Quotables
Dorian Miller on playing a more prominent role on the O-Line:
"It's been good. My instincts are kicking in more. I know the offense a lot more compared to last spring. Everything is really coming together. I am just trying to advance my thinking and look at all the moving parts, not just the front seven. I am really just trying to get together everything so I can be ready for anything."
Darian Dailey on traveling with the team on road games last year:
"It was a learning experience. It helped me learn the playbook and learn where things actually are and what fast paced game speed looks like. Being out there watching it was really good."
Scott Vallone on coaching some of his former teammates:
"Djwany [Mera] wasn't even really in the mix when I was here. He wasn't even in the rotation. Now he is one of the most steady guys on the team. He is fun to watch. Darius [Hamilton] has grown into the leader he has been. He was a young pup. The fact that he has grown into a leader and a two-time captain is awesome to see. I'm proud of those guys as far as they come."
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU linebackers
*Note Brandon Russell has been limited and TJ Taylor is out for year
5.) Deonte Roberts
4.) Eric Margolis
3.) Isaiah Johnson
2.) Quentin Gause
1.) Steve Longa
Shawn's Crystal Ball
Rutgers will get a commitment during the spring game
Recruiting Tidbits
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.)
Rutgers continues to do well with the four-star wide receiver, who comes from a program with a long line of success in the college ranks. Former Rutgers safety Lorenzo Waters is a DeMatha alum and could lend a hand in Ellis' recruitment.
"I don't know Lorenzo but coach Flood was telling me how he was such a great guy at Rutgers and that he is a great role model and has good character," Ellis told Scarlet Nation. "He is just a DeMatha guy. But I definitely need to get in contact with him, that is one of my main focuses."
DL Tymir Oliver - West Catholic (Pa.)
Oliver told Scarlet Nation that after his recent Syracuse visit for their spring game that he has no current visits planned and he may be done visiting colleges until late May once he finishes his school year. While Rutgers is still in contact and he plans to visit in May he doesn't claim any leaders in his recruitment.
LB Raswhan Battle - Wallenpauack (Pa.)
The junior holds Rutgers in high regards and although he has not publicly called Rutgers his leader, it looks as though the Scarlet Knights could be the team to beat right now.
"Rutgers is in real good standing," Battle confirmed.
Battle's uncle accompanied him on his last visit to Rutgers and does not live far from campus. That could also work to RU's advantage.
"He is real excited. My family is originally from Brooklyn," Battle said. "He really likes Rutgers a lot. When he came up, he took a lot of pictures. He is real excited about Rutgers."
QB Jake Allen - Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.)
The sophomore quarterback has been improving his stock during the offseason which was highlighted by a standout performance at the Rivals QB Challenge. He'll make trips to the University of Florida and Rutgers for their respective spring games. As his first offer, Rutgers has made a strong early impression.
"Yes I'm looking forward to both visits," Allen said. "But nothing new with Rutgers, I love the program and what they have to offer. That's why I keep going up there."
Allen also hasn't ruled out making an early commitment.
"I want to take some time, let spring and summer play out," said Allen.
ATH Steve Smothers - Franklin (Md.)
The four-star prospect has upwards of 30 offers and could not make it up to junior day, but got to make a personal visit on Tuesday. He enjoyed his time on the banks which concluded with a 45-minute meeting with coach Flood.
"I got to see a lot and it was great because it was just me and my mom," Smothers said. "We were the only people there so it was great to get that one-on-one. When I first got there, all the coaches were there, except for coach Flood because he was in a meeting. To have all of them there greeting me, I was like golly that's a lot of coaches."
Smothers also had a chance to go out and grab a bite to eat during the visit and ran into some unexpected visitors in town.
"We walked in and noticed that Greg Schiano's parents were in there. We talked to them for a little bit," Smothers said.
OL Liam Smith - Red Bank Catholic
The junior has double-digit offers and was on campus again this past week to check out his home state university. He was joined on the visit by his father and younger brother, who is a freshman at Red Bank Catholic.
"Coach Browning was just really positive of the direction his offensive line is going," Smith said. "He was showing me the depth chart a little bit and where I would be in two years. He said I have the opportunity to play early."
Smith also said he is looking to narrow his list down sometime in May and anticipates a decision sometime later that month. Smith also works out with fellow NJ lineman Will Fries and said they would consider playing at the same school if the situation was right.
LB Elias Reynolds - Poly Prep (NY)
The New York junior linebacker is seeing his recruitment intensify recently as he is up to eight offers. Reynolds was on the RU campus last weekend and received quite a bit of attention from the coaches.
"They said if me and another kid who plays linebacker, Rashawn Battle, came to Rutgers, the linebacking corps would be crazy," Reynolds said. "They showed love the whole time."
Reynolds is close friends with walk-on commit Chris Parker and while he holds RU in high regard, he is not narrowing down his list just yet.
"I don't have a top five or a top three yet," Reynolds confirmed.
LS Chris Sayan - Bergen Catholic
Once seemingly on the cusp of making a commitment as a preferred walk-on at Rutgers, Sayan has taken a step back to consider all his options.
"I'm starting to look at the prep school route. I decided to check out Bridgton Academy in Maine yesterday," said Sayan. "On the way up I stopped at Harvard and on the way back I stopped at Dartmouth."
Sayan is considering the prep school route in hopes of obtaining a full scholarship or gaining admittance to an Ivy League university. Sayan did tell Scarlet Nation that Rutgers is still an option.
Saturday Visitors
Rutgers will welcome the Air Sports Group Training group based out of Central Jersey led by Phil Doman, former NFL player Charlie Rogers with former Rutgers player Mason Robinson also involved.
Some of the known players within this program are 2016 QB Anthony Brown of St.John Vianney, 2016 ATH Dejohn Rogers of Matawan, 2016 ATH Sadiq Palmer of Red Bank, 2018 Rutgers offer Allan Walters of Paramus Catholic, 2018 QB George Pearson of Matawan, 2017 Rutgers OL offer Micah Clark of St. John Vianney and 2016 LB Aliem Shaw of Matawan.
Class of 2016 Camden WR and Rutgers target Brad Hawkins and 2017 Center Cesar Ruiz are looking to attend Rutgers scrimmage on Saturday. Ruiz is a strong candidate to leave with an offer and his stock is rising after picking up his first two offers from South Carolina and Temple while Hawkins most recently visited Michigan. Don't be shocked if the Camden contingent grows for this visit.
Visitors Next Week
Class of 2016 OL offer Lucas Niang of New Canaan (Conn.) will finally make his way to campus after receiving an offer a few months ago and joining him will be classmate QB Mike Collins who is getting a long look from Rutgers. Collins already holds a UConn offer. Also coming from the Nutmeg State will be class of 2017 four-star WR offeree Tarik Black of Cheshire Academy, along with teammate C.J. Holmes, a sophomore RB who holds offers from Boston College and UConn.
With the Rivals Camp heading into Piscataway High School on April 19th, expect Rutgers to take advantage of having some of the best players in the region in town.
Visitor Reactions
While we've highlighted high-profile prospects over the week on Scarlet Nation, it was another busy week 'On The Banks' as Rutgers hosted a number of visitors who enjoyed a spring practice. Here is a look at what some of them had to say:
2016 RB Craig Ransome - Penns Grove
"I liked it a lot at Rutgers, all the coaches were real cool and I liked the practice intensity. The running backs were working hard, whoever wore practice jersey number 7 was a beast. I felt like I could fit their running back look and frame."
2016 LB Tyreek Williams - Timber Creek
"It was real good, I enjoyed it. Rutgers loves me for them, they like my tape and I have good relationship with the coaches there."
2017 WR Everett Wormley - Burlington Township
"It was great, took a tour of the Hale Center and then went up to the spring practice. First day of contact was crazy. Pads were clapping and a few fights broke out. Yeah, overall it was good. Coach Barthel is pretty cool too."
2016 OL Thomas Lopez - Middletown South
"The visit went really well. I always have a good time at Rutgers. I thought they had a good day. I was really impressed with Tariq Cole and Chris Muller. It was also good seeing my friend Donald Bedell even though he plays defensive end. I got to talk with coach Browning and coach Rossi. Right now, they want me to come to their camp because of my shoulder injury."
Dorian Miller on playing a more prominent role on the O-Line:
"It's been good. My instincts are kicking in more. I know the offense a lot more compared to last spring. Everything is really coming together. I am just trying to advance my thinking and look at all the moving parts, not just the front seven. I am really just trying to get together everything so I can be ready for anything."
Darian Dailey on traveling with the team on road games last year:
"It was a learning experience. It helped me learn the playbook and learn where things actually are and what fast paced game speed looks like. Being out there watching it was really good."
Scott Vallone on coaching some of his former teammates:
"Djwany [Mera] wasn't even really in the mix when I was here. He wasn't even in the rotation. Now he is one of the most steady guys on the team. He is fun to watch. Darius [Hamilton] has grown into the leader he has been. He was a young pup. The fact that he has grown into a leader and a two-time captain is awesome to see. I'm proud of those guys as far as they come."
Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU linebackers
*Note Brandon Russell has been limited and TJ Taylor is out for year
5.) Deonte Roberts
4.) Eric Margolis
3.) Isaiah Johnson
2.) Quentin Gause
1.) Steve Longa
Shawn's Crystal Ball
Rutgers will get a commitment during the spring game
Recruiting Tidbits
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.)
Rutgers continues to do well with the four-star wide receiver, who comes from a program with a long line of success in the college ranks. Former Rutgers safety Lorenzo Waters is a DeMatha alum and could lend a hand in Ellis' recruitment.
"I don't know Lorenzo but coach Flood was telling me how he was such a great guy at Rutgers and that he is a great role model and has good character," Ellis told Scarlet Nation. "He is just a DeMatha guy. But I definitely need to get in contact with him, that is one of my main focuses."
DL Tymir Oliver - West Catholic (Pa.)
Oliver told Scarlet Nation that after his recent Syracuse visit for their spring game that he has no current visits planned and he may be done visiting colleges until late May once he finishes his school year. While Rutgers is still in contact and he plans to visit in May he doesn't claim any leaders in his recruitment.
LB Raswhan Battle - Wallenpauack (Pa.)
The junior holds Rutgers in high regards and although he has not publicly called Rutgers his leader, it looks as though the Scarlet Knights could be the team to beat right now.
"Rutgers is in real good standing," Battle confirmed.
Battle's uncle accompanied him on his last visit to Rutgers and does not live far from campus. That could also work to RU's advantage.
"He is real excited. My family is originally from Brooklyn," Battle said. "He really likes Rutgers a lot. When he came up, he took a lot of pictures. He is real excited about Rutgers."
QB Jake Allen - Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.)
The sophomore quarterback has been improving his stock during the offseason which was highlighted by a standout performance at the Rivals QB Challenge. He'll make trips to the University of Florida and Rutgers for their respective spring games. As his first offer, Rutgers has made a strong early impression.
"Yes I'm looking forward to both visits," Allen said. "But nothing new with Rutgers, I love the program and what they have to offer. That's why I keep going up there."
Allen also hasn't ruled out making an early commitment.
"I want to take some time, let spring and summer play out," said Allen.
ATH Steve Smothers - Franklin (Md.)
The four-star prospect has upwards of 30 offers and could not make it up to junior day, but got to make a personal visit on Tuesday. He enjoyed his time on the banks which concluded with a 45-minute meeting with coach Flood.
"I got to see a lot and it was great because it was just me and my mom," Smothers said. "We were the only people there so it was great to get that one-on-one. When I first got there, all the coaches were there, except for coach Flood because he was in a meeting. To have all of them there greeting me, I was like golly that's a lot of coaches."
Smothers also had a chance to go out and grab a bite to eat during the visit and ran into some unexpected visitors in town.
"We walked in and noticed that Greg Schiano's parents were in there. We talked to them for a little bit," Smothers said.
OL Liam Smith - Red Bank Catholic
The junior has double-digit offers and was on campus again this past week to check out his home state university. He was joined on the visit by his father and younger brother, who is a freshman at Red Bank Catholic.
"Coach Browning was just really positive of the direction his offensive line is going," Smith said. "He was showing me the depth chart a little bit and where I would be in two years. He said I have the opportunity to play early."
Smith also said he is looking to narrow his list down sometime in May and anticipates a decision sometime later that month. Smith also works out with fellow NJ lineman Will Fries and said they would consider playing at the same school if the situation was right.
LB Elias Reynolds - Poly Prep (NY)
The New York junior linebacker is seeing his recruitment intensify recently as he is up to eight offers. Reynolds was on the RU campus last weekend and received quite a bit of attention from the coaches.
"They said if me and another kid who plays linebacker, Rashawn Battle, came to Rutgers, the linebacking corps would be crazy," Reynolds said. "They showed love the whole time."
Reynolds is close friends with walk-on commit Chris Parker and while he holds RU in high regard, he is not narrowing down his list just yet.
"I don't have a top five or a top three yet," Reynolds confirmed.
LS Chris Sayan - Bergen Catholic
Once seemingly on the cusp of making a commitment as a preferred walk-on at Rutgers, Sayan has taken a step back to consider all his options.
"I'm starting to look at the prep school route. I decided to check out Bridgton Academy in Maine yesterday," said Sayan. "On the way up I stopped at Harvard and on the way back I stopped at Dartmouth."
Sayan is considering the prep school route in hopes of obtaining a full scholarship or gaining admittance to an Ivy League university. Sayan did tell Scarlet Nation that Rutgers is still an option.
Saturday Visitors
Rutgers will welcome the Air Sports Group Training group based out of Central Jersey led by Phil Doman, former NFL player Charlie Rogers with former Rutgers player Mason Robinson also involved.
Some of the known players within this program are 2016 QB Anthony Brown of St.John Vianney, 2016 ATH Dejohn Rogers of Matawan, 2016 ATH Sadiq Palmer of Red Bank, 2018 Rutgers offer Allan Walters of Paramus Catholic, 2018 QB George Pearson of Matawan, 2017 Rutgers OL offer Micah Clark of St. John Vianney and 2016 LB Aliem Shaw of Matawan.
Class of 2016 Camden WR and Rutgers target Brad Hawkins and 2017 Center Cesar Ruiz are looking to attend Rutgers scrimmage on Saturday. Ruiz is a strong candidate to leave with an offer and his stock is rising after picking up his first two offers from South Carolina and Temple while Hawkins most recently visited Michigan. Don't be shocked if the Camden contingent grows for this visit.
Visitors Next Week
Class of 2016 OL offer Lucas Niang of New Canaan (Conn.) will finally make his way to campus after receiving an offer a few months ago and joining him will be classmate QB Mike Collins who is getting a long look from Rutgers. Collins already holds a UConn offer. Also coming from the Nutmeg State will be class of 2017 four-star WR offeree Tarik Black of Cheshire Academy, along with teammate C.J. Holmes, a sophomore RB who holds offers from Boston College and UConn.
With the Rivals Camp heading into Piscataway High School on April 19th, expect Rutgers to take advantage of having some of the best players in the region in town.
Visitor Reactions
While we've highlighted high-profile prospects over the week on Scarlet Nation, it was another busy week 'On The Banks' as Rutgers hosted a number of visitors who enjoyed a spring practice. Here is a look at what some of them had to say:
2016 RB Craig Ransome - Penns Grove
"I liked it a lot at Rutgers, all the coaches were real cool and I liked the practice intensity. The running backs were working hard, whoever wore practice jersey number 7 was a beast. I felt like I could fit their running back look and frame."
2016 LB Tyreek Williams - Timber Creek
"It was real good, I enjoyed it. Rutgers loves me for them, they like my tape and I have good relationship with the coaches there."
2017 WR Everett Wormley - Burlington Township
"It was great, took a tour of the Hale Center and then went up to the spring practice. First day of contact was crazy. Pads were clapping and a few fights broke out. Yeah, overall it was good. Coach Barthel is pretty cool too."
2016 OL Thomas Lopez - Middletown South
"The visit went really well. I always have a good time at Rutgers. I thought they had a good day. I was really impressed with Tariq Cole and Chris Muller. It was also good seeing my friend Donald Bedell even though he plays defensive end. I got to talk with coach Browning and coach Rossi. Right now, they want me to come to their camp because of my shoulder injury."
