Quotables
Djwany Mera on keeping the younger d-linemen focused:
“I am just trying to keep them motivated. My actions on the field will motivate them. If they see me slacking as an older guy, then they will slack. We pretty much tell them they have to go hard in practice, because that will affect you in the game.”
Chris Muller on facing the Michigan defense:
“Fifty eight tackles for loss means that people are missing blocks or they are shedding blocks. We really need to be focused on the details of the offensive line. We have to get the run game going so we can have an efficient pass game. Their outside guys are some of the strongest in the country. That was their strong point last year and their defense is very aggressive. They cover extremely well so it is going to be a great challenge.”
Kyle Flood on Leonte Carroo possibly playing on Saturday:
“A player with as much experience as Leonte has -- and this would be different for any player when you're talking about, okay, the player is medically cleared, will we play him. If you're talking about a player who's never played in the game before, I don't know that that would be the case. But somebody like Leonte who has played a lot of football, I'm not as concerned with him practicing the entire week to go out there. But he's gotta be medically cleared first or there's no conversation.”
Jonathan Laurent on his experience thus far at Rutgers:
“The coaches treat me like their son, so it has been a really good adjustment. I am also getting a lot of help in school.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU defensive performers this season
5.) Isaiah Wharton
4.) Anthony Cioffi
3.) Julian Pinnix-Odrick
2.) Steve Longa
1.) Quentin Gause
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Robert Martin will get the most carries for RU on Saturday
Quentin Gause will lead the defense in tackles
The Numbers Game
10 multiple TD games for Leonte Carroo
9 touchdowns this season for Carroo
8 RU true freshmen have played this year
7 days until the start of RU men’s basketball season
6 Michigan players from New Jersey
5.6 yards per carry for Paul James in his RU career
4 TFLS for Quanzell Lambert this season
3 Big Ten teams in the AP top 10 ranking this week
2nd national ranking in tackles for Steve Longa
1 Rutgers player from Michigan
Recruiting Tidbits
Potential DT official visitors
While it still may be far ahead, things look good for a couple official visits in January. The weekend of the 22nd looks like it will be a big official visitor weekend and, as of now, a pair of defensive tackles confirmed that they are strongly considering that visit date. Three-star Amir Watts of Chicago (Phillips High) and three-star Jarrod Hewitt of Venice (Fla.) are both slated to be guests at Rutgers that weekend.
There are some parallels with these two players beyond the fact that they play the same position. Both are reevaluating things in their respective recruitments because of the coaching situation at other schools. Watts was high on Minnesota, but now that Jerry Kill has stepped back, things have changed up a bit. Meanwhile, Hewitt was high on Virginia Tech, but news of Frank Beamer’s departure may have also changed things up a bit. These are two examples of how fluid recruiting is and just how much a coaching change can alter a recruitment.
Another DT to watch
Although Rutgers is doing well with Hewitt and Watts with both scheduled to visit in late January, Rutgers is still looking at some other alternatives for Interior DL. Formerly playing on the O-line for Woodrow Wilson in Washington DC, Corey Brown of Suitland (Md.) has excelled as a Nose Guard this fall.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder speaks frequently with Director of Player Personnel Marcus Berry and has increased his contact with defensive line coach Jim Panagos
"(Panagos) just complimented me on my tape and wants to see me again to talk business," said Brown.
Brown visited last spring and will be back on campus for the Nebraska game.
Rene still solid
While interest continues to mount for four-star Patrice Rene of Episcopal Academy (Arlington, Va.), he remains firmly committed to Rutgers. Throughout the season, schools have continued to show interest, although Rene has not wavered in his commitment, which has continued through this week.
Rutgers recruiting Prep
As is always the case at St. Peter’s Prep, there are a host of players with FBS offers. And as continues to be the case, Rutgers is still recruiting the defending state champion North Jersey powerhouse. Among its targets is junior offensive lineman Ben Petrula, who now counts six offers with Rutgers being his first.
He mentioned what he is looking to see out of RU in the coming weeks.
“Team play, a lot of toughness out of them, especially going into big games. If you can get it rolling as an underdog, you can get it rolling anywhere. I really appreciate a team that can do that.”
Petrula is reserving his next round of visits for after the season. Meanwhile, junior quarterback Jon Lewis is in the midst of leading the Marauders to a 6-2 season with a Friday night contest today against Eastern Christian. He holds offers from Rutgers and Boston College and mentioned the latest in his recruitment.
“I have not talked to many coaches lately because of my season. But the Rutgers coaches always tell me good luck and that they will be watching me."
Recruiting a familiar name
Junior athlete Evidence Njoku is leading his Cedar Grove squad to an undefeated season and has been hearing quite a bit from Rutgers.
“Anytime I am at Rutgers, the crowd is always going nuts,” Njoku said. “Even if the score is not going well for them, it is just a great place. The vibe there is just great.”
Njoku said that RU wide receivers coach Anthony Campanile has been contacting both him and his head coach. Purdue, Old Dominion and Tennessee have also been in contact as of late. Njoku’s older brother, David, was once a RU commit and is now playing at Miami, where he is lining up at tight end and has 10 catches and one start on the season as a redshirt freshman.
“We have similar body structures and we are similar athletes," the younger Njoku said of his brother. "Just having him around and watching the big plays he made really motivated me to work harder, get faster and take absolutely no time off.”
Latest on Durant
Philadelphia Imhotep Charter offensive lineman Yasir Durant confirmed with Scarlet Nation that he has slowed his decision process down, although the Scarlet Knights remain in a very good place with him. Arizona State and Rutgers are his top two as of now, but things are looking good for Rutgers in spite of the team's recent losses.
His commitment was supposed to be announced this week, but it looks like it will now come after the season.
"A lot of people think I'm waiting for other offers but that's not the case " said Durant.
Durant is focusing on his academics and the playoffs right now to put him in an improved academic standing, which will help make it easier for his finalists to accept his commitment.
South Jersey Junior to watch
Class of 2017 athlete Bo Melton of Cedar Creek had a breakout season, highlighted by his touchdown last week which made it onto ESPN as he dragged a defender holding his jersey 14 yards into the end zone. The son of former Rutgers athletes, Melton only holds an offer from Old Dominion but is on the cusp of an offer from the Scarlet Knights
"Pretty sure they are going to offer me. They wanted me to come up today but I couldn't make it up there, " Melton told Scarlet Nation. "They definitely want me up there for the Nebraska game."
Being looked at as either a slot WR or RB, the 6-foot, 170 pounder has over 1,000 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns with only a little over 80 touches this season. Michigan State, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech are starting to get involved as well.
The Commit Watch
As previously mentioned, Durant remains the top candidate to be Rutgers’ next commit, supplanting Chinedu Udeogu, who continues to push his decision date back. Rutgers has been without a commit since the beginning of training camp when four-star Patrice Rene offered up his verbal pledge on August 8th. The last time Rutgers went this long without a verbal commitment was in 2011 when five months passed between the time Leonte Carroo committed on Aug 6th and the time when Quanzell Lambert committed on Jan 5th just after the New Year.
Hoops Tidbits
Where to go now after Kwe Parker's decommitment
Parker surprisingly decommitted this week and in talking to his AAU coach Kevin Graves of the Karolina Diamonds it appears Parker picked up some new interest over the past couple months which led him to reopen his recruitment. RU head coach Eddie Jordan will now look to a recruit who visited along side Parker for the Ohio State football game. Recent JUCO offeree Niem Stevenson of Seward CC becomes more of a priority at the position while lightly recruited Florida wing Isaiah Richardson counts Rutgers as his only major offer at this point.
Another JUCO, Marvin Jean Pierre of Miami-Dade, is receiving a lot of interest from Rutgers and wants to sign this month, although he hasn't been offered yet. Long Island prospect Devonte Green, more of a point guard, doesn't plan to sign until this spring and he holds an offer from Rutgers.
Djwany Mera on keeping the younger d-linemen focused:
“I am just trying to keep them motivated. My actions on the field will motivate them. If they see me slacking as an older guy, then they will slack. We pretty much tell them they have to go hard in practice, because that will affect you in the game.”
Chris Muller on facing the Michigan defense:
“Fifty eight tackles for loss means that people are missing blocks or they are shedding blocks. We really need to be focused on the details of the offensive line. We have to get the run game going so we can have an efficient pass game. Their outside guys are some of the strongest in the country. That was their strong point last year and their defense is very aggressive. They cover extremely well so it is going to be a great challenge.”
Kyle Flood on Leonte Carroo possibly playing on Saturday:
“A player with as much experience as Leonte has -- and this would be different for any player when you're talking about, okay, the player is medically cleared, will we play him. If you're talking about a player who's never played in the game before, I don't know that that would be the case. But somebody like Leonte who has played a lot of football, I'm not as concerned with him practicing the entire week to go out there. But he's gotta be medically cleared first or there's no conversation.”
Jonathan Laurent on his experience thus far at Rutgers:
“The coaches treat me like their son, so it has been a really good adjustment. I am also getting a lot of help in school.”
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU defensive performers this season
5.) Isaiah Wharton
4.) Anthony Cioffi
3.) Julian Pinnix-Odrick
2.) Steve Longa
1.) Quentin Gause
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Robert Martin will get the most carries for RU on Saturday
Quentin Gause will lead the defense in tackles
The Numbers Game
10 multiple TD games for Leonte Carroo
9 touchdowns this season for Carroo
8 RU true freshmen have played this year
7 days until the start of RU men’s basketball season
6 Michigan players from New Jersey
5.6 yards per carry for Paul James in his RU career
4 TFLS for Quanzell Lambert this season
3 Big Ten teams in the AP top 10 ranking this week
2nd national ranking in tackles for Steve Longa
1 Rutgers player from Michigan
Recruiting Tidbits
Potential DT official visitors
While it still may be far ahead, things look good for a couple official visits in January. The weekend of the 22nd looks like it will be a big official visitor weekend and, as of now, a pair of defensive tackles confirmed that they are strongly considering that visit date. Three-star Amir Watts of Chicago (Phillips High) and three-star Jarrod Hewitt of Venice (Fla.) are both slated to be guests at Rutgers that weekend.
There are some parallels with these two players beyond the fact that they play the same position. Both are reevaluating things in their respective recruitments because of the coaching situation at other schools. Watts was high on Minnesota, but now that Jerry Kill has stepped back, things have changed up a bit. Meanwhile, Hewitt was high on Virginia Tech, but news of Frank Beamer’s departure may have also changed things up a bit. These are two examples of how fluid recruiting is and just how much a coaching change can alter a recruitment.
Another DT to watch
Although Rutgers is doing well with Hewitt and Watts with both scheduled to visit in late January, Rutgers is still looking at some other alternatives for Interior DL. Formerly playing on the O-line for Woodrow Wilson in Washington DC, Corey Brown of Suitland (Md.) has excelled as a Nose Guard this fall.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder speaks frequently with Director of Player Personnel Marcus Berry and has increased his contact with defensive line coach Jim Panagos
"(Panagos) just complimented me on my tape and wants to see me again to talk business," said Brown.
Brown visited last spring and will be back on campus for the Nebraska game.
Rene still solid
While interest continues to mount for four-star Patrice Rene of Episcopal Academy (Arlington, Va.), he remains firmly committed to Rutgers. Throughout the season, schools have continued to show interest, although Rene has not wavered in his commitment, which has continued through this week.
Rutgers recruiting Prep
As is always the case at St. Peter’s Prep, there are a host of players with FBS offers. And as continues to be the case, Rutgers is still recruiting the defending state champion North Jersey powerhouse. Among its targets is junior offensive lineman Ben Petrula, who now counts six offers with Rutgers being his first.
He mentioned what he is looking to see out of RU in the coming weeks.
“Team play, a lot of toughness out of them, especially going into big games. If you can get it rolling as an underdog, you can get it rolling anywhere. I really appreciate a team that can do that.”
Petrula is reserving his next round of visits for after the season. Meanwhile, junior quarterback Jon Lewis is in the midst of leading the Marauders to a 6-2 season with a Friday night contest today against Eastern Christian. He holds offers from Rutgers and Boston College and mentioned the latest in his recruitment.
“I have not talked to many coaches lately because of my season. But the Rutgers coaches always tell me good luck and that they will be watching me."
Recruiting a familiar name
Junior athlete Evidence Njoku is leading his Cedar Grove squad to an undefeated season and has been hearing quite a bit from Rutgers.
“Anytime I am at Rutgers, the crowd is always going nuts,” Njoku said. “Even if the score is not going well for them, it is just a great place. The vibe there is just great.”
Njoku said that RU wide receivers coach Anthony Campanile has been contacting both him and his head coach. Purdue, Old Dominion and Tennessee have also been in contact as of late. Njoku’s older brother, David, was once a RU commit and is now playing at Miami, where he is lining up at tight end and has 10 catches and one start on the season as a redshirt freshman.
“We have similar body structures and we are similar athletes," the younger Njoku said of his brother. "Just having him around and watching the big plays he made really motivated me to work harder, get faster and take absolutely no time off.”
Latest on Durant
Philadelphia Imhotep Charter offensive lineman Yasir Durant confirmed with Scarlet Nation that he has slowed his decision process down, although the Scarlet Knights remain in a very good place with him. Arizona State and Rutgers are his top two as of now, but things are looking good for Rutgers in spite of the team's recent losses.
His commitment was supposed to be announced this week, but it looks like it will now come after the season.
"A lot of people think I'm waiting for other offers but that's not the case " said Durant.
Durant is focusing on his academics and the playoffs right now to put him in an improved academic standing, which will help make it easier for his finalists to accept his commitment.
South Jersey Junior to watch
Class of 2017 athlete Bo Melton of Cedar Creek had a breakout season, highlighted by his touchdown last week which made it onto ESPN as he dragged a defender holding his jersey 14 yards into the end zone. The son of former Rutgers athletes, Melton only holds an offer from Old Dominion but is on the cusp of an offer from the Scarlet Knights
"Pretty sure they are going to offer me. They wanted me to come up today but I couldn't make it up there, " Melton told Scarlet Nation. "They definitely want me up there for the Nebraska game."
Being looked at as either a slot WR or RB, the 6-foot, 170 pounder has over 1,000 yards of total offense and 14 touchdowns with only a little over 80 touches this season. Michigan State, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech are starting to get involved as well.
The Commit Watch
As previously mentioned, Durant remains the top candidate to be Rutgers’ next commit, supplanting Chinedu Udeogu, who continues to push his decision date back. Rutgers has been without a commit since the beginning of training camp when four-star Patrice Rene offered up his verbal pledge on August 8th. The last time Rutgers went this long without a verbal commitment was in 2011 when five months passed between the time Leonte Carroo committed on Aug 6th and the time when Quanzell Lambert committed on Jan 5th just after the New Year.
Hoops Tidbits
Where to go now after Kwe Parker's decommitment
Parker surprisingly decommitted this week and in talking to his AAU coach Kevin Graves of the Karolina Diamonds it appears Parker picked up some new interest over the past couple months which led him to reopen his recruitment. RU head coach Eddie Jordan will now look to a recruit who visited along side Parker for the Ohio State football game. Recent JUCO offeree Niem Stevenson of Seward CC becomes more of a priority at the position while lightly recruited Florida wing Isaiah Richardson counts Rutgers as his only major offer at this point.
Another JUCO, Marvin Jean Pierre of Miami-Dade, is receiving a lot of interest from Rutgers and wants to sign this month, although he hasn't been offered yet. Long Island prospect Devonte Green, more of a point guard, doesn't plan to sign until this spring and he holds an offer from Rutgers.
