Quotable
Ron’Dell Carter on whether he play tight end or defensive end at Rutgers:
“I am not sure yet. I still don’t know what I am playing. But in my mind, I am going in as a d-end. If they tell me I am playing tight end, then that’s what it is.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five Easiest 2015 RU Opponents
5.) Washington State
4.) Indiana
3.) Kansas
2.) Army
1.) Norfolk State
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
At least four new RU offers will go out this weekend
Big Camps, Big Visitors
Besides having over 1,000 prospects on campus for its respective camps, Rutgers will host some priority targets and commitments this weekend.
Class of 2016 Nassau Community College OL Malcolm Pridgeon made a brief commitment to the Scarlet Knights the last time he visited campus and he’ll be back for the Big Man Academy Friday. Rutgers remains a serious contender to obtain the services of the Long Island native.
Top remaining class of 2016 linebacker target Wallenpaupack (PA) Rashawn Battle is expected to make return trip to campus Saturday as Rutgers continues to do well with him.
St. Peter’s Prep’s athlete KJ Gray is also expected to work out Saturday.
Commitments OL Nick Krimin and LB’s Jon Pollock and Elias Reynolds will be on campus Friday and Pollock will come back to participate in the Knight Skills Camp on Saturday.
For the underclassmen, three major targets along the defensive line will be on campus Friday. In the class of New Jersey, DT’s Fred Hansard and Dalyn Wade-Perry and NYC DT Romello Martin are expected to attend. This will be Wade-Perry’s second trip to campus this month after coming for the first Big Man Academy two weeks ago.
On the offensive line, class of 2017 four-star Isaiah Wilson of Poly Prep of Brooklyn NY will make his first trip to campus since the BBQ t that followed the Rivals Camp.
What Scarlet Nation will be watching for on the sidelines this weekend
1-Brotherly Love
Tomorrow’s BMA will be our first chance to see three prospects who are younger siblings of former recruits with Rutgers ties. Highlighted in a recent Fat Cat, 2018 DL Lance Turay (Komoko’s brother) is deciding whether or not to make the move to NJ and will get a chance to get coached up by his brother.
Class of 2017 DL Mike Tverdov, Peter’s younger brother who just picked up his first offer from Temple, is looking to earn one from the Scarlet Knights. Class of 2018 Kaymar Mimes, younger brother of former Rutgers target and current Michigan State DL Shilique Calhoun, is looking to make a name for himself.
2-Search for class of 2016 OL continues
At the last BMA, Keith Williams of Baltimore and Philadelphia’s Mikel Cherry performed well but couldn’t earn a Rutgers offer. The second session brings stronger competition, all of whom will be looking to walk away with an offer. Coming all the way from Florida, OT Keenan Forbes has double digit offers but is lacking one from the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers has recruited Poly Prep hard and OT Justin Morgan has worked hard on his conditioning in order to improve his standing as a recruit. South Jersey’s Devon Robinson is raw but possesses great upside. Jersey Shore product Thomas Lopez has worked hard to recover from an injury to compete and Washington D.C.’s Daniel Jeffery has great size with sound technique.
3-New offer predictions
We’ve heard good things about class of 2016 Washington D.C. area CB’s Damon Hayes and Parnell Motley and with Rutgers still looking around at that position, a strong performance could earn an offer. The Rutgers camps are always a coming out party for underclassmen and OL Liam Fornadel was someone who was very impressive on film along with class of 2017 Maryland LB Keisean Wilson. Bridgeton’s Marquese Bell may be be one of the best athletes in the state people are familiar with due to his location, but that could change Saturday afternoon.
List of Confirmed Visitors
Prospects are part of the class of 2016 unless noted otherwise. If any new names are added, we will adjust the list accordingly.
Big Man Academy (June 19th)
DL Fred Hansard - Hun School (2017) Rutgers offer
DL Lance Turay - Northside (GA) 2018 Brother of Komoko Turay
DL Chris Marsh - Atlantic City
DL Kaymar Mimes - Long Branch (2018) Brother of Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun
DL Dalyn Wade-Perry - Pope John (2017)
DL Justin Counts - South Plainfield
DL Lawtez Rogers - Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) 2017
DE Jonathan Brys - Lumen Christi (MI)
DL Romello Martin - Lincoln (NYC) 2017 (Rutgers offer)
DT Charley Timite - Simon Gratz (Philly)
DL Sam Kamara - Carteret
DL Mike Tverdov - Union (2017) –Temple offer
DE/LB Brandon Simon - Don Bosco June 23rd
OL Nick Krimin - St. Joseph Metuchen (Rutgers commit)
OL Isaiah Wilson - Poly Prep (NYC) Rutgers offer 2017
OL Devon Robinson - Winslow
OL Pat Bartlett - Council Rock North (PA) (2017)
OL Aidan Kenny - Ridgefield Park
OL Thomas Lopez – Middletown South
OL Harley Monteiro - St Peter’s Prep 2017 OL/DL
OL Patrick Lawler - Thayer Academy (MA)
OL Keenan Forbes - Everglades (FL) Mutliple FBS offers
OL Liam Fornadel - Don Bosco Prep (2017)
OL Wakeem Brooks - Elizabeth (2017)
OL Anthony Whigan - Great Mills (MD)
OL Kyle Hebrew - Toms River South
OL Justin Morgan - Poly Prep (NY) Has Illnois, Pitt offers
OL Jake Gruber - Eastern
OL Sam Howson - Pope John
OL Daniel Jeffery - St.John’s (DC)
OL Zach Miseo - Bridgewater Raritan (2017)
OL Raquan Thomas - Simon Gratz (Philly)
Knight Skills Camp (June 20th)
ATH Marquise Bell - Bridgeton (2017) NJ 2015 all groups outdoor state high jump champ 6-10
ATH KJ Gray - St Peter’s Prep (Rutgers offer)
ATH Maurice Ffrench - New Brunswick (Pitt offer)
ATH Max Mangum - West Lake (TX)
QB Jyvon Brown - Irvington (2017)
QB Tommy Devito - Don Bosco 2017
QB Donald Glenn - Middletown South (2017)
RB Jon Lee - Riverdale Baptist (MD) Has BCS offers
RB Sean Samuels - Kingsway (Navy offer)
WR Dae'lun Darien - Dunbar (Baltimore, MD)
WR Darian Street - Liberty (PA) 2017
TE Jake Hescock - Salisbury School (CT) Has BCS offers
DB Aaron Brown - St.John’s (DC)
DB Joe Joe Headen - Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg PA)
DB Khalil Osman - St. Stephens St Agnes (VA)
DB/RB Korey Stevens - Gilman (MD)
DB / WR Devin Judd - Good Counsel (MD)
CB Damon Hayes - Wise (MD)
CB Caleb John - Duval (MD) 2017
DB Parnell Motley - H.D. Woodson (DC) Over 15 Power 5 offers
LB Jon Pollock - Dr.Phillips (FL) Rutgers commit
LB Rashawn Battle - Wallenpaupack (PA) Rutgers offer
LB Keisean Wilson - North Point (MD) 2017
LB Evan Powell - Cherokee June 20th
LB Zaire Ashley - Piscataway
All-star week
RU commit Zach Venesky of Valley View (Pa.) has been practicing this week out in Hershey, Pa. as part of Team Pennsylvania in the Big 33 All-Star game. He is playing right guard, his first stint on the interior line.
“There has been a lot of good competition at practice, but I feel confident with my skills. It was a definite confidence boost going up against these guys,” Venesky said. “I have had a few pancakes this week so I am happy about that.”
RU commit Jonah Jackson is playing opposite Venseky at left guard. Look for a full article on Venesky later on Scarlet Nation.
Hoops Tidbit
SG Kwe Parker – Wesleyan Christian (N.C.)
The four-star guard visited Rutgers last weekend and his time on campus helped out RU’s cause, according to Parker’s AAU coach Roderick Brown of the Karolina Diamonds squad.
“Rutgers was his first official visit, it went well. We viewed the facilities and viewed the school, practiced with the kids in open gym,” Brown said. “We went to New York and got to see Times Square. So it was a nice visit.”
Parker has a top six of Rutgers, Florida State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida. Brown confirmed that Parker will visit some other finalists before deciding. But the fact that RU already has Corey Sanders on board helps matter since Parker already has a relationship with him. Keep an eye out for a full-length article on Parker later today.
Eye on Rutgers
This weekend marks the arrival time for this year’s incoming freshman at Rutgers as they are set to check in on campus Sunday at noon. The next six-plus weeks leading up to training camp will help the freshmen improve their strength and conditioning while a few already bring ideal size to Piscataway. Here’s a look at how some of those players will begin their stints at Rutgers and how that may affect their chances of playing as true freshmen.
Ron’Dell Carter – He is up to 242 pounds and has the ability to play defensive end or tight end. Carter has a lot of natural athleticism and while he may have ideal size, a year to fine tune his physical stature could pay even bigger dividends down the line.
Nakia Griffin – Since basketball season, Griffin has made some noticeable gains and is now over the 240-pound mark. He should have the size to compete for playing time, it may all just come down to a matter of picking up the offense and executing on the field.
Zach Venesky – He finished the football season at 295 pounds, but trimmed down for wrestling season. He has since built himself back up to 275 pounds, but has never played the center position before. A redshirt year would go a long ways, but if Venesky is truly needed at the center position, his future could begin sooner than later.
Marques Ford – There is a lot of hype coming in with the four-star defensive end. However, he is only 220 pounds and could use some more size before getting thron into the mix. A productive July could help out Ford quite a bit.
Kamaal Seymour – There could be an immediate need at the defensive tackle position and Seymour may find himself pushed into early action. He is still on the raw side, but he is also upwards of 290 pounds, making him bigger than both of last year’s starting d-tackles.
Willington Previlon – He could be the sleeper of this freshman class and turn a lot of heads early on. Previlon is upwards of 250 pounds as the staff will have the option of using him at defensive tackle or defensive end.
Early enrollees Jon Bateky and Deonte Roberts benefited from coming in this January and their gains were seen by the start of spring practice. Bateky went from 235 pounds to 255 pounds before the end of April. Roberts went from the low 190’s up to 212 pounds. Those freshmen will also be ones Scarlet Nation will be keeping a watchful eye on from the sidelines of training camp this August.
Ron’Dell Carter on whether he play tight end or defensive end at Rutgers:
“I am not sure yet. I still don’t know what I am playing. But in my mind, I am going in as a d-end. If they tell me I am playing tight end, then that’s what it is.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five Easiest 2015 RU Opponents
5.) Washington State
4.) Indiana
3.) Kansas
2.) Army
1.) Norfolk State
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
At least four new RU offers will go out this weekend
Big Camps, Big Visitors
Besides having over 1,000 prospects on campus for its respective camps, Rutgers will host some priority targets and commitments this weekend.
Class of 2016 Nassau Community College OL Malcolm Pridgeon made a brief commitment to the Scarlet Knights the last time he visited campus and he’ll be back for the Big Man Academy Friday. Rutgers remains a serious contender to obtain the services of the Long Island native.
Top remaining class of 2016 linebacker target Wallenpaupack (PA) Rashawn Battle is expected to make return trip to campus Saturday as Rutgers continues to do well with him.
St. Peter’s Prep’s athlete KJ Gray is also expected to work out Saturday.
Commitments OL Nick Krimin and LB’s Jon Pollock and Elias Reynolds will be on campus Friday and Pollock will come back to participate in the Knight Skills Camp on Saturday.
For the underclassmen, three major targets along the defensive line will be on campus Friday. In the class of New Jersey, DT’s Fred Hansard and Dalyn Wade-Perry and NYC DT Romello Martin are expected to attend. This will be Wade-Perry’s second trip to campus this month after coming for the first Big Man Academy two weeks ago.
On the offensive line, class of 2017 four-star Isaiah Wilson of Poly Prep of Brooklyn NY will make his first trip to campus since the BBQ t that followed the Rivals Camp.
What Scarlet Nation will be watching for on the sidelines this weekend
1-Brotherly Love
Tomorrow’s BMA will be our first chance to see three prospects who are younger siblings of former recruits with Rutgers ties. Highlighted in a recent Fat Cat, 2018 DL Lance Turay (Komoko’s brother) is deciding whether or not to make the move to NJ and will get a chance to get coached up by his brother.
Class of 2017 DL Mike Tverdov, Peter’s younger brother who just picked up his first offer from Temple, is looking to earn one from the Scarlet Knights. Class of 2018 Kaymar Mimes, younger brother of former Rutgers target and current Michigan State DL Shilique Calhoun, is looking to make a name for himself.
2-Search for class of 2016 OL continues
At the last BMA, Keith Williams of Baltimore and Philadelphia’s Mikel Cherry performed well but couldn’t earn a Rutgers offer. The second session brings stronger competition, all of whom will be looking to walk away with an offer. Coming all the way from Florida, OT Keenan Forbes has double digit offers but is lacking one from the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers has recruited Poly Prep hard and OT Justin Morgan has worked hard on his conditioning in order to improve his standing as a recruit. South Jersey’s Devon Robinson is raw but possesses great upside. Jersey Shore product Thomas Lopez has worked hard to recover from an injury to compete and Washington D.C.’s Daniel Jeffery has great size with sound technique.
3-New offer predictions
We’ve heard good things about class of 2016 Washington D.C. area CB’s Damon Hayes and Parnell Motley and with Rutgers still looking around at that position, a strong performance could earn an offer. The Rutgers camps are always a coming out party for underclassmen and OL Liam Fornadel was someone who was very impressive on film along with class of 2017 Maryland LB Keisean Wilson. Bridgeton’s Marquese Bell may be be one of the best athletes in the state people are familiar with due to his location, but that could change Saturday afternoon.
List of Confirmed Visitors
Prospects are part of the class of 2016 unless noted otherwise. If any new names are added, we will adjust the list accordingly.
Big Man Academy (June 19th)
DL Fred Hansard - Hun School (2017) Rutgers offer
DL Lance Turay - Northside (GA) 2018 Brother of Komoko Turay
DL Chris Marsh - Atlantic City
DL Kaymar Mimes - Long Branch (2018) Brother of Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun
DL Dalyn Wade-Perry - Pope John (2017)
DL Justin Counts - South Plainfield
DL Lawtez Rogers - Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) 2017
DE Jonathan Brys - Lumen Christi (MI)
DL Romello Martin - Lincoln (NYC) 2017 (Rutgers offer)
DT Charley Timite - Simon Gratz (Philly)
DL Sam Kamara - Carteret
DL Mike Tverdov - Union (2017) –Temple offer
DE/LB Brandon Simon - Don Bosco June 23rd
OL Nick Krimin - St. Joseph Metuchen (Rutgers commit)
OL Isaiah Wilson - Poly Prep (NYC) Rutgers offer 2017
OL Devon Robinson - Winslow
OL Pat Bartlett - Council Rock North (PA) (2017)
OL Aidan Kenny - Ridgefield Park
OL Thomas Lopez – Middletown South
OL Harley Monteiro - St Peter’s Prep 2017 OL/DL
OL Patrick Lawler - Thayer Academy (MA)
OL Keenan Forbes - Everglades (FL) Mutliple FBS offers
OL Liam Fornadel - Don Bosco Prep (2017)
OL Wakeem Brooks - Elizabeth (2017)
OL Anthony Whigan - Great Mills (MD)
OL Kyle Hebrew - Toms River South
OL Justin Morgan - Poly Prep (NY) Has Illnois, Pitt offers
OL Jake Gruber - Eastern
OL Sam Howson - Pope John
OL Daniel Jeffery - St.John’s (DC)
OL Zach Miseo - Bridgewater Raritan (2017)
OL Raquan Thomas - Simon Gratz (Philly)
Knight Skills Camp (June 20th)
ATH Marquise Bell - Bridgeton (2017) NJ 2015 all groups outdoor state high jump champ 6-10
ATH KJ Gray - St Peter’s Prep (Rutgers offer)
ATH Maurice Ffrench - New Brunswick (Pitt offer)
ATH Max Mangum - West Lake (TX)
QB Jyvon Brown - Irvington (2017)
QB Tommy Devito - Don Bosco 2017
QB Donald Glenn - Middletown South (2017)
RB Jon Lee - Riverdale Baptist (MD) Has BCS offers
RB Sean Samuels - Kingsway (Navy offer)
WR Dae'lun Darien - Dunbar (Baltimore, MD)
WR Darian Street - Liberty (PA) 2017
TE Jake Hescock - Salisbury School (CT) Has BCS offers
DB Aaron Brown - St.John’s (DC)
DB Joe Joe Headen - Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg PA)
DB Khalil Osman - St. Stephens St Agnes (VA)
DB/RB Korey Stevens - Gilman (MD)
DB / WR Devin Judd - Good Counsel (MD)
CB Damon Hayes - Wise (MD)
CB Caleb John - Duval (MD) 2017
DB Parnell Motley - H.D. Woodson (DC) Over 15 Power 5 offers
LB Jon Pollock - Dr.Phillips (FL) Rutgers commit
LB Rashawn Battle - Wallenpaupack (PA) Rutgers offer
LB Keisean Wilson - North Point (MD) 2017
LB Evan Powell - Cherokee June 20th
LB Zaire Ashley - Piscataway
All-star week
RU commit Zach Venesky of Valley View (Pa.) has been practicing this week out in Hershey, Pa. as part of Team Pennsylvania in the Big 33 All-Star game. He is playing right guard, his first stint on the interior line.
“There has been a lot of good competition at practice, but I feel confident with my skills. It was a definite confidence boost going up against these guys,” Venesky said. “I have had a few pancakes this week so I am happy about that.”
RU commit Jonah Jackson is playing opposite Venseky at left guard. Look for a full article on Venesky later on Scarlet Nation.
Hoops Tidbit
SG Kwe Parker – Wesleyan Christian (N.C.)
The four-star guard visited Rutgers last weekend and his time on campus helped out RU’s cause, according to Parker’s AAU coach Roderick Brown of the Karolina Diamonds squad.
“Rutgers was his first official visit, it went well. We viewed the facilities and viewed the school, practiced with the kids in open gym,” Brown said. “We went to New York and got to see Times Square. So it was a nice visit.”
Parker has a top six of Rutgers, Florida State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida. Brown confirmed that Parker will visit some other finalists before deciding. But the fact that RU already has Corey Sanders on board helps matter since Parker already has a relationship with him. Keep an eye out for a full-length article on Parker later today.
Eye on Rutgers
This weekend marks the arrival time for this year’s incoming freshman at Rutgers as they are set to check in on campus Sunday at noon. The next six-plus weeks leading up to training camp will help the freshmen improve their strength and conditioning while a few already bring ideal size to Piscataway. Here’s a look at how some of those players will begin their stints at Rutgers and how that may affect their chances of playing as true freshmen.
Ron’Dell Carter – He is up to 242 pounds and has the ability to play defensive end or tight end. Carter has a lot of natural athleticism and while he may have ideal size, a year to fine tune his physical stature could pay even bigger dividends down the line.
Nakia Griffin – Since basketball season, Griffin has made some noticeable gains and is now over the 240-pound mark. He should have the size to compete for playing time, it may all just come down to a matter of picking up the offense and executing on the field.
Zach Venesky – He finished the football season at 295 pounds, but trimmed down for wrestling season. He has since built himself back up to 275 pounds, but has never played the center position before. A redshirt year would go a long ways, but if Venesky is truly needed at the center position, his future could begin sooner than later.
Marques Ford – There is a lot of hype coming in with the four-star defensive end. However, he is only 220 pounds and could use some more size before getting thron into the mix. A productive July could help out Ford quite a bit.
Kamaal Seymour – There could be an immediate need at the defensive tackle position and Seymour may find himself pushed into early action. He is still on the raw side, but he is also upwards of 290 pounds, making him bigger than both of last year’s starting d-tackles.
Willington Previlon – He could be the sleeper of this freshman class and turn a lot of heads early on. Previlon is upwards of 250 pounds as the staff will have the option of using him at defensive tackle or defensive end.
Early enrollees Jon Bateky and Deonte Roberts benefited from coming in this January and their gains were seen by the start of spring practice. Bateky went from 235 pounds to 255 pounds before the end of April. Roberts went from the low 190’s up to 212 pounds. Those freshmen will also be ones Scarlet Nation will be keeping a watchful eye on from the sidelines of training camp this August.
