Quotables
Scott Vallone on the new look RU defense:
“I think it’s been good so far, there’s an upgrade in speed at every position.”
J.T. Tartacoff on earning playing time:
“You have to make plays. The more plays you make the more reps you’ll get and the more balls will be thrown to you. As long as you’re consistent and make plays, you’ll get your opportunities.”
Greg Schiano on Logan Ryan:
“He’s a smart football player who has good skills. He’s getting tougher, which is something you need to do, mentally and physically tougher. …I think he’s getting there on that, I think he’s making progress.”
on this year’s captains
“There’s a good group of guys. I don’t know who it will end up being. It’ll be interesting to see. One of the reasons we don’t do it before is because we want to see the summertime, I think is where your team really kind of gels together. We’re not there, it’s all players and strength coaches. We’re not allowed to be involved, I think that’s where leadership really takes off.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 offer lists for current RU wide receivers
5. Mohamed Sanu
4. Keith Stroud
3. Quron Pratt
2. Tim Wright
1. Brandon Coleman
The Numbers Game
10 games played last year for Joe Martinek
9 Big East kickers ahead of San San Te in career field goals
8 current juniors with RU offers already committed elsewhere
7 Big East players ranked higher than Dane Miller in blocked shots last season
6 new starters on the RU defense
5th among RU all-time assists leaders for Mike Coburn
4 RU fullbacks suiting up for spring practice
3 interceptions last year for Khaseem Greene
2 major injuries for Tyree Graham since he signed with Rutgers
1 commitment in RU’s class of 2012 (Ruhann Peele)
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers’ next football commit will come from outside the state of New Jersey
Mike Rice will pull in another big commit before the summer
Recruiting tidbits
The next commit?
Rutgers will welcome DeMatha (MD) linebacker Sam Lebbie this weekend as he has been looking forward to the visit all month.
“Man, I'm amped to go up there,” Lebbie said last night.
Rutgers has been right on top of Lebbie’s recruitment and he hinted that during his weekend visit, there is a possibility that he could commit? before he leaves the RU campus.
“Rutgers is my top school," said Lebbie. "They show me the most love and I have built a relationship, so anything can happen.”
Another Saturday visitor
There has been plenty of interest regarding the tight end position lately on the RU recruiting front. Upper St. Clair tight end Jack Schwaba will make the journey from Pittsburgh to Piscataway and be on the sidelines for Saturday’s practice. Schwaba picked up an offer last week from RU and is looking forward to this coming weekend.
“I'm very excited going into the visit to Rutgers," said Schwaba. "I'm expecting a great, hard-nosed scrimmage and looking forward to meeting the coaching staff."
Thursday visitor
The tight end theme is a popular one this week as Council Rock South tight end P.J. Gallo stopped by to check out RU’s Thursday practice. Gallo currently holds six offers and had this to say about the time he spent in Piscataway.
“I enjoyed myself . The facilities are extremely impressive. The weight room was awesome. Out at practice, it was very fast and crisp. There was a ton of energy on the field both from the coaches and players. I got a chance to spend time with Coach Angelichio and he’s a great guy and an awesome coach to play under. I also got to talk with Coach Schiano and by watching practice, you just see the energy and intensity he brings is something special. As far as an offer goes, they said they have a meeting in about two weeks where they will talk recruiting and they will let me know where I stand at that time.”
New York TE
Christ the King tight end Kalief Joyner is still on the Rutgers radar and will soon be making a trip to Piscataway. Joyner said he may visit next Thursday but will definitely be in Piscataway at the end of the month.
"I'm still hearing from rutgers amd I'm going to their spring game on the 30th," Joyner confirmed.
Another Pittsburgh TE
Shaler Area High School tight end JP Holtz lists Rutgers among his six offers, but it seems as theough RU may have cooled on him.
“I don't have a visit to Rutgers planned yet,” said Holtz. “I wouldn't mind to, but I haven't talked to any of their coaches”
RU in it for another Bosco star
Don Bosco linebacker Mike Strizak confirmed that he will attend Rutgers spring game on April 30th and also reiterated his interest in the Scarlet Knights.
“It’s one of my top schools,” Strizak said of Rutgers.
Building interest
Rutgers continues to better its chances with Massachusetts star athlete Armani Reeves of Catholic Memorial High School, who now holds 17 offers.
“I’m still interested [in Rutgers],“ said Reeves. “I want to get there to see them. I like the coaches and the way they are heading, so it will be exciting.”
Reeves currently has no spring visits planned and instead is devoting his time to his daily training.
“I’m just working on my skills and getting stronger and faster,” said Reeves.
North of the border
Soon to be Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear, Del.) defensive end Eli Ankou continues to be a menace on the camp/combine circuit as he once again had a banner day at last weekend’s Badger Sport 7-on-7 in Pittsburgh. In the wake of those performances, the Candaian has been hearing more from the Scarlet Knights.
“They’ve been telling me that they’re interested,” Ankou said of Rutgers. “No offer though.”
Ankou has an offer from UCLA and has been fielding interest from Mississippi State, Michigan State, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Syracuse and Buffalo. Ankou will be back at Rutgers for the Nike Combine on May 1st as his efforts to promote himself in the states are working in his favor.
New offer
Haddonfield offensive tackle Jim Cashman picked up his sixth offer yesterday, this one coming in from Delaware.
"I visited their campus yesterday, met with the coaches, sat in on Coach Wrobo's O-line meeting, and watched practice," said the 6-foot-7, 275 pound Cashman. "Coach Keeler was great. He offered a lot of strong reasons why playing for the Blue Hens made sense."
Cashman is on spring break next week and will visit Wake Forest (offer), NC State, Vanderbilt and Tulane (offer). He visited Rutgers during its first weekend of spring practices, but the Knights have yet to extend an offer.
Orange Prospects
East Orange juniors Rammel Tisdale (6-foot, 235 lbs.) and Omane Stephen (6-foot-4, 220 lbs.) both visited RU for spring practice last Saturday.
The prospects stayed around after practice and got a chance to speak briefly to Coach Schiano. Bell sees Tisdale as a fullback at the next level, and he intends to camp at Rutgers this summer. Intrigued by the change back to a true pro-style offense and use of a fullback, Tisdale rushed for nearly 400 yards and 3 touchdowns last season on 50 carries. Orange head coach Marion Bell was told by the Rutgers staff that they are taking their time evaluating prospects at fullback, as no offers have gone out yet at the position.
Stephen missed the majority of his junior season due to a broken bone in his leg. He lined up all over the defensive line, but next season he will move back to middle linebacker. Bell thinks that Stephen will dominate at the position and be a legitimate prospect there. With Rutgers looking to bring in a number of linebackers, if they miss out on some of their top targets, then Stephen may be able to earn an offer early in his senior season. Stephen intends to camp at Rutgers as well as Penn State.
Rutgers, Temple and Penn State have visited Orange High School this off season, inquiring about the duo.
Lastly, Bell spoke briefly about his son, 2013 cornerback Tre Bell from St. Peter's Prep. He is now 6-foot, 155 pounds and also attended that same spring practice at Rutgers last Saturday. The staff is keeping a close eye on his progress. He will also be participating at the Rivals Five-Star Showcase in Connecticut next month.
This post was edited on 4/15 12:04 PM by Bobby Deren
Scott Vallone on the new look RU defense:
“I think it’s been good so far, there’s an upgrade in speed at every position.”
J.T. Tartacoff on earning playing time:
“You have to make plays. The more plays you make the more reps you’ll get and the more balls will be thrown to you. As long as you’re consistent and make plays, you’ll get your opportunities.”
Greg Schiano on Logan Ryan:
“He’s a smart football player who has good skills. He’s getting tougher, which is something you need to do, mentally and physically tougher. …I think he’s getting there on that, I think he’s making progress.”
on this year’s captains
“There’s a good group of guys. I don’t know who it will end up being. It’ll be interesting to see. One of the reasons we don’t do it before is because we want to see the summertime, I think is where your team really kind of gels together. We’re not there, it’s all players and strength coaches. We’re not allowed to be involved, I think that’s where leadership really takes off.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 offer lists for current RU wide receivers
5. Mohamed Sanu
4. Keith Stroud
3. Quron Pratt
2. Tim Wright
1. Brandon Coleman
The Numbers Game
10 games played last year for Joe Martinek
9 Big East kickers ahead of San San Te in career field goals
8 current juniors with RU offers already committed elsewhere
7 Big East players ranked higher than Dane Miller in blocked shots last season
6 new starters on the RU defense
5th among RU all-time assists leaders for Mike Coburn
4 RU fullbacks suiting up for spring practice
3 interceptions last year for Khaseem Greene
2 major injuries for Tyree Graham since he signed with Rutgers
1 commitment in RU’s class of 2012 (Ruhann Peele)
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers’ next football commit will come from outside the state of New Jersey
Mike Rice will pull in another big commit before the summer
Recruiting tidbits
The next commit?
Rutgers will welcome DeMatha (MD) linebacker Sam Lebbie this weekend as he has been looking forward to the visit all month.
“Man, I'm amped to go up there,” Lebbie said last night.
Rutgers has been right on top of Lebbie’s recruitment and he hinted that during his weekend visit, there is a possibility that he could commit? before he leaves the RU campus.
“Rutgers is my top school," said Lebbie. "They show me the most love and I have built a relationship, so anything can happen.”
Another Saturday visitor
There has been plenty of interest regarding the tight end position lately on the RU recruiting front. Upper St. Clair tight end Jack Schwaba will make the journey from Pittsburgh to Piscataway and be on the sidelines for Saturday’s practice. Schwaba picked up an offer last week from RU and is looking forward to this coming weekend.
“I'm very excited going into the visit to Rutgers," said Schwaba. "I'm expecting a great, hard-nosed scrimmage and looking forward to meeting the coaching staff."
Thursday visitor
The tight end theme is a popular one this week as Council Rock South tight end P.J. Gallo stopped by to check out RU’s Thursday practice. Gallo currently holds six offers and had this to say about the time he spent in Piscataway.
“I enjoyed myself . The facilities are extremely impressive. The weight room was awesome. Out at practice, it was very fast and crisp. There was a ton of energy on the field both from the coaches and players. I got a chance to spend time with Coach Angelichio and he’s a great guy and an awesome coach to play under. I also got to talk with Coach Schiano and by watching practice, you just see the energy and intensity he brings is something special. As far as an offer goes, they said they have a meeting in about two weeks where they will talk recruiting and they will let me know where I stand at that time.”
New York TE
Christ the King tight end Kalief Joyner is still on the Rutgers radar and will soon be making a trip to Piscataway. Joyner said he may visit next Thursday but will definitely be in Piscataway at the end of the month.
"I'm still hearing from rutgers amd I'm going to their spring game on the 30th," Joyner confirmed.
Another Pittsburgh TE
Shaler Area High School tight end JP Holtz lists Rutgers among his six offers, but it seems as theough RU may have cooled on him.
“I don't have a visit to Rutgers planned yet,” said Holtz. “I wouldn't mind to, but I haven't talked to any of their coaches”
RU in it for another Bosco star
Don Bosco linebacker Mike Strizak confirmed that he will attend Rutgers spring game on April 30th and also reiterated his interest in the Scarlet Knights.
“It’s one of my top schools,” Strizak said of Rutgers.
Building interest
Rutgers continues to better its chances with Massachusetts star athlete Armani Reeves of Catholic Memorial High School, who now holds 17 offers.
“I’m still interested [in Rutgers],“ said Reeves. “I want to get there to see them. I like the coaches and the way they are heading, so it will be exciting.”
Reeves currently has no spring visits planned and instead is devoting his time to his daily training.
“I’m just working on my skills and getting stronger and faster,” said Reeves.
North of the border
Soon to be Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear, Del.) defensive end Eli Ankou continues to be a menace on the camp/combine circuit as he once again had a banner day at last weekend’s Badger Sport 7-on-7 in Pittsburgh. In the wake of those performances, the Candaian has been hearing more from the Scarlet Knights.
“They’ve been telling me that they’re interested,” Ankou said of Rutgers. “No offer though.”
Ankou has an offer from UCLA and has been fielding interest from Mississippi State, Michigan State, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Syracuse and Buffalo. Ankou will be back at Rutgers for the Nike Combine on May 1st as his efforts to promote himself in the states are working in his favor.
New offer
Haddonfield offensive tackle Jim Cashman picked up his sixth offer yesterday, this one coming in from Delaware.
"I visited their campus yesterday, met with the coaches, sat in on Coach Wrobo's O-line meeting, and watched practice," said the 6-foot-7, 275 pound Cashman. "Coach Keeler was great. He offered a lot of strong reasons why playing for the Blue Hens made sense."
Cashman is on spring break next week and will visit Wake Forest (offer), NC State, Vanderbilt and Tulane (offer). He visited Rutgers during its first weekend of spring practices, but the Knights have yet to extend an offer.
Orange Prospects
East Orange juniors Rammel Tisdale (6-foot, 235 lbs.) and Omane Stephen (6-foot-4, 220 lbs.) both visited RU for spring practice last Saturday.
The prospects stayed around after practice and got a chance to speak briefly to Coach Schiano. Bell sees Tisdale as a fullback at the next level, and he intends to camp at Rutgers this summer. Intrigued by the change back to a true pro-style offense and use of a fullback, Tisdale rushed for nearly 400 yards and 3 touchdowns last season on 50 carries. Orange head coach Marion Bell was told by the Rutgers staff that they are taking their time evaluating prospects at fullback, as no offers have gone out yet at the position.
Stephen missed the majority of his junior season due to a broken bone in his leg. He lined up all over the defensive line, but next season he will move back to middle linebacker. Bell thinks that Stephen will dominate at the position and be a legitimate prospect there. With Rutgers looking to bring in a number of linebackers, if they miss out on some of their top targets, then Stephen may be able to earn an offer early in his senior season. Stephen intends to camp at Rutgers as well as Penn State.
Rutgers, Temple and Penn State have visited Orange High School this off season, inquiring about the duo.
Lastly, Bell spoke briefly about his son, 2013 cornerback Tre Bell from St. Peter's Prep. He is now 6-foot, 155 pounds and also attended that same spring practice at Rutgers last Saturday. The staff is keeping a close eye on his progress. He will also be participating at the Rivals Five-Star Showcase in Connecticut next month.
This post was edited on 4/15 12:04 PM by Bobby Deren
