Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five Junior Day Potential Offers
5.) ATH Phil Campbell - South Brunswick
4.) LB Solomon Manning - Colonia
3.) DT Mike Dwumfour - DePaul
2.) DB Joe Jay Smith - Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
1.) OL Michael Clark - Downingtown East (Pa.)
Bobby's Crystal Ball
Two walk-ons will be listed on RU's first team offense by the end of spring
Rutgers Junior Day Tidbits
List of Confirmed Visitors for Saturday
WR Hasise Dubois - DePaul *
DE Mike Dwumfour - DePaul
ATH Jovani Haskins - Bergenfield *
OL Michael Clark - Downingtown East (Pa.)
DL Fred Hansard - The Hun School (2017) *
DB Joe Jay Smith - Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
DT Ellison Jordan - Gilman School (Md.) *
WR Marcus Simms - Sherwood (Md.) *
ATH Patrick Johnson - Bullis School (Md.) *
LB Cam Brown - Bullis School (Md.) *
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.) *
LB Elias Reynolds - Poly Prep (N.Y.) *
ATH Phil Campbell - South Brunswick
DB Tyrone Hill - Don Bosco
LB Solomon Manning - Colonia
WR Gene Coleman - Bergen Catholic *
LB/DE Keith Simms - Landon (Md.)*
RB Tyriek Raynor - Imhotep (Pa.)*
TE Naseir Upshur - Imhotep (Pa.)*
WR Steven Smothers - Franklin (Md.)*
QB Anthony Russo - Archbishop Wood (Pa.)
ATH Mo Jabbie - South Brunswick RU Commit
Palmyra WR *Kelvin Harmon was originally scheduled to visit this weekend but because of a conflict he will be unable to attend. Harmon will instead have a personal visit next week which will allow the Rutgers staff to spend much more time with the NJ target.
*Denotes Rutgers Offer
Maryland prospects
This is a solid group making the drive up I-95, consisting of five of the 13 four-star prospects in the state and seven of the top 30 prospects. For most of the group, this will be their first time visiting the Rutgers campus. The efforts of RU coaches Jim Panagos, Phil Galiano and Darrell Wilson have encouraged this group of prospects to find out more about the program as many of these prospects were in attendance for the Scarlet Knight comeback win last fall over the University of Maryland.
WR Steven Smothers - Franklin (Md.)
The Maryland prospect currently has West Virginia as his leader, but he continues to hold the Scarlet Knights in high regard. Smothers is most excited to see the personal touch new offensive coordinator Ben McDaniels plans to put on the offense this weekend.
"Rutgers is high on my list, I have a great relationship with coach McDaniels," said Smothers. "He recently became the OC so that's big for me because I know he'll be calling the plays."
Possible New Offers
We mentioned during the Tuesday Recruiting Rundown that the OL Mike Clark had a very good chance to walk away with an RU offer this weekend. There is some very good talent at the defensive back position with Smith and Hill fitting the mold of the ever popular supersized cornerback while Phil Campbell can play multiple positions, but is being recruited by Rutgers and others as a safety. There is a need for defensive tackles in this class and Dwumfour is someone the staff has had in camp and evaluated in a game setting last season. It also doesn't hurt that he is very good friends with top target Rashan Gary.
QB Recruiting
Right now, Rutgers has only two offers out to quarterbacks in Dwayne Haskins and Jarrett Guarantano. Although Rutgers made an attempt to get Guarantano back on campus as recently as this week along with Ahmir Mitchell during his Monday visit. Looking ahead, Guarantano will spend time on the campuses of his other two finalists, Tennessee and Ohio State, as he gets closer to a decision. Guarantano's last four college visits were to Rutgers, so now he'll learn more about Ohio State and Tennessee, two schools he has visited in the past.
"Jarrett's final three all have a new offensive coordinator and he needs to spend time with all three so he can make his decision. We spent ample time at Rutgers with coach McDaniels and now it's time for the other two," said Jim Guarantano, Jarrett's father.
The plan is for Guarantano to visit both schools this month Ohio State (date to be determined) and Tennessee (weekend of March 21st) before making a decision.
Should things fall through with Guarantano, the staff will have to look elsewhere and is already testing the rest of the field. Anthony Russo (Wood, Pa.), Steven Duncan (Ashley Ridge, S.C.) and Pat O'Brien (San Juan Hills, Calif.) are three names to keep an eye on. Georgia dual-threat David Moore was hearing from Rutgers for a while but his recruitment is starting to take off with double-digit offers to his credit. Don't expect any offers prior to a Guarantano or Haskins commitment, wherever that may be. However, the staff is doing its due diligence with a second tier of quarterbacks just in case.
RB Recruiting
When DePaul Catholic running back Kareem Walker committed to Ohio State on the eve of the national championship game, it forced Rutgers to begin exploring other options to fill its need at the position in the class of 2016. There are a host of offers out now with Trey Sneed, Abdul Adams and Yeedee Thaenrat at the top of that group.
Another player to watch in the near future is Alan Lamar from DeSoto High in Mississippi. After RU started showing interest, Lamar picked up a pair of Ivy League offers but remains a bit of an unknown commodity. Right now his top three schools are Rutgers, Duke and Northwestern and he plans to visit Piscataway in April.
"I'm gonna have some stuff to show Rutgers when I get there. I'm going to try to win a 6A powerlifting state title before I arrive," Lamar said.
While the backfield will be stacked this season at Rutgers, the future will call for at least one more addition in this recruiting class.
New Florida Target
DE Keldric Preston - Robinson (Fla.)
After bringing in a defensive end from the central Florida area in the class of 2015, Rutgers is back in the region again. Preston has quietly seen his recruitment start to take shape with offers from Miami and Mississippi State.
"It's been really good. I've been in contact with Coach Panagos and he seems really excited about recruiting me," said Preston. "He's been telling me how the staff loves my playing style and how I'm a good fit in their scheme."
Season's End
Winter sports came to an end in the last week for a pair of Scarlet Knights. Zach Venesky's first year of wrestling ended at the Pennsylvania regional championships as he won more than 30 bouts in his inaugural season. Ron'Dell Carter's Long Reach squad bowed out of the postseason early, but he had an interesting take on the defeat.
"It was kind of a good thing because now I can focus on getting ready for the Big Ten," Carter said.
Eye on Rutgers
Recruiting continues in Piscataway with junior day set for this weekend. Rutgers has been improving in the recruiting game and one of its assistant coaches has been steadily playing a major part in that rise. Running backs coach Norries Wilson has done more than just coach up one top running back after the next. He's also making his mark on the recruiting trail.
Wilson was key in helping to keep the commitment of Josh Hicks, who was being sought by SEC schools after committing during his junior season at Palmetto High School. There was never any wavering from Hicks and behind that firm commitment was some solid recruiting from Wilson.
Wilson was also key in bringing in running back Robert Martin in the class of 2014. In the class of 2015, Wilson was responsible for bringing in Zach Venesky and Charles Snorweah.
Wilson's Minnesota ties helped Rutgers discover walk-on safety Andre Hunt who was a contributor at the tail end of last season's Navy win, adding a big sack.
Wilson's recruiting area now consists of northern Florida and the Midwest, where he is starting to make his presence felt. Wilson had a major part in landing Jack Shutack to close out the class of 2015 and has continued to pursue some Midwestern linemen in the class of 2016. The reception has been very well received as evidenced by many different quotes endorsing Wilson.
"He seems like a really great guy," said double-digit offeree Thomas Schaffer of Lake Forrest, Illinois. "I really enjoy talking to him. He messaged me earlier this week. We talked about if Rutgers was a school I was considering. I told him 'yes it is.' I definitely want to take a close look at it."
This is just one of many quotes recruits freely offer up when talking about Wilson. While defensive line coach Jim Panagos gets some well-deserved credit for his ability to recruit, Wilson should not be overlooked.
In the current class of 2016, Wilson has already made some inroads with four-star offensive lineman Sean Foster of Mudelein, Illinois and he's also been in constant contact with Florida running back Trey Sneed, who has RU among his favorites.
Top Five Junior Day Potential Offers
5.) ATH Phil Campbell - South Brunswick
4.) LB Solomon Manning - Colonia
3.) DT Mike Dwumfour - DePaul
2.) DB Joe Jay Smith - Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
1.) OL Michael Clark - Downingtown East (Pa.)
Bobby's Crystal Ball
Two walk-ons will be listed on RU's first team offense by the end of spring
Rutgers Junior Day Tidbits
List of Confirmed Visitors for Saturday
WR Hasise Dubois - DePaul *
DE Mike Dwumfour - DePaul
ATH Jovani Haskins - Bergenfield *
OL Michael Clark - Downingtown East (Pa.)
DL Fred Hansard - The Hun School (2017) *
DB Joe Jay Smith - Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)
DT Ellison Jordan - Gilman School (Md.) *
WR Marcus Simms - Sherwood (Md.) *
ATH Patrick Johnson - Bullis School (Md.) *
LB Cam Brown - Bullis School (Md.) *
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.) *
LB Elias Reynolds - Poly Prep (N.Y.) *
ATH Phil Campbell - South Brunswick
DB Tyrone Hill - Don Bosco
LB Solomon Manning - Colonia
WR Gene Coleman - Bergen Catholic *
LB/DE Keith Simms - Landon (Md.)*
RB Tyriek Raynor - Imhotep (Pa.)*
TE Naseir Upshur - Imhotep (Pa.)*
WR Steven Smothers - Franklin (Md.)*
QB Anthony Russo - Archbishop Wood (Pa.)
ATH Mo Jabbie - South Brunswick RU Commit
Palmyra WR *Kelvin Harmon was originally scheduled to visit this weekend but because of a conflict he will be unable to attend. Harmon will instead have a personal visit next week which will allow the Rutgers staff to spend much more time with the NJ target.
*Denotes Rutgers Offer
Maryland prospects
This is a solid group making the drive up I-95, consisting of five of the 13 four-star prospects in the state and seven of the top 30 prospects. For most of the group, this will be their first time visiting the Rutgers campus. The efforts of RU coaches Jim Panagos, Phil Galiano and Darrell Wilson have encouraged this group of prospects to find out more about the program as many of these prospects were in attendance for the Scarlet Knight comeback win last fall over the University of Maryland.
WR Steven Smothers - Franklin (Md.)
The Maryland prospect currently has West Virginia as his leader, but he continues to hold the Scarlet Knights in high regard. Smothers is most excited to see the personal touch new offensive coordinator Ben McDaniels plans to put on the offense this weekend.
"Rutgers is high on my list, I have a great relationship with coach McDaniels," said Smothers. "He recently became the OC so that's big for me because I know he'll be calling the plays."
Possible New Offers
We mentioned during the Tuesday Recruiting Rundown that the OL Mike Clark had a very good chance to walk away with an RU offer this weekend. There is some very good talent at the defensive back position with Smith and Hill fitting the mold of the ever popular supersized cornerback while Phil Campbell can play multiple positions, but is being recruited by Rutgers and others as a safety. There is a need for defensive tackles in this class and Dwumfour is someone the staff has had in camp and evaluated in a game setting last season. It also doesn't hurt that he is very good friends with top target Rashan Gary.
QB Recruiting
Right now, Rutgers has only two offers out to quarterbacks in Dwayne Haskins and Jarrett Guarantano. Although Rutgers made an attempt to get Guarantano back on campus as recently as this week along with Ahmir Mitchell during his Monday visit. Looking ahead, Guarantano will spend time on the campuses of his other two finalists, Tennessee and Ohio State, as he gets closer to a decision. Guarantano's last four college visits were to Rutgers, so now he'll learn more about Ohio State and Tennessee, two schools he has visited in the past.
"Jarrett's final three all have a new offensive coordinator and he needs to spend time with all three so he can make his decision. We spent ample time at Rutgers with coach McDaniels and now it's time for the other two," said Jim Guarantano, Jarrett's father.
The plan is for Guarantano to visit both schools this month Ohio State (date to be determined) and Tennessee (weekend of March 21st) before making a decision.
Should things fall through with Guarantano, the staff will have to look elsewhere and is already testing the rest of the field. Anthony Russo (Wood, Pa.), Steven Duncan (Ashley Ridge, S.C.) and Pat O'Brien (San Juan Hills, Calif.) are three names to keep an eye on. Georgia dual-threat David Moore was hearing from Rutgers for a while but his recruitment is starting to take off with double-digit offers to his credit. Don't expect any offers prior to a Guarantano or Haskins commitment, wherever that may be. However, the staff is doing its due diligence with a second tier of quarterbacks just in case.
RB Recruiting
When DePaul Catholic running back Kareem Walker committed to Ohio State on the eve of the national championship game, it forced Rutgers to begin exploring other options to fill its need at the position in the class of 2016. There are a host of offers out now with Trey Sneed, Abdul Adams and Yeedee Thaenrat at the top of that group.
Another player to watch in the near future is Alan Lamar from DeSoto High in Mississippi. After RU started showing interest, Lamar picked up a pair of Ivy League offers but remains a bit of an unknown commodity. Right now his top three schools are Rutgers, Duke and Northwestern and he plans to visit Piscataway in April.
"I'm gonna have some stuff to show Rutgers when I get there. I'm going to try to win a 6A powerlifting state title before I arrive," Lamar said.
While the backfield will be stacked this season at Rutgers, the future will call for at least one more addition in this recruiting class.
New Florida Target
DE Keldric Preston - Robinson (Fla.)
After bringing in a defensive end from the central Florida area in the class of 2015, Rutgers is back in the region again. Preston has quietly seen his recruitment start to take shape with offers from Miami and Mississippi State.
"It's been really good. I've been in contact with Coach Panagos and he seems really excited about recruiting me," said Preston. "He's been telling me how the staff loves my playing style and how I'm a good fit in their scheme."
Season's End
Winter sports came to an end in the last week for a pair of Scarlet Knights. Zach Venesky's first year of wrestling ended at the Pennsylvania regional championships as he won more than 30 bouts in his inaugural season. Ron'Dell Carter's Long Reach squad bowed out of the postseason early, but he had an interesting take on the defeat.
"It was kind of a good thing because now I can focus on getting ready for the Big Ten," Carter said.
Eye on Rutgers
Recruiting continues in Piscataway with junior day set for this weekend. Rutgers has been improving in the recruiting game and one of its assistant coaches has been steadily playing a major part in that rise. Running backs coach Norries Wilson has done more than just coach up one top running back after the next. He's also making his mark on the recruiting trail.
Wilson was key in helping to keep the commitment of Josh Hicks, who was being sought by SEC schools after committing during his junior season at Palmetto High School. There was never any wavering from Hicks and behind that firm commitment was some solid recruiting from Wilson.
Wilson was also key in bringing in running back Robert Martin in the class of 2014. In the class of 2015, Wilson was responsible for bringing in Zach Venesky and Charles Snorweah.
Wilson's Minnesota ties helped Rutgers discover walk-on safety Andre Hunt who was a contributor at the tail end of last season's Navy win, adding a big sack.
Wilson's recruiting area now consists of northern Florida and the Midwest, where he is starting to make his presence felt. Wilson had a major part in landing Jack Shutack to close out the class of 2015 and has continued to pursue some Midwestern linemen in the class of 2016. The reception has been very well received as evidenced by many different quotes endorsing Wilson.
"He seems like a really great guy," said double-digit offeree Thomas Schaffer of Lake Forrest, Illinois. "I really enjoy talking to him. He messaged me earlier this week. We talked about if Rutgers was a school I was considering. I told him 'yes it is.' I definitely want to take a close look at it."
This is just one of many quotes recruits freely offer up when talking about Wilson. While defensive line coach Jim Panagos gets some well-deserved credit for his ability to recruit, Wilson should not be overlooked.
In the current class of 2016, Wilson has already made some inroads with four-star offensive lineman Sean Foster of Mudelein, Illinois and he's also been in constant contact with Florida running back Trey Sneed, who has RU among his favorites.
