Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU in-state Upperclassmen
5.) Anthony Cioffi
4.) Quanzell Lambert
3.) Julian Pinnix-Odrick
2.) Dorian Miller
1.) Darius Hamilton
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Four of RU's early summer enrollees will contribute this season
Team News
The Rutgers players were granted a two-week break although the staff could not seem to wait that long. The staff asked the players to cut that break short and 'voluntarily' return just after a one-week hiatus. About 2/3 of the team made it back with just that one week off. Of the other 1/3, many players had planned trips to return home and those trips were a pretty significant distance.
Recruiting Tidbits
QB Johnathan Lewis – St. Peter’s Prep
The RU commit made a splash when he made his pledge to become a Scarlet Knight as his commitment was felt throughout the state. Since then, he’s been doing some recruiting of his own.
“I have been trying to get a few D-linemen, O-linemen and two or three wide receivers to jump on board,” Lewis said.
However, Lewis was recruiting for Rutgers before his actual commitment.
“When I knew I wanted to go to Rutgers, I was trying to get a few other guys to come with me. Two weeks before I committed to Rutgers, I knew I wanted to commit. And I told Micah [Clark] and Jamaal [Beaty]. They said 'okay, we’ll do it this week and you can do it the next week.' I have known Micah and Jamaal since the eighth grade when we played spring football together."
DB Kobe Marfo – Reedley C.C. (Calif.)
Marfo will be reporting to Rutgers on Monday after spending last fall at Reedley Community College in California. He returned home to Virginia after the fall semester and took one online course this spring to satisfy his academic requirements. Now that everything is in order, he is sizing up a cornerback spot this season.
“I talked to Coach Ash after being at one of the spring practices,” Marfo said. “He told me to expect to play and compete for a starting spot. He said ‘we are very high on you and we brought you in because we thought you could make a difference on defense.’ I like that.”
DB Ross Taylor-Douglas – Michigan Transfer)
Scarlet Nation can confirm that Taylor-Douglas is on campus and officially reported yesterday. At the time of his check in, he weighed in at 190 pounds and he is very excited to get started on his career at Rutgers. He still has two years of eligibility remaining and figures to push for a starting spot this summer.
DB Edwin Lopez – Woodrow Wilson
The South Jersey product will be announcing his decision on Wednesday ,June 1st at his high school. His four finalists are Rutgers, Temple, Tulane and Boston College. At this point, things are trending well for Rutgers and there is a chance Scarlet Nation will be in attendance at Wilson High School.
DT Julius Turner – Meridian (Miss.)
The Mississippi defensive tackle is very close to his Rutgers arrival as today will be his final day at home.
“I'll be heading to Rutgers Saturday morning,” Turner told Scarlet Nation last night. “I kind of have mixed emotions about the situation. Being so far from family and friends, it's going to be sad. But at the same time, I'm ready to get there and be part of the new program. I've been waiting on this opportunity since I was young and I've finally got it.”
DE Bobby Roundtree – Largo (Fla.)
Rutgers was the third program to offer the Florida junior and since then, 15 other schools have extended offers of their own. Rutgers is still very much in pursuit of Roundtree and it appears as though the interest is mutual.
“The d-line coach [Shane Burnham] came back to my school again last week,” Roundtree said. “I am interested in Rutgers and I feel like coach means everything he says to me. I like that.”
WR Dillon Spalding – South County (Va.)
The class of 2018 Virginia native landed a Rutgers offer, his fifth overall to go with others from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, NC State and Vanderbilt.
“It was awesome to get the offer, I'm glad they really want me,” Spalding said. “Coach Kuhr came in yesterday morning and he talked to my coach for about half hour and my coach called me after he left and told me that he offered me. He told me Coach Kuhr said they need a guy like me on the outside.”
A look back at the NJ Class of 2011
It is time to take a look back at the NJ recruiting class of 2011, one that saw Rutgers sign 10 of the Top 30 prospects. However, the class, as a whole, did not produce a ton of superstars. Only one player from the entire class wound up getting drafted. Coincidentally, four of the more productive prospects in the class checked in between No.21-29. Here is a look at how the prospects in the Rivals.com NJ Top 30 for 2011 fared at the college level.
1. RB Savon Huggins (Rutgers)
The St. Peter’s Prep standout never lived up to his billing. He had just one 100-yard rushing performance at RU and transferred to Northern Iowa as a fifth-year senior where he rushed for 216 yards as a team captain.
2. LB Anthony Sarao (USC)
The Holy Spirit product was a three-year starting linebacker for the Trojans. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent this spring, but has already been waived.
3. WR Miles Shuler (Rutgers)
After two seasons at Rutgers, Shuler transferred to Northwestern where he caught 38 passes in two seasons and also returned kicks and punts. Shuler is now currently part of the Carolina Panthers 90-man roster.
4. DT Marquise Wright (Rutgers)
He appeared in only one game at Rutgers and then transferred to FCS Elon where he played defensive tackle for the last two years, collecting 37 tackles, 23 of which were for loss.
5.) WR Damiere Byrd (South Carolina)
The Timber Creek speedster started 20 games at wide receiver for the Gamecocks and finished his college career with 68 catches for 1,265 yards. He spent last season on the Carolina Panthers practice squad and is still there looking to earn a roster spot this summer.
6.) ATH Sheldon Royster (South Carolina)
After things did not work out at South Carolina, Royster transferred to Rutgers where he also never saw the field and wound up leaving before his senior year.
7.) ATH Bill Belton (Penn State)
The South Jersey athlete wound up playing running back for the Nittany Lions and finished his career with 1,652 rushing yards.
8.) DE Connor Wujciak (Boston College)
In four years for the Eagles, Wujciak collected 110 tackles, with a season high of 33 in 2014. He started a total of 14 college games and received a 2015 NFL Combine invite, but failed to get drafted. He is currently on the Philadelphia Eagles roster.
9.) OT Josue Matias (Florida State)
He was a three-year starter at left guard for the Seminoles and also a part of the 2013 National Championship squad. Injuries forced Matias to fall out of the 2015 NFL Draft but he caught on as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans and is still with the team.
10.) OL Angelo Mangiro (Penn State)
The Roxbury product went on to start 25 games for the Nittany Lions and earned an All- Big Ten honorable mention as a junior. He was invited to the NY Giants rookie minicamp this spring as an undrafted free agent.
11.) ATH Tanner McEvoy (South Carolina)
After things did not work out at South Carolina, McEvoy transferred to Wisconsin where he started five games at quarterback as a junior. He then switched to safety as a senior and started 12 games, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention on the strength of six interceptions.
12.) DE Kyle George (Rutgers)
George failed to qualify and never made it to the fall semester of his freshman year at Rutgers.
13.) QB Gary Nova (Rutgers)
A four-year starter at Rutgers, Nova started 41 games for the Scarlet Knights and finished with 2,851 passing yards as a senior, the fourth most single-season mark in school history.
14.) DE Max Issaka (Rutgers)
A former Pitt commit, Issaka never panned out at Rutgers, playing in only a couple games before transferring out of the program.
15.) LB Quinton Alston (Iowa)
He played as a backup until his senior year when he broke out with 94 tackles, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Alston signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs last year as a free agent and was one of the final cuts in late August of last year.
16.) OL Keith Lumpkin (Rutgers)
A three-year starter at left tackle for Rutgers, Lumpkin registered 38 consecutive starts. He was undrafted this past year but signed with the Buffalo Bills as a rookie free agent.
17.) TE Jack Tabb (UNC)
Tabb excelled for the Tar Heels, finishing his career with 47 total receptions. The New Orleans Saints signed him as an undrafted free agent and placed him on the injured list for 2015. Tabb is currently still on the Saints roster.
18.) ATH Charles Davis (Rutgers)
Davis failed to qualify out of high school and never made it to the ranks of college football.
19.) OL Shane Mertz (Northwestern)
Mertz started seven games as a redshirt senior after being limited to a backup role the previous two seasons.
20.) LB Andrew Campolatanno (Unsigned)
Once a Rutgers commit, he was dropped by the former coaching staff and went on to wrestle instead at the college level, although his career on the mat was a disappointing one.
21.) DE Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State)
A second-team All-American as a sophomore, Calhoun had a monster career with the Spartans that included 27 career sacks and 44 TFLs. Calhoun was selected with the 75th overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and was easily the top performer in this NJ class of 2012.
22.) TE Ryan Malleck (Virginia Tech)
In three seasons with the Hokies, Malleck caught 62 passes and started a total of 32 games at tight end. Malleck was signed by the NY Giants as an undrafted free agent this spring and will compete for a roster spot this summer.
23.) WR Cam Dickerson (Northwestern)
Over the last four years, Dickerson caught 49 passes for the Wildcats, which included 24 receptions in 2014 and just five in 2015.
24.) WR Devante Waugh (Unsigned)
The Winslow High product never signed a letter of intent as grades were an issue.
25.) TE Kevin Miller (UCF)
The Holy Cross alum started three games and caught two passes as a fourth-year junior, but was not on the roster last season for UCF.
26.) QB Mike Bimonte (Rutgers)
He was a holder at Rutgers, but never got past being a third-team quarterback before transferring out to Monmouth, where he did not join the team.
27.) RB Kevin Monangai (Villanova)
A standout at the FCS level, Monangai rushed for a total of 3,167 yards during his college career. He signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles last year and made it halfway through the preseason before being released.
28.) DT Daryl Stephenson (Rutgers)
In four seasons, Stephenson played in a backup capacity at Rutgers and did not pursue the chance to play a fifth year. Injuries slowed him as he never really made a significant impact at the college level.
29.) LB Cole Farrand (Maryland)
A three-year starter at Maryland, Farrand compiled a career total of 283 tackles, including a 118-tackle performance in 2014. The Pope John product signed as an undrafted free agent with the NY Giants last May and was one of the final cuts before signing onto the team's practice squad.
30.) DB Shutang Mungwa (Syracuse)
The Bergen Catholic defensive back spent one injury-laden year with the Orange before calling it quits to pursue a career in rap music.
Top Five RU in-state Upperclassmen
5.) Anthony Cioffi
4.) Quanzell Lambert
3.) Julian Pinnix-Odrick
2.) Dorian Miller
1.) Darius Hamilton
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Four of RU's early summer enrollees will contribute this season
Team News
The Rutgers players were granted a two-week break although the staff could not seem to wait that long. The staff asked the players to cut that break short and 'voluntarily' return just after a one-week hiatus. About 2/3 of the team made it back with just that one week off. Of the other 1/3, many players had planned trips to return home and those trips were a pretty significant distance.
Recruiting Tidbits
QB Johnathan Lewis – St. Peter’s Prep
The RU commit made a splash when he made his pledge to become a Scarlet Knight as his commitment was felt throughout the state. Since then, he’s been doing some recruiting of his own.
“I have been trying to get a few D-linemen, O-linemen and two or three wide receivers to jump on board,” Lewis said.
However, Lewis was recruiting for Rutgers before his actual commitment.
“When I knew I wanted to go to Rutgers, I was trying to get a few other guys to come with me. Two weeks before I committed to Rutgers, I knew I wanted to commit. And I told Micah [Clark] and Jamaal [Beaty]. They said 'okay, we’ll do it this week and you can do it the next week.' I have known Micah and Jamaal since the eighth grade when we played spring football together."
DB Kobe Marfo – Reedley C.C. (Calif.)
Marfo will be reporting to Rutgers on Monday after spending last fall at Reedley Community College in California. He returned home to Virginia after the fall semester and took one online course this spring to satisfy his academic requirements. Now that everything is in order, he is sizing up a cornerback spot this season.
“I talked to Coach Ash after being at one of the spring practices,” Marfo said. “He told me to expect to play and compete for a starting spot. He said ‘we are very high on you and we brought you in because we thought you could make a difference on defense.’ I like that.”
DB Ross Taylor-Douglas – Michigan Transfer)
Scarlet Nation can confirm that Taylor-Douglas is on campus and officially reported yesterday. At the time of his check in, he weighed in at 190 pounds and he is very excited to get started on his career at Rutgers. He still has two years of eligibility remaining and figures to push for a starting spot this summer.
DB Edwin Lopez – Woodrow Wilson
The South Jersey product will be announcing his decision on Wednesday ,June 1st at his high school. His four finalists are Rutgers, Temple, Tulane and Boston College. At this point, things are trending well for Rutgers and there is a chance Scarlet Nation will be in attendance at Wilson High School.
DT Julius Turner – Meridian (Miss.)
The Mississippi defensive tackle is very close to his Rutgers arrival as today will be his final day at home.
“I'll be heading to Rutgers Saturday morning,” Turner told Scarlet Nation last night. “I kind of have mixed emotions about the situation. Being so far from family and friends, it's going to be sad. But at the same time, I'm ready to get there and be part of the new program. I've been waiting on this opportunity since I was young and I've finally got it.”
DE Bobby Roundtree – Largo (Fla.)
Rutgers was the third program to offer the Florida junior and since then, 15 other schools have extended offers of their own. Rutgers is still very much in pursuit of Roundtree and it appears as though the interest is mutual.
“The d-line coach [Shane Burnham] came back to my school again last week,” Roundtree said. “I am interested in Rutgers and I feel like coach means everything he says to me. I like that.”
WR Dillon Spalding – South County (Va.)
The class of 2018 Virginia native landed a Rutgers offer, his fifth overall to go with others from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, NC State and Vanderbilt.
“It was awesome to get the offer, I'm glad they really want me,” Spalding said. “Coach Kuhr came in yesterday morning and he talked to my coach for about half hour and my coach called me after he left and told me that he offered me. He told me Coach Kuhr said they need a guy like me on the outside.”
A look back at the NJ Class of 2011
It is time to take a look back at the NJ recruiting class of 2011, one that saw Rutgers sign 10 of the Top 30 prospects. However, the class, as a whole, did not produce a ton of superstars. Only one player from the entire class wound up getting drafted. Coincidentally, four of the more productive prospects in the class checked in between No.21-29. Here is a look at how the prospects in the Rivals.com NJ Top 30 for 2011 fared at the college level.
1. RB Savon Huggins (Rutgers)
The St. Peter’s Prep standout never lived up to his billing. He had just one 100-yard rushing performance at RU and transferred to Northern Iowa as a fifth-year senior where he rushed for 216 yards as a team captain.
2. LB Anthony Sarao (USC)
The Holy Spirit product was a three-year starting linebacker for the Trojans. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent this spring, but has already been waived.
3. WR Miles Shuler (Rutgers)
After two seasons at Rutgers, Shuler transferred to Northwestern where he caught 38 passes in two seasons and also returned kicks and punts. Shuler is now currently part of the Carolina Panthers 90-man roster.
4. DT Marquise Wright (Rutgers)
He appeared in only one game at Rutgers and then transferred to FCS Elon where he played defensive tackle for the last two years, collecting 37 tackles, 23 of which were for loss.
5.) WR Damiere Byrd (South Carolina)
The Timber Creek speedster started 20 games at wide receiver for the Gamecocks and finished his college career with 68 catches for 1,265 yards. He spent last season on the Carolina Panthers practice squad and is still there looking to earn a roster spot this summer.
6.) ATH Sheldon Royster (South Carolina)
After things did not work out at South Carolina, Royster transferred to Rutgers where he also never saw the field and wound up leaving before his senior year.
7.) ATH Bill Belton (Penn State)
The South Jersey athlete wound up playing running back for the Nittany Lions and finished his career with 1,652 rushing yards.
8.) DE Connor Wujciak (Boston College)
In four years for the Eagles, Wujciak collected 110 tackles, with a season high of 33 in 2014. He started a total of 14 college games and received a 2015 NFL Combine invite, but failed to get drafted. He is currently on the Philadelphia Eagles roster.
9.) OT Josue Matias (Florida State)
He was a three-year starter at left guard for the Seminoles and also a part of the 2013 National Championship squad. Injuries forced Matias to fall out of the 2015 NFL Draft but he caught on as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans and is still with the team.
10.) OL Angelo Mangiro (Penn State)
The Roxbury product went on to start 25 games for the Nittany Lions and earned an All- Big Ten honorable mention as a junior. He was invited to the NY Giants rookie minicamp this spring as an undrafted free agent.
11.) ATH Tanner McEvoy (South Carolina)
After things did not work out at South Carolina, McEvoy transferred to Wisconsin where he started five games at quarterback as a junior. He then switched to safety as a senior and started 12 games, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention on the strength of six interceptions.
12.) DE Kyle George (Rutgers)
George failed to qualify and never made it to the fall semester of his freshman year at Rutgers.
13.) QB Gary Nova (Rutgers)
A four-year starter at Rutgers, Nova started 41 games for the Scarlet Knights and finished with 2,851 passing yards as a senior, the fourth most single-season mark in school history.
14.) DE Max Issaka (Rutgers)
A former Pitt commit, Issaka never panned out at Rutgers, playing in only a couple games before transferring out of the program.
15.) LB Quinton Alston (Iowa)
He played as a backup until his senior year when he broke out with 94 tackles, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Alston signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs last year as a free agent and was one of the final cuts in late August of last year.
16.) OL Keith Lumpkin (Rutgers)
A three-year starter at left tackle for Rutgers, Lumpkin registered 38 consecutive starts. He was undrafted this past year but signed with the Buffalo Bills as a rookie free agent.
17.) TE Jack Tabb (UNC)
Tabb excelled for the Tar Heels, finishing his career with 47 total receptions. The New Orleans Saints signed him as an undrafted free agent and placed him on the injured list for 2015. Tabb is currently still on the Saints roster.
18.) ATH Charles Davis (Rutgers)
Davis failed to qualify out of high school and never made it to the ranks of college football.
19.) OL Shane Mertz (Northwestern)
Mertz started seven games as a redshirt senior after being limited to a backup role the previous two seasons.
20.) LB Andrew Campolatanno (Unsigned)
Once a Rutgers commit, he was dropped by the former coaching staff and went on to wrestle instead at the college level, although his career on the mat was a disappointing one.
21.) DE Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State)
A second-team All-American as a sophomore, Calhoun had a monster career with the Spartans that included 27 career sacks and 44 TFLs. Calhoun was selected with the 75th overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and was easily the top performer in this NJ class of 2012.
22.) TE Ryan Malleck (Virginia Tech)
In three seasons with the Hokies, Malleck caught 62 passes and started a total of 32 games at tight end. Malleck was signed by the NY Giants as an undrafted free agent this spring and will compete for a roster spot this summer.
23.) WR Cam Dickerson (Northwestern)
Over the last four years, Dickerson caught 49 passes for the Wildcats, which included 24 receptions in 2014 and just five in 2015.
24.) WR Devante Waugh (Unsigned)
The Winslow High product never signed a letter of intent as grades were an issue.
25.) TE Kevin Miller (UCF)
The Holy Cross alum started three games and caught two passes as a fourth-year junior, but was not on the roster last season for UCF.
26.) QB Mike Bimonte (Rutgers)
He was a holder at Rutgers, but never got past being a third-team quarterback before transferring out to Monmouth, where he did not join the team.
27.) RB Kevin Monangai (Villanova)
A standout at the FCS level, Monangai rushed for a total of 3,167 yards during his college career. He signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles last year and made it halfway through the preseason before being released.
28.) DT Daryl Stephenson (Rutgers)
In four seasons, Stephenson played in a backup capacity at Rutgers and did not pursue the chance to play a fifth year. Injuries slowed him as he never really made a significant impact at the college level.
29.) LB Cole Farrand (Maryland)
A three-year starter at Maryland, Farrand compiled a career total of 283 tackles, including a 118-tackle performance in 2014. The Pope John product signed as an undrafted free agent with the NY Giants last May and was one of the final cuts before signing onto the team's practice squad.
30.) DB Shutang Mungwa (Syracuse)
The Bergen Catholic defensive back spent one injury-laden year with the Orange before calling it quits to pursue a career in rap music.
