Quotables
Chris Ash on Rutgers’ 2017 recruiting class:
“I do like this class in terms of their character, their competitive spirit, their ability to be developed, they are big, they are strong, they are faster than some of the other guys and I'm excited -- with the guys returning and this group coming in, what we have done on our football team that we have needed to do was create competition. The existing players on our team, they want to play and they don't want to lose playing time or spots to new freshmen coming in. The freshmen coming in want a chance to take time. They want to try to have an opportunity to start and that creates competition. If we can create competition like that and everybody embrace it is, hopefully the football team is better and the results change, sooner than later.”
Steve Pikiell on Rutgers’ loss to Ohio State:
"We're learning how to win. We weren't in games last year and now we're in every game. We just have to finish off the deal in a tough place against a well-coached team."
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU Spring Wide Receivers
5.) Dacoven Bailey
4.) Jawuan Harris
3.) Ahmir Mitchell
2.) Damon Mitchell
1.) Janarion Grant
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers' first commit to the class of 2018 will be from New Jersey
Recruiting Tidbits
’18 QB Mike Penix (Tampa Bay Tech - FL)
Listed as a pro-style quarterback, the 6-foot-2, 177-pound junior is still hearing a decent amount from Rutgers. Penix holds a Rutgers offer and told Scarlet Nation that he’s been talking to OC Jerry Kill who has been telling him that Rutgers really likes him as a QB. Penix hopes to visit sometime this summer.
’18 QB Nick Patti (St. Joe’s Regional - NJ)
The local pro-style quarterback has been hearing a decent amount from Rutgers as of late. The staff has been telling him that they like his film a lot and he is planning on taking a visit for their upcoming junior day on February 18. He also said Coach Ash has been texting him almost every morning for the past week. Patti just recently received his first offer from Old Dominion.
’18 OL Jake Kradel (Butler - PA)
Rutgers offered the 6-foot-4, 270-pound junior, making it his seventh overall and third from a power five school. Kradel talked about how the offer came about.
“Coach Okruch told me to give him a call and we were just talking and he was talking to me about how the staff loved my film. Then, he said I had a scholarship to play at Rutgers and we just continued to talk about the school. I don’t know a whole lot, but I will be at there next junior day on the 18th."
’18 LB Dillon Harris (Cheshire Academy - CT):
Rutgers is targeting linebacker Dillon Harris, who hails from the same school as current OL Samuel Vretman. He is listening closely to Rutgers and is planning on taking a visit on the 18th for the junior day event. He has also been hearing from UConn, Michigan, and Maryland lately. Harris already holds seven offers from Michigan, Rutgers, UConn, Boston College, Temple, Kansas and Maryland.
Hoops Tidbit
’18 F Louis King (Hudson Catholic - NJ):
The local four-star is Rivals.com’s 35th ranked national player in the class of 2018. Rutgers has been staying on him and it appears as though the staff’s recruiting efforts are paying off thus far.
“Rutgers tells me they really want me to come and be a part of their program and they feel that I could have great success there and that they are making me a priority,” King said. “I usually talk to Coach Knight while my mom talks to Coach Pikiell. I was scheduled to attend a game last week but it conflicted with my own schedule so we are working on another visit soon.”
Team Tidbits
Rutgers introduced four spring semester freshman enrollees in Micah Clark, Samuel Vretman, Brendan Bordner and Jamal Beaty. This is a trend that has been becoming more popular in recent years and here is a look back on how the most recent early freshman enrolles have fared at RU.
Class of 2016
RB Trey Sneed – Played in all 12 games as a freshman, rushing for 56 yards and returning four kickoffs for 49 yards. Sneed played more in a special teams capacity.
DE Elorm Lumor – Redshirted
LB Solomon Manning - Redshirted
Jon Pollock – Transferred before the start of training camp
Class of 2015
LB Deonte Roberts – Started one game as a true freshman and then started 12 games last season at middle linebacker, finishing with 95 tackles.
DL Jon Bateky – Played 10 games in a reserve role as a freshman and then appeared in all 12 games last season as a backup, finishing with 14 tackles.
DB Blessuan Austin enrolled in the spring, but that was after a post-grad year at Milford Academy. He has gone on to become a two-year starter.
Class of 2014
OL Marcus Applefield – Redshirted and then appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons with one start.
DB Kam Lot – Transferred after being in the program just less than a year.
TE Logan Lister – Transferred out of the program in less than a year.
LB Brandon Russell – Redshirted and played in one game in 2015 and then appeared in all 12 games last season in which he logged one start and collected a season total of 16 tackles.
Class of 2013
DB Nadir Barnwell – He played and started as a true freshman had the chance to be a top-tier corner, but his career was marred by off-the field problems and academic issues.
QB Chris Laviano – Almost a full two-year starter at quarterback, Laviano redshirted
RB Dontea Ayres –Transferred before the beginning of his freshman season and landed at Towson where was third string for a season before leaving.
LB Lester Liston and FS Delon Stephenson both came in that spring semester after post-grad seasons. Liston transferred out after playing primarily on special teams while arrest problems forced Stephenson, a former starter, off the team.
Chris Ash on Rutgers’ 2017 recruiting class:
“I do like this class in terms of their character, their competitive spirit, their ability to be developed, they are big, they are strong, they are faster than some of the other guys and I'm excited -- with the guys returning and this group coming in, what we have done on our football team that we have needed to do was create competition. The existing players on our team, they want to play and they don't want to lose playing time or spots to new freshmen coming in. The freshmen coming in want a chance to take time. They want to try to have an opportunity to start and that creates competition. If we can create competition like that and everybody embrace it is, hopefully the football team is better and the results change, sooner than later.”
Steve Pikiell on Rutgers’ loss to Ohio State:
"We're learning how to win. We weren't in games last year and now we're in every game. We just have to finish off the deal in a tough place against a well-coached team."
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU Spring Wide Receivers
5.) Dacoven Bailey
4.) Jawuan Harris
3.) Ahmir Mitchell
2.) Damon Mitchell
1.) Janarion Grant
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers' first commit to the class of 2018 will be from New Jersey
Recruiting Tidbits
’18 QB Mike Penix (Tampa Bay Tech - FL)
Listed as a pro-style quarterback, the 6-foot-2, 177-pound junior is still hearing a decent amount from Rutgers. Penix holds a Rutgers offer and told Scarlet Nation that he’s been talking to OC Jerry Kill who has been telling him that Rutgers really likes him as a QB. Penix hopes to visit sometime this summer.
’18 QB Nick Patti (St. Joe’s Regional - NJ)
The local pro-style quarterback has been hearing a decent amount from Rutgers as of late. The staff has been telling him that they like his film a lot and he is planning on taking a visit for their upcoming junior day on February 18. He also said Coach Ash has been texting him almost every morning for the past week. Patti just recently received his first offer from Old Dominion.
’18 OL Jake Kradel (Butler - PA)
Rutgers offered the 6-foot-4, 270-pound junior, making it his seventh overall and third from a power five school. Kradel talked about how the offer came about.
“Coach Okruch told me to give him a call and we were just talking and he was talking to me about how the staff loved my film. Then, he said I had a scholarship to play at Rutgers and we just continued to talk about the school. I don’t know a whole lot, but I will be at there next junior day on the 18th."
’18 LB Dillon Harris (Cheshire Academy - CT):
Rutgers is targeting linebacker Dillon Harris, who hails from the same school as current OL Samuel Vretman. He is listening closely to Rutgers and is planning on taking a visit on the 18th for the junior day event. He has also been hearing from UConn, Michigan, and Maryland lately. Harris already holds seven offers from Michigan, Rutgers, UConn, Boston College, Temple, Kansas and Maryland.
Hoops Tidbit
’18 F Louis King (Hudson Catholic - NJ):
The local four-star is Rivals.com’s 35th ranked national player in the class of 2018. Rutgers has been staying on him and it appears as though the staff’s recruiting efforts are paying off thus far.
“Rutgers tells me they really want me to come and be a part of their program and they feel that I could have great success there and that they are making me a priority,” King said. “I usually talk to Coach Knight while my mom talks to Coach Pikiell. I was scheduled to attend a game last week but it conflicted with my own schedule so we are working on another visit soon.”
Team Tidbits
Rutgers introduced four spring semester freshman enrollees in Micah Clark, Samuel Vretman, Brendan Bordner and Jamal Beaty. This is a trend that has been becoming more popular in recent years and here is a look back on how the most recent early freshman enrolles have fared at RU.
Class of 2016
RB Trey Sneed – Played in all 12 games as a freshman, rushing for 56 yards and returning four kickoffs for 49 yards. Sneed played more in a special teams capacity.
DE Elorm Lumor – Redshirted
LB Solomon Manning - Redshirted
Jon Pollock – Transferred before the start of training camp
Class of 2015
LB Deonte Roberts – Started one game as a true freshman and then started 12 games last season at middle linebacker, finishing with 95 tackles.
DL Jon Bateky – Played 10 games in a reserve role as a freshman and then appeared in all 12 games last season as a backup, finishing with 14 tackles.
DB Blessuan Austin enrolled in the spring, but that was after a post-grad year at Milford Academy. He has gone on to become a two-year starter.
Class of 2014
OL Marcus Applefield – Redshirted and then appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons with one start.
DB Kam Lot – Transferred after being in the program just less than a year.
TE Logan Lister – Transferred out of the program in less than a year.
LB Brandon Russell – Redshirted and played in one game in 2015 and then appeared in all 12 games last season in which he logged one start and collected a season total of 16 tackles.
Class of 2013
DB Nadir Barnwell – He played and started as a true freshman had the chance to be a top-tier corner, but his career was marred by off-the field problems and academic issues.
QB Chris Laviano – Almost a full two-year starter at quarterback, Laviano redshirted
RB Dontea Ayres –Transferred before the beginning of his freshman season and landed at Towson where was third string for a season before leaving.
LB Lester Liston and FS Delon Stephenson both came in that spring semester after post-grad seasons. Liston transferred out after playing primarily on special teams while arrest problems forced Stephenson, a former starter, off the team.
