a project ‘Big’ that is more center than power forward,” VandeGarde told ‘Rutgers Wire.’

“A hard-nosed player that can handle the physical nature of the game and should be able to play good team defense.  His skill set is better than most guys with his size and strength.”

There are areas for improvement, of course, as Woolfolk had been considered a football athlete up until a couple of months ago when he began to consider basketball as a true option at the college level. VandeGarde notes that Woolfolk’s “Shooting and face-up game, rim protection, conditioning, elite quick-twitch explosion” all need to continue to be developed.

He is certainly a bit of a prospect but can and should be able to help head coach Steve Piekiell develop front-court depth.

“He projects as a four-year player that should be able to contribute quickly because of his strength and size,” VandeGarde said.  “He has good upside because he has not concentrated on one sport in high school and could makes big strides quickly.  His skill set, which is good, could really improve in the coming years.”

He likens Woolfolk to former Michigan State power forward Nick Ward, a former All-Big Ten honorable mention currently playing in Europe.

VandeGarde is currently involved in consulting with several NBA teams. He also is passionately involved with CoachTube. An online training tool that gives athletes access to instruction, knowledge, and sports coaching videos, CoachTube provides access to on-demand online training from the world’s best coaches and players.

Four-star power forward Gus Yalden: ‘I really truly enjoyed my official visit at Rutgers’

Rutgers basketball recruit Gus Yalden, one of the top players in the nation, talks about his visit to the Scarlet Knights this weekend.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Gus Yalden had an official visit to Rutgers on Saturday, the four-star big man taking in a football game and getting some time with men’s basketball head coach Steve Pikiell.

The power forward, ranked by Rivals as the No. 73 player in the nation, got a full tour of campus and the basketball facilities. This included being able to watch the team practice.

“The morning practice was great to watch; it was competitive and had lots of teachable moments,” Yalden told ‘Rutgers Wire’ after his visit.

“Crazy that this early in the season players already dialed in and efficient.”

Personable and outgoing, the class of 2023 prospect is enjoying the recruiting process.

One of the most coveted prospects in the nation, Yalden has a host of schools after him including offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland, Stanford, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Xavier among others.

The trip was an opportunity to see the campus, connect with the coaching staff and players and see if the Scarlet Knights were a good fit for him.

He had an opportunity to talk with Pikiell one-on-one during the visit. The message came across loud and clear.

“Pretty simple he just said he wanted to coach me and felt like it would be great for me on and off the court. Coach Pikiell has had an impressive basketball journey…his players and the Rutgers community seem to really embrace him,” Yalden said.

“Not going to lie I’m a little surprised how much I really truly enjoyed my official visit at Rutgers… just can’t imagine making this decision without being able to get on campus.”

Yalden said he hopes to continue his official visits with Nebraska and Wisconsin next on his agenda. He also hopes to take some other programs in on unofficial visits.

After his visit, Yalden wants to come up for one more visit to check a gameday experience at Rutgers.

Watch: Four-star running back Samuel Brown shows why he’s perfect for the Rutgers offense

Rutgers football commit Samuel Brown shows off his athleticism and high ceiling with a long touchdown run on Saturday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3gzhz7qrm49z6q player_id=none image=https://rutgerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rutgers football has landed quite a prospect in four-star running back Samuel Brown. His explosiveness in the open field was on display this past weekend, backing up his status as one of the best players in the Rutgers 2022 recruiting class as well as a premier running back recruit.

Brown had a tremendous afternoon for La Salle in Saturday’s 38-14 win over McDonogh as the Rutgers commit had a 74-yard touchdown on a wheel route. The highlight play showed his athleticism, speed, and versatility.

The traits on the run make him a perfect fit for Rutgers offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson. On the run, Brown showed shiftiness and good vision to break into the open field, follow his downfield blocking and get the touchdown.

La Salle is now 5-0 on the season.

 

Brown, who committed to Rutgers in late March, is the No. 12 player in Pennsylvania according to Rivals.com and is the No. 23 running back in the nation. He held offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech among others at the time of his verbal to Rutgers.