Who were you thinking about when you said "best... workout partners"? Right now, 133. 141 and 149 are numbers 9, 15, and 21, respectively. Granted, Gibson is there and Parkins and Harrer will be arriving, but they will benefit from Bo more than he from them. I think Rivera would have been good to have, Ashnault less so given what Bo did to him in freestyle. Maybe you should move back to Jersey and be a volunteer coach. There's some good sunny and bluegill fishing in Jersey lakes.
Suriano isn't a good example, he went to PSU first, then came for two years before moving on again. Ashnault was interested in helping Rutgers turn the corner, but even he later departed when he wanted better training opportunities. I do wish there was good reason for Bo and others to consider Rutgers, and there might be if he and Jax came. But there are other things that are needed: a big-name coach, high-level assistants, and competitive NIL. Bo alone would likely make a difference by attracting others who would like to train with him. And if he stayed on after graduation, that would satisfy one of the coaching needs. Today, there is no one there that can hang with him. He values having great (not just good) training partners, which he would have at Iowa (Spencer Lee), Okie State (Gillman), Penn State (top 1-5 in 141 and neighboring weights). It's the unfortunate truth.
As I said above, Bo alone would make a difference to us, but he would need to bring Jax with him or attract another top guy to keep him sharp. He would also need to have more impact on the program's intensity than the other way around. To my knowledge, all the talk about his dad is speculation at best, although that, too, would help in recruiting. I have to believe a Rutgers asst. position would pay more than a Catholic school. I don't know that Rutgers is capable of being that creative or getting the needed support from above.
Bo, Jax, and Melvin, in addition to having Magro and Gibson, are dream material, but we know that doesn't happen at Rutgers. I don't get caught up in pipe dreams, but this one has had me thinking.
