Quotables
Gary Nova on how different he is from when he made first start as a true freshman:
"It's a totally different confident level. I've always been confident but when you have all that playing experience and you know what's going on; what you're looking at, you know about protections and you're not about who is going to hit you, you just feel a lot better. It is definitely night and day."
Eddie Jordan on the adjustment coming back to the college game:
"Something interesting. When I was in college for eight years, I never watched the NBA game. I never wanted to go to the NBA. My nose was to the grindstone. When I was in the NBA, I didn't watch much college because I had to do NBA stuff.
"I think it's not going to be a whole lot of adjustments. A chest pass is a chest pass, ninth grade or NBA All Star. I mean, if you fill this entire gym up with NBA players, 90% of them you'll see fundamentals. Fundamentals will never fail you on any level. You play hard, you play together. Harmony and effort."
Jordan on what made him want to coach at Rutgers:
"That's a no brainer. I wanted to come here 10 years ago. I wanted to come here three years ago. It wasn't because of what happened. I've always wanted to coach Rutgers. I'm glad that I've gotten all the experiences that any possible coach can have. Heck, I even coached ninth graders last summer. I coached my son's eighth grade team. I coached one of the elite AAU teams, 17 and unders last summer, won a national championship with an AAU team…I've run the gamut. It's my experiences that should help these young men right here succeed."
Scarlet Nation Top 5 Wide Receiver Performances of the Spring:
5.) Miles Shuler
4.) Carlton Agudosi
3.) Quron Pratt
2.) Ruhann Peele
1.) Leonte Carroo
Matt's Crystal Ball:
Rutgers hoops will add at least two more players as late signees/transfers
Scarlet Nation spring awards
Biggest surprise: Ian Thomas[/B]
Thomas moved from wide receiver to cornerback last December so some type of adjustment phase was to be expected. Thomas did a good job of dispelling that theory with tough play over the course of the spring. He was also very physical and admitted that was an area he needed to upgrade since his high school days at safety. Thomas was really quiet last summer and fall at the wide receiver position, but he's done a complete 180 lining up at cornerback.
Top Newcomer: Lester Liston
Liston showed a lot of dedication even before spring practice began. He enrolled at Rutgers in January weighing 240 pounds. However, he went right to work and is now holding firm at 225 pounds. Of all the five spring enrollees, Liston has been able to make the most plays. He's shown flashes and while he is still learning the finer points of the playbook, he stands a good chance of playing as a true freshman.
Redshirt freshman of the spring: Desmon Peoples
Peoples showed glimpses of what he could do last season as part of the scout team, but now he finally had a chance to run with the first-team offense. He is very slippery and brings a dynamic element of speed out of the backfield. He's been consistent with holding onto the football, minus a fumble in last weekend's scrimmage. Peoples has shown that he can be more than a one-dimensional back and is rapidly earning himself more and more opportunities to touch the football.
Good hands award: Leonte Carroo
Rutgers has had a few young receivers show out this spring, but Carroo was the most consistent when it came to catching the football. He also showed the ability to go up and get the ball and proved he can play bigger than his 6-foot-1 frame. Carroo also possesses a tremendous amount of strength but has soft hands and shows great concentration catching the football in the midst of traffic.
Offensive spring MVP: Gary Nova
Attitude and leadership have been just two of Nova's fortes through the spring. He has also shown a lot more arm strength in addition to a soft touch on the football. His accuracy has been very good and the rest of the RU quarterbacks have not even been close to playing at Nova's level this spring. Nova had a decent summer last year in training camp, but his body of work during spring practice trumps any other of his time on the practice field.
Defensive spring MVP: Kevin Snyder
Snyder started off playing some middle linebacker but quickly switched to a full-time weakside linebacker in what looks to be a very good move by defensive coordinator Dave Cohen. Snyder looks a lot more natural at the WILL and has been flying around the field making plays. Snyder has still yet to start a game but if his spring performance is any indication, he'll be a key cog on the Rutgers defense in 2013.
Most anticipated summer arrival: Nick Marsh
The punting game has featured Anthony DiPaula and walk-on Aidan Murray this spring. Those two haven't done much to indicate that Marsh will be in for a dogfight this summer. Marsh, a former Utah punter, has one more year of eligibility and could walk right into a starting spot at the beginning of August.
Biggest position change: Steve Longa
Moving Longa from the weakside to the middle enabled Snyder to be a full-time WILL. But it also placed a lot of responsibility on Longa's young shoulders. Last season, Steve Beauharnais had a lot to do with getting the defense set and really commanded that unit on the field. Now, that task will fall upon Longa. The move shows tremendous confidence in the redshirt freshman and that position is so critical that Longa's move to the MIKE is easily the biggest switch of the spring.
Most improved offensive player: Marquise Wright
Prior to spring practice, Wright hadn't made much noise during his short tenure at Rutgers. But the redshirt sophomore has really embraced last season's position switch from defensive tackle to offensive guard. He started to come on during spring practice and could wind up one of the team's two backup guards when the season begins. Wright may not yet be ready to start, but his progress is very promising with three full years of eligibility left.
Most improved defensive player: Gareef Glashen
At the outset of spring practice, Glashen was a starting cornerback and it could be argued that his seniority had something to do with that. Now, at the end of spring practice, Glashen remains a starter but it's not based on experience. Glashen was more consistent than he's been in the past and strung together a very solid bout of spring practice. Competition for the starting cornerback spots will continue into the summer, although Glashen has put himself in a good position with his performance this spring.
Prospects set for Scarlet-White clash
With tomorrow's annual spring game capping off a month of practice, Rutgers will host a plethora of high school prospects throughout the day. Here is a tentative list of who is slated to attend. Keep in mind plans sometimes change and some kids attending the Rivals camp may decide to attend late, so this list is not finalized
LB Myles Nash, Timber Creek - 2013 signee
DB T.J. Taylor, South Brunswick - 2013 signee
DB Anthony Cioffi, Dayton - 2013 signee
DL Sebastian Joseph, Stroudsburg (Pa.) - 2013 signee
DT Josh Klecko, Red Bank Catholic - 2013 signee
WR John Tsimis, Bergen Catholic - 2013 signee
TE Nick Arcidiacono, Archbishop Wood (Pa.) - 2013 signee
DB Saquan Hampton, Nottingham - 2014 commit
DE Justin Nelson, DePaul - 2014 commit
WR David Njoku, Cedar Grove - 2014 commit
OL Quenton Nelson, Red Bank Catholic - 2014 offer
WR Adonis Jennings, Timber Creek - 2014 offer
DT Antoine White, Millville - 2014 offer
RB Curtis Samuel, Erasmus Hall (N.Y.) - 2014 offer
OL Jamie Herr, ECA (Md.) - 2014 offer
OL Dontae Angus - Germantown (Pa.) - 2014 offer
OL/DL Peter Mokwuah - St. Joseph by-the-sea (N.Y.) 2014 offer
RB Rob Martin - Harrisburg (Pa.) 2014 offer
WR Delane Hart - Germantown (Pa.) - 2014
RB Ray Lawry - Kingsway - 2014
OL Damian Prince, Bishop McNamara (Md.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
OL James Hendren, Dexter (Mass.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
TE Trey Klock, Lower Dauphin (Pa.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
DB Kareem Ali, Timber Creek - 2015 offer
DB Andrew McElroy - New Milford - 2015
DB Dontae Strickland, South Brunswick - 2016
DB Terrell Vassell, DePaul - 2016
RB/DB Kareem Walker, DePaul - 2016
Klock, who visited campus on March 30th and picked up his offer two weeks ago, will be on campus today for a personal visit.
"I want to see the campus some more," Klock said. "I've seen the football side of things 3 times now but I haven't seen any classes. And we're just staying in a hotel
After a second visit to Boston College it looked like the Eagles were the clear favorite. However Klock isn't quite sure.
"I really do like Boston College but I don't want to put it ahead of Rutgers yet," he explained. "I've been talking to these other schools and they are really interested so I feel like an offer is possible if I visit."
Right now, Klock said he is looking to decide towards the end of May with plans to take a few more unofficial visits to Michigan State, Georgia Tech and Duke for a second time. Klock says those schools all seem to be on the verge of offering.
Antoine White, meanwhile, still holds the Scarlet Knight program in high regard after his most recent visit and will attend the spring game and look to spend time on campus afterwards.
"They [Rutgers] are still high on my list but I have started to move other schools in as they are getting ready to offer," said White." No list in order but Rutgers definately still high on my list".
After considering a commitment after his previous trip to Rutgers, White has decided to take his time in making the right choice.
"I'm not making my decision until the summer or fall. I just don't want to be one of those guys with a thousand decommitment stories," said White. "I want to make sure when I am committed I am ready to close off the process"
Rivals Camp Series hits New Jersey
Tomorrow's Rivals Camp in Piscataway is lined up to be a star-studded event complete with top prospects from up and down the East Coast. A horde of names with Rutgers ties will be competing, with several likely headed over to the Scarlet-White game at the conclusion of the event.
Here is the complete list of prospects with connections to Rutgers that will be working out tomorrow:
2014 Rutgers Commits
DL Justin Nelson - DePaul Catholic
LB Sidney Gopre - Weequahic
DB Saquan Hampton - Nottingham
2014 Rutgers offers
DL Thomas Holley - Lincoln (N.Y.)
DL Antoine White - Millville
OL Quenton Nelson - Red Bank Catholic
WR Noah Brown - Pope John
TE Ryan Izzo - Pope John
RB Curtis Samuel - Erasmus Hall (N.Y.)
OT James Hendren - Dexter (Mass.)
ATH Justin Noye - Rochester East (N.Y.)
TE Trey Klock - Lower Dauphin (Pa.)
DB Daquan Worley - Coatesville (Pa.)
TE Garrett Dickerson - Bergen Catholic
DB Kiy Hester - St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)
OL Dontae Angus - Germantown (Pa.)
WR KJ Williams - Liberty (Pa.)
RB Gerald Owens - West Deptford
WR/TE Jamal Custis - Neumann-Goretti (Pa.)
OL Jamie Herr - ECA (Md.)
WR Adonis Jennings - Timber Creek
RB Robert Martin - Harrisburg (Pa.)
WR Freddy Canteen - ECA (Md.)
S Vashon Tucker - ECA (Md.)
Rutgers interest, offers elsewhere
TE Joe Vitiello - Immaculata
RB Ray Lawry - Kingsway
WR JoJo Gause - Bishop Kearney (N.Y.)
OL Lamont Bradford - Timber Creek
S Jalen Williams - Newburgh Free Academy (N.Y.)
OL - Tyrell Smith - Don Bosco
DB Mark Fossati - St. Joseph Regional (N.Y.)
WR Delane Hart - Germantown (Pa.)
OLB Myles Nicholas - Irondequoit (N.Y.)
RB Arkeel Newsome - Ansonia (Ct.)
DL Jack Wynne - Greenwich (Ct.)
CB Brandon Watson - ECA (Md.)
DE Mike Dogbe - Parsippany Hills
OL/DL Aaron Ruff - Imhotep (Pa.)
TE/DE Jameer Outsey - Franklin
LB Zaire Franklin - La Salle (Pa.)
TE Luke Carrezola - Neshaminy (Pa.)
OL Matt Forst - Manasquan
Rutgers offers in the classes of 2015 and 2016
OL Tommy Hatton - St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)
DB Kareem Ali - Timber Creek
OL Steve Gonzalez - Union City
WR Juwan Johnson - Glassboro
DB Minkah Fitzpatrick - St. Peter's Prep
QB Brandon Wimbush - St. Peter's Prep
OL Rashan Gary - Scotch Plains
QB Jarrett Guarantano - Bergen Catholic
QB Jordan Fuller - Old Tappan
DL Rahshaun Smith - Calvert Hall (Md.)
Names to remember
OL James McHale - Dunmore (Pa.) (2014)
DL David Ryslik - Peddie (2015)
QB Cinjun Erskine - Barnegat (2015)
QB Chris Chugunov - Montgomery (2015)
DB Dontae Strickland - South Brunswick (2015)
DL Jamie Gordinier - Red Bank Catholic (2015)
CB Daivon Ellison - Don Bosco (2015)
WR Quadree Henderson - A.I. DuPont (Del.) (2015)
DB Micah Keels - Bullis School (Md.) (2015)
WR Irvin Charles - Paul VI (2015)
RB Devell Jones -Lincoln (N.J. (2015)
RB Jordan Gowins - St.Anthony's (N.Y.) (2015)
DE Tyrone Wheatley - Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) (2015)\
DE/LB Jake Cooper - Archbishop Wood (Pa.) (2015)
QB Tommy Garlick - Archbishop Wood (Pa.) (2016)
QB Brandon McIlwain - Council Rock North (Pa.) (2016)
DB Terrell Vassell - DePaul (2016)
QB Jake Zembiec - Aquinas Institute (N.Y.) (2016)
WR Davonte Hamilton - Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) (2016)
OL Jordan Edwards - DeMatha (Md.) (2016)
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.) (2016)
LB Dele Harding- Eastern Christian (2016)
WR/DB Elijah Barnwell - Piscataway (2017)
Hoops Happenings
This weekend will be a pivotal one for Eddie Jordan as he hit's the AAU circuit for the fist time as Rutgers head coach. As he said during his introductory press conference, Jordan will be on the road at the Nike EYBL in Virginia and the Hoop Group Philadelphia Jam Fest this weekend checking in on top underclassmen prospects.
As far as next year's team goes, the Scarlet Knights received a necessary boost yesterday when Craig Brown officially signed his NLI to join the program. Brown, along with the anticipated return of Malick Kone, gives Rutgers seven scholarship players.
As of yesterday, Scarlet Nation was told Vincent Garrett will not be returning, and Eli Carter and Jerome Seagears are currently long shots to rejoin the team as well. Carter himself tweeted six schools he is considering the other day, and none of them were Rutgers.
Which leaves Jordan and his staff with the crucial task of finding talent to fill out next year's roster. Unsigned high school seniors, JUCO prospects and graduate transfers will all be considered, though Rutgers must be cautious of taking any late addition four-year players who may not be of service in the long run.
One graduate transfer to keep an eye on is Indiana's Maurice Creek, who left the Hoosier program this week. As a freshman in 2009-10, Creek averaged 16.3 points per game through 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Subsequent maladies limited him to just 42 games in the last two campaigns.
According to a source, the 6-foot-5 Creek has "really lost his quickness and jumping ability but he still has quick hands and can shoot it okay given a good look."
The same source indicated that Creek will be looking to transfer closer to his Maryland home for his final year of eligibility and will look for a place where he can be guaranteed minutes.
A standout at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland before moving on to South Kent and Hargrave Military Academy, Creek was pursued by Georgetown in high school and has ties to the area as well as Rutgers assistant David Cox. It will bear watching whether the Scarlet Knights choose to pursue him going forward.
This post was edited on 4/26 1:11 AM by Matt Hladik
Gary Nova on how different he is from when he made first start as a true freshman:
"It's a totally different confident level. I've always been confident but when you have all that playing experience and you know what's going on; what you're looking at, you know about protections and you're not about who is going to hit you, you just feel a lot better. It is definitely night and day."
Eddie Jordan on the adjustment coming back to the college game:
"Something interesting. When I was in college for eight years, I never watched the NBA game. I never wanted to go to the NBA. My nose was to the grindstone. When I was in the NBA, I didn't watch much college because I had to do NBA stuff.
"I think it's not going to be a whole lot of adjustments. A chest pass is a chest pass, ninth grade or NBA All Star. I mean, if you fill this entire gym up with NBA players, 90% of them you'll see fundamentals. Fundamentals will never fail you on any level. You play hard, you play together. Harmony and effort."
Jordan on what made him want to coach at Rutgers:
"That's a no brainer. I wanted to come here 10 years ago. I wanted to come here three years ago. It wasn't because of what happened. I've always wanted to coach Rutgers. I'm glad that I've gotten all the experiences that any possible coach can have. Heck, I even coached ninth graders last summer. I coached my son's eighth grade team. I coached one of the elite AAU teams, 17 and unders last summer, won a national championship with an AAU team…I've run the gamut. It's my experiences that should help these young men right here succeed."
Scarlet Nation Top 5 Wide Receiver Performances of the Spring:
5.) Miles Shuler
4.) Carlton Agudosi
3.) Quron Pratt
2.) Ruhann Peele
1.) Leonte Carroo
Matt's Crystal Ball:
Rutgers hoops will add at least two more players as late signees/transfers
Scarlet Nation spring awards
Biggest surprise: Ian Thomas[/B]
Thomas moved from wide receiver to cornerback last December so some type of adjustment phase was to be expected. Thomas did a good job of dispelling that theory with tough play over the course of the spring. He was also very physical and admitted that was an area he needed to upgrade since his high school days at safety. Thomas was really quiet last summer and fall at the wide receiver position, but he's done a complete 180 lining up at cornerback.
Top Newcomer: Lester Liston
Liston showed a lot of dedication even before spring practice began. He enrolled at Rutgers in January weighing 240 pounds. However, he went right to work and is now holding firm at 225 pounds. Of all the five spring enrollees, Liston has been able to make the most plays. He's shown flashes and while he is still learning the finer points of the playbook, he stands a good chance of playing as a true freshman.
Redshirt freshman of the spring: Desmon Peoples
Peoples showed glimpses of what he could do last season as part of the scout team, but now he finally had a chance to run with the first-team offense. He is very slippery and brings a dynamic element of speed out of the backfield. He's been consistent with holding onto the football, minus a fumble in last weekend's scrimmage. Peoples has shown that he can be more than a one-dimensional back and is rapidly earning himself more and more opportunities to touch the football.
Good hands award: Leonte Carroo
Rutgers has had a few young receivers show out this spring, but Carroo was the most consistent when it came to catching the football. He also showed the ability to go up and get the ball and proved he can play bigger than his 6-foot-1 frame. Carroo also possesses a tremendous amount of strength but has soft hands and shows great concentration catching the football in the midst of traffic.
Offensive spring MVP: Gary Nova
Attitude and leadership have been just two of Nova's fortes through the spring. He has also shown a lot more arm strength in addition to a soft touch on the football. His accuracy has been very good and the rest of the RU quarterbacks have not even been close to playing at Nova's level this spring. Nova had a decent summer last year in training camp, but his body of work during spring practice trumps any other of his time on the practice field.
Defensive spring MVP: Kevin Snyder
Snyder started off playing some middle linebacker but quickly switched to a full-time weakside linebacker in what looks to be a very good move by defensive coordinator Dave Cohen. Snyder looks a lot more natural at the WILL and has been flying around the field making plays. Snyder has still yet to start a game but if his spring performance is any indication, he'll be a key cog on the Rutgers defense in 2013.
Most anticipated summer arrival: Nick Marsh
The punting game has featured Anthony DiPaula and walk-on Aidan Murray this spring. Those two haven't done much to indicate that Marsh will be in for a dogfight this summer. Marsh, a former Utah punter, has one more year of eligibility and could walk right into a starting spot at the beginning of August.
Biggest position change: Steve Longa
Moving Longa from the weakside to the middle enabled Snyder to be a full-time WILL. But it also placed a lot of responsibility on Longa's young shoulders. Last season, Steve Beauharnais had a lot to do with getting the defense set and really commanded that unit on the field. Now, that task will fall upon Longa. The move shows tremendous confidence in the redshirt freshman and that position is so critical that Longa's move to the MIKE is easily the biggest switch of the spring.
Most improved offensive player: Marquise Wright
Prior to spring practice, Wright hadn't made much noise during his short tenure at Rutgers. But the redshirt sophomore has really embraced last season's position switch from defensive tackle to offensive guard. He started to come on during spring practice and could wind up one of the team's two backup guards when the season begins. Wright may not yet be ready to start, but his progress is very promising with three full years of eligibility left.
Most improved defensive player: Gareef Glashen
At the outset of spring practice, Glashen was a starting cornerback and it could be argued that his seniority had something to do with that. Now, at the end of spring practice, Glashen remains a starter but it's not based on experience. Glashen was more consistent than he's been in the past and strung together a very solid bout of spring practice. Competition for the starting cornerback spots will continue into the summer, although Glashen has put himself in a good position with his performance this spring.
Prospects set for Scarlet-White clash
With tomorrow's annual spring game capping off a month of practice, Rutgers will host a plethora of high school prospects throughout the day. Here is a tentative list of who is slated to attend. Keep in mind plans sometimes change and some kids attending the Rivals camp may decide to attend late, so this list is not finalized
LB Myles Nash, Timber Creek - 2013 signee
DB T.J. Taylor, South Brunswick - 2013 signee
DB Anthony Cioffi, Dayton - 2013 signee
DL Sebastian Joseph, Stroudsburg (Pa.) - 2013 signee
DT Josh Klecko, Red Bank Catholic - 2013 signee
WR John Tsimis, Bergen Catholic - 2013 signee
TE Nick Arcidiacono, Archbishop Wood (Pa.) - 2013 signee
DB Saquan Hampton, Nottingham - 2014 commit
DE Justin Nelson, DePaul - 2014 commit
WR David Njoku, Cedar Grove - 2014 commit
OL Quenton Nelson, Red Bank Catholic - 2014 offer
WR Adonis Jennings, Timber Creek - 2014 offer
DT Antoine White, Millville - 2014 offer
RB Curtis Samuel, Erasmus Hall (N.Y.) - 2014 offer
OL Jamie Herr, ECA (Md.) - 2014 offer
OL Dontae Angus - Germantown (Pa.) - 2014 offer
OL/DL Peter Mokwuah - St. Joseph by-the-sea (N.Y.) 2014 offer
RB Rob Martin - Harrisburg (Pa.) 2014 offer
WR Delane Hart - Germantown (Pa.) - 2014
RB Ray Lawry - Kingsway - 2014
OL Damian Prince, Bishop McNamara (Md.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
OL James Hendren, Dexter (Mass.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
TE Trey Klock, Lower Dauphin (Pa.) - 2014 offer (tentative)
DB Kareem Ali, Timber Creek - 2015 offer
DB Andrew McElroy - New Milford - 2015
DB Dontae Strickland, South Brunswick - 2016
DB Terrell Vassell, DePaul - 2016
RB/DB Kareem Walker, DePaul - 2016
Klock, who visited campus on March 30th and picked up his offer two weeks ago, will be on campus today for a personal visit.
"I want to see the campus some more," Klock said. "I've seen the football side of things 3 times now but I haven't seen any classes. And we're just staying in a hotel
After a second visit to Boston College it looked like the Eagles were the clear favorite. However Klock isn't quite sure.
"I really do like Boston College but I don't want to put it ahead of Rutgers yet," he explained. "I've been talking to these other schools and they are really interested so I feel like an offer is possible if I visit."
Right now, Klock said he is looking to decide towards the end of May with plans to take a few more unofficial visits to Michigan State, Georgia Tech and Duke for a second time. Klock says those schools all seem to be on the verge of offering.
Antoine White, meanwhile, still holds the Scarlet Knight program in high regard after his most recent visit and will attend the spring game and look to spend time on campus afterwards.
"They [Rutgers] are still high on my list but I have started to move other schools in as they are getting ready to offer," said White." No list in order but Rutgers definately still high on my list".
After considering a commitment after his previous trip to Rutgers, White has decided to take his time in making the right choice.
"I'm not making my decision until the summer or fall. I just don't want to be one of those guys with a thousand decommitment stories," said White. "I want to make sure when I am committed I am ready to close off the process"
Rivals Camp Series hits New Jersey
Tomorrow's Rivals Camp in Piscataway is lined up to be a star-studded event complete with top prospects from up and down the East Coast. A horde of names with Rutgers ties will be competing, with several likely headed over to the Scarlet-White game at the conclusion of the event.
Here is the complete list of prospects with connections to Rutgers that will be working out tomorrow:
2014 Rutgers Commits
DL Justin Nelson - DePaul Catholic
LB Sidney Gopre - Weequahic
DB Saquan Hampton - Nottingham
2014 Rutgers offers
DL Thomas Holley - Lincoln (N.Y.)
DL Antoine White - Millville
OL Quenton Nelson - Red Bank Catholic
WR Noah Brown - Pope John
TE Ryan Izzo - Pope John
RB Curtis Samuel - Erasmus Hall (N.Y.)
OT James Hendren - Dexter (Mass.)
ATH Justin Noye - Rochester East (N.Y.)
TE Trey Klock - Lower Dauphin (Pa.)
DB Daquan Worley - Coatesville (Pa.)
TE Garrett Dickerson - Bergen Catholic
DB Kiy Hester - St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)
OL Dontae Angus - Germantown (Pa.)
WR KJ Williams - Liberty (Pa.)
RB Gerald Owens - West Deptford
WR/TE Jamal Custis - Neumann-Goretti (Pa.)
OL Jamie Herr - ECA (Md.)
WR Adonis Jennings - Timber Creek
RB Robert Martin - Harrisburg (Pa.)
WR Freddy Canteen - ECA (Md.)
S Vashon Tucker - ECA (Md.)
Rutgers interest, offers elsewhere
TE Joe Vitiello - Immaculata
RB Ray Lawry - Kingsway
WR JoJo Gause - Bishop Kearney (N.Y.)
OL Lamont Bradford - Timber Creek
S Jalen Williams - Newburgh Free Academy (N.Y.)
OL - Tyrell Smith - Don Bosco
DB Mark Fossati - St. Joseph Regional (N.Y.)
WR Delane Hart - Germantown (Pa.)
OLB Myles Nicholas - Irondequoit (N.Y.)
RB Arkeel Newsome - Ansonia (Ct.)
DL Jack Wynne - Greenwich (Ct.)
CB Brandon Watson - ECA (Md.)
DE Mike Dogbe - Parsippany Hills
OL/DL Aaron Ruff - Imhotep (Pa.)
TE/DE Jameer Outsey - Franklin
LB Zaire Franklin - La Salle (Pa.)
TE Luke Carrezola - Neshaminy (Pa.)
OL Matt Forst - Manasquan
Rutgers offers in the classes of 2015 and 2016
OL Tommy Hatton - St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)
DB Kareem Ali - Timber Creek
OL Steve Gonzalez - Union City
WR Juwan Johnson - Glassboro
DB Minkah Fitzpatrick - St. Peter's Prep
QB Brandon Wimbush - St. Peter's Prep
OL Rashan Gary - Scotch Plains
QB Jarrett Guarantano - Bergen Catholic
QB Jordan Fuller - Old Tappan
DL Rahshaun Smith - Calvert Hall (Md.)
Names to remember
OL James McHale - Dunmore (Pa.) (2014)
DL David Ryslik - Peddie (2015)
QB Cinjun Erskine - Barnegat (2015)
QB Chris Chugunov - Montgomery (2015)
DB Dontae Strickland - South Brunswick (2015)
DL Jamie Gordinier - Red Bank Catholic (2015)
CB Daivon Ellison - Don Bosco (2015)
WR Quadree Henderson - A.I. DuPont (Del.) (2015)
DB Micah Keels - Bullis School (Md.) (2015)
WR Irvin Charles - Paul VI (2015)
RB Devell Jones -Lincoln (N.J. (2015)
RB Jordan Gowins - St.Anthony's (N.Y.) (2015)
DE Tyrone Wheatley - Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) (2015)\
DE/LB Jake Cooper - Archbishop Wood (Pa.) (2015)
QB Tommy Garlick - Archbishop Wood (Pa.) (2016)
QB Brandon McIlwain - Council Rock North (Pa.) (2016)
DB Terrell Vassell - DePaul (2016)
QB Jake Zembiec - Aquinas Institute (N.Y.) (2016)
WR Davonte Hamilton - Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) (2016)
OL Jordan Edwards - DeMatha (Md.) (2016)
WR Tino Ellis - DeMatha (Md.) (2016)
LB Dele Harding- Eastern Christian (2016)
WR/DB Elijah Barnwell - Piscataway (2017)
Hoops Happenings
This weekend will be a pivotal one for Eddie Jordan as he hit's the AAU circuit for the fist time as Rutgers head coach. As he said during his introductory press conference, Jordan will be on the road at the Nike EYBL in Virginia and the Hoop Group Philadelphia Jam Fest this weekend checking in on top underclassmen prospects.
As far as next year's team goes, the Scarlet Knights received a necessary boost yesterday when Craig Brown officially signed his NLI to join the program. Brown, along with the anticipated return of Malick Kone, gives Rutgers seven scholarship players.
As of yesterday, Scarlet Nation was told Vincent Garrett will not be returning, and Eli Carter and Jerome Seagears are currently long shots to rejoin the team as well. Carter himself tweeted six schools he is considering the other day, and none of them were Rutgers.
Which leaves Jordan and his staff with the crucial task of finding talent to fill out next year's roster. Unsigned high school seniors, JUCO prospects and graduate transfers will all be considered, though Rutgers must be cautious of taking any late addition four-year players who may not be of service in the long run.
One graduate transfer to keep an eye on is Indiana's Maurice Creek, who left the Hoosier program this week. As a freshman in 2009-10, Creek averaged 16.3 points per game through 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury. Subsequent maladies limited him to just 42 games in the last two campaigns.
According to a source, the 6-foot-5 Creek has "really lost his quickness and jumping ability but he still has quick hands and can shoot it okay given a good look."
The same source indicated that Creek will be looking to transfer closer to his Maryland home for his final year of eligibility and will look for a place where he can be guaranteed minutes.
A standout at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland before moving on to South Kent and Hargrave Military Academy, Creek was pursued by Georgetown in high school and has ties to the area as well as Rutgers assistant David Cox. It will bear watching whether the Scarlet Knights choose to pursue him going forward.
This post was edited on 4/26 1:11 AM by Matt Hladik
