Quotables
Mike Bimonte on transitioning to the college classroom:
“The academic support there is tremendous. They have tutoring and they set you up really well to succeed in the classroom. I don’t expect to have trouble with anything in the classroom.”
Chris Muller on whether he wants to play tackle or guard in college:
“I want to be an asset to the team so wherever they need me is where I want to play.”
Elijah Shumate on his Don Bosco wanting to win the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout:
“Of course, me and my team want to go out there and win no matter what it is. Everything that we do we're trying to win, whether it is a 7-on-7 with no equipment or a state championship with pads on.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 Uncommitted OL considering Rutgers (according to Scarlet Nation)
5. Brandon Arcidiacono (Archbishop Wood, PA)
4. Will Latu (College of the Canyons, CA)
3. Jim Cashman (Haddonfield)
2. Duaron Williams (Jones, FL)
1. Ryan Brodie (Long Branch)
The Numbers Game
10 year deal for stadium naming rights between RU and High Point Solutions Inc.
9 decades of games played inside Rutgers Stadium (1938-2010)
8 interceptions by the RU defense last season
7 Scarlet Knights played in the opening game of the JSBL summer league last night
6 weeks until players report for training camp
5 NJ juniors selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
4 shutouts in the last 3 years for RU football
3 RU commitments in the class of 2012 from PA (Muller, Rankin, Peoples)
2 straight years St. Peter’s Prep won the Schiano Shootout
1 RU commit ranked in the rivals100 (Muller)
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Ryan Brodie will commit to Rutgers in the very near future
Recruiting tidbits
There will be plenty of talent passing through Piscataway over the next week for the Rutgers Football camp. Prospects will begin to arrive on Sunday while Monday and Tuesday will be the most popular day for top-notch prospects to showcase their talents on the practice fields. Here is a look at some of the prospects who confirmed with Scarlet Nation that they will be on the RU campus.
RU commits
Carlton Agudosi (Franklin)
The fact that Agudosi already committed hasn’t stopped him from taking the opportunity to compete on the camping circuit as he showed at last month’s Under Armour Combine where he shined once again. He is looking forward to competing again next week as he continually draws attention from the top defensive backs at camps vying for the chance to line up across from him.
Steve Longa (Saddle Brook)
Longa probably won’t work out at the Rutgers cam,p but stated that he will be in attendance.
Desmon Peoples (Archbishop Wood, PA)
Peoples will be coming up to the camp with teammate Nate Smith, although Brandon Arcidiacono, another of his teammates, isn’t expected to make the trip.
Blake Rankin (Bloomsburg, PA)
Rankin will make another trip to Piscataway almost a month after his commitment during the spring game. Rankin also was an influence on his friend Chris Muller’s decision to commit to Rutgers yesterday.
2012 prospects
Abner Logan (Dexter, MA)
The four-star linebacker is up to five offers and is hopeful of landing one more at Rutgers next week. Hailing from a tiny New England school, Logan is a bit of a late bloomer on the recruiting circuit but owns an immensity of talent.
T.J. White (West Chester Henderson, PA)
A teammate of RU incoming freshman Myles Jackson, White is starting to gain attention on the camping circuit. He currently holds offers from Bucknell and Western Michigan but may be a bit of a longshot to leave the banks with a Rutgers offer.
Korren Kirven (Brookville, VA)
The defensive tackle has offers from all over and has been looking forward to camping at Rutgers for the last month. The visit could play a big part into how Rutgers factors into the four-star’s recruitment.
Daqual Randall (Palmetto, FL)
The three-star linebacker claims eight offers, including one from Rutgers, and will make the trip from the Sunshine State. He has named RU to his top four and the camp experience will be telling for not only him, but the RU staff as well.
Duaron Williams (Jones, FL)
The Orlando product has pulled in a multitude of offers and will fly into New Jersey Monday morning, which will follow a Saturday stopover at the University of Miami. The offensive guard remains very high on Rutgers and a good visit could enhance that even more.
Eli Ankou (St. Peter, Canada)
The Canadian defensive end has been busy touring the country and will carry three offers into Piscataway as he looks to add one more. Hi showing this off-season has helped his cause since he was a virtual unknown before that being hidden up in Ontario.
Orlando David (Chaminade Madonna, FL)
One of the few tight ends holding a Rutgers offer, David has been planning to camp at Rutgers since last year. With only a few tight ends on the boardholding RU offers, the camping experience could be pivotal in the direction David’s recruitment takes with Rutgers.
Marchez Coates (McDonough, MD)
Coates has been nothing short of spectacular on the combine circuit winning one MVP award after another thanks to his superior cover skills at the defensive back position. Pitt was the first BCS school to offer him, yet schools have become wary of offering due to undisclosed issues off the football field.
Chucky Wingate (Bergen Catholic)
The speedy Wingate is a bit undersized but still has a great deal of talent. RU is looking at him as a cornerback and he will have the chance to showcase his skills as he continues to seek out his first D1 offer.
Nate Smith (Archbishop Wood, PA)
Smith was told a good performance would land him a Rutgers offer and up his total to six. Smith is an excellent cover safety and the longer he keeps his recruitment open, the more offers he should pull in.
Kalief Joyner (Christ the King, NY)
The wait for an offer continues for Joyner who possesses great size for a tight end. He is also a tough, hard-nosed player with an excellent work ethic and is still trying to overcome being from a lightly-recruited area of NY.
Eric McMullen (Paulsboro)
He might be a little undersized for a linebacker at 6-foot but packs quite a wallop. He has an outside shot of gaining an offer even though he is an incredibly hard worker with a nice upside. McMullen should move up on a lot of school's boards as more linebackers commit.
John Ferranto (Burlington Township)
The camping circuit has been good to the 6-foot-6 offensive lineman as he now claims six offers. He is still a bit raw and his latest offer from UNC came as a bit of a surprise. With RU currently in good standing with some higher-tier OL, Ferranto may be more of a second or third option later down the line.
Jahmahl Pardner (Aquinas Institute, NY)
The Rochester product is packed with talent and is starting to creep out from under the recruiting radar. He has pulled in six offers and has excellent size. The staff will get the chance to check out his straightaway speed while he is on campus.
Marcus McGill (Gates Chili, NY)
The talented wide receiver spends a good deal of time working out with RU commit Quentin Gause and is very impressive physically. It is still a little surprising that he has only pulled in one offer from Buffalo to this point.
Shayne Jones (Immaculata)
Jones is a talented safety who is finally starting to pull in some offers as his list now stands at three. Rutgers has a few DB’s higher on its board, but Jones would be a formidable second if things fell through with those other prospects.
Trey Dudley-Giles (Pasco, FL)
The 5-foot-10 athlete holds RU in high regard and currently claims six offers, although Rutgers is the only BCS school amongst that group. Giles’ recruitment has been a bit quiet as of late but he will be looking to make some noise in New Jersey.
Jordan Powell (Lacey Township)
The tight end is likely start to gain more attention once the state’s other two top tight ends (Giacone, Morris) verbally commit and end their respective recruitments. For now, he will look to impress on the camping circuit as he continues to seek out his first offer.
Xavier Griffin (Newark, DE)
The 6-foot-3, 185 pound receiver received a recent visit from Rutgers WR coach P.J. Fleck and is a bit of a late bloomer on the recruiting landscape. He will also be competing in the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout.
Other 2012 campers
Bret Niederreither - DE (Red Lion, PA)
David Grinnage - DE/TE (Newark, DE)
Matt Barnett - FB (Paul VI)
Malachi Moore - OL (Pope John)
Steve Cluley - QB (Wall)
Eric Patton - FB (St Elizabeth's, DE)
Blake Feagles - P (Ridgewood)
Greg Johnson - WR/TE (West Orange)
Joe Scelzo - DT (Tottenville, NY)
Mark Clements - DB (Oakcrest)
Michael Boland - OT (Georgetown Prep, MD)
Jayquan Hall-Watson - RB (Orange)
Rammel Tisdale - FB/LB (East Orange)
Rob Dvoracek - FB (Parkland, PA)
Tahjier Hammary - WR/DB (Asbury Park)
Lance Smith - RB (West Orange NJ)
Michael Abanikanda - RB/CB (Thomas Jefferson, Brooklyn NY)
Denzell Leitch - ATH (North Bergen)
Mike Eckrote - QB (Wayne Valley)
Kalyph Hardy - ATH (Central)
Chris Inge - DB (Williamstown)
Cody Greenhagen - FB (Morris Knolls)
2013 campers
Tashawn Bower (Immaculata)
The promising defensive end already visited during the Big Man camp and will return next week, but he is not sure whether he will work out or just drop by. Bower is up to five offers with the latest coming from Florida State.
Darrius Merriweather (Eastern)
The up and coming wide receiver has been all over the camping circuit and had a particularly strong performance while out at Pitt a couple of weeks ago.
Chris Laviano (Holy Trinity, NY)
The quarterback recently pulled in his first offer from Rutgers, but hasn’t been focusing too much on recruiting in the early going. Nevertheless, he stated that he is ‘excited’ to learn more about Rutgers.
Eli Woodard (Eastern)
The talented cornerback looks as though he will emerge as one of the top defensive backs in the state in the class of 2013. A good showing at Rutgers might also bring Woodard his second offer, the first of which came yesterday from Notre Dame.
David Williams (West Catholic, PA)
The Philly running back added a Virginia offer this week to give him a total of five to go along with others from Pitt, UConn, Temple and Maryland. Williams is extremely quick, could use some additional bulk but is very elusive in the open field.
Other 2013 campers
Andre Patton - ATH (St.Elizabeth's, DE)
Brandon Bell - RB/LB (Oakcrest)
Robert Mahon - OL (Randolph)
Brad Henson - OL (Monsignor Donovan)
Zaire Williams - RB (Cherokee)
Possible campers
TJ Neal (McKeesport, PA)
The linebacker claimed this week that he is still highly considering Rutgers and stated that he will ‘probably’ make the trip down to Piscataway. Neal’s offer list recently climbed into the teens.
Drew Madhu (Plant, FL)
The Florida safety holds three offers and spent the middle of the week visiting Indiana. He is still waiting to hear from his coach whether or not his tour will continue through Piscataway.
D’Vario Montgomery (Winter Park, FL)
For a while, the four-star wide receiver has been saying he will camp at Rutgers but that still seems to be a question mark heading into the weekend. Montgomery is rivals.com’s 150th ranked player in the nation.
J.R. Robinson (St. Peter’s Prep)
The defensive back recently pulled in his first offer from Tulane and will be participating in the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout, but is uncertain as to whether or not he will make another trip to Piscataway in the subsequent days.
Kye Morgan (Franklin)
The local standout hasn’t hit the camp or combine circuit this off-seaon, but said late this week that he will ‘probably’ camp at Rutgers yet he doesn’t know for sure if that will happen.
This post was edited on 6/24 2:43 AM by Bobby Deren
Mike Bimonte on transitioning to the college classroom:
“The academic support there is tremendous. They have tutoring and they set you up really well to succeed in the classroom. I don’t expect to have trouble with anything in the classroom.”
Chris Muller on whether he wants to play tackle or guard in college:
“I want to be an asset to the team so wherever they need me is where I want to play.”
Elijah Shumate on his Don Bosco wanting to win the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout:
“Of course, me and my team want to go out there and win no matter what it is. Everything that we do we're trying to win, whether it is a 7-on-7 with no equipment or a state championship with pads on.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 Uncommitted OL considering Rutgers (according to Scarlet Nation)
5. Brandon Arcidiacono (Archbishop Wood, PA)
4. Will Latu (College of the Canyons, CA)
3. Jim Cashman (Haddonfield)
2. Duaron Williams (Jones, FL)
1. Ryan Brodie (Long Branch)
The Numbers Game
10 year deal for stadium naming rights between RU and High Point Solutions Inc.
9 decades of games played inside Rutgers Stadium (1938-2010)
8 interceptions by the RU defense last season
7 Scarlet Knights played in the opening game of the JSBL summer league last night
6 weeks until players report for training camp
5 NJ juniors selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
4 shutouts in the last 3 years for RU football
3 RU commitments in the class of 2012 from PA (Muller, Rankin, Peoples)
2 straight years St. Peter’s Prep won the Schiano Shootout
1 RU commit ranked in the rivals100 (Muller)
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Ryan Brodie will commit to Rutgers in the very near future
Recruiting tidbits
There will be plenty of talent passing through Piscataway over the next week for the Rutgers Football camp. Prospects will begin to arrive on Sunday while Monday and Tuesday will be the most popular day for top-notch prospects to showcase their talents on the practice fields. Here is a look at some of the prospects who confirmed with Scarlet Nation that they will be on the RU campus.
RU commits
Carlton Agudosi (Franklin)
The fact that Agudosi already committed hasn’t stopped him from taking the opportunity to compete on the camping circuit as he showed at last month’s Under Armour Combine where he shined once again. He is looking forward to competing again next week as he continually draws attention from the top defensive backs at camps vying for the chance to line up across from him.
Steve Longa (Saddle Brook)
Longa probably won’t work out at the Rutgers cam,p but stated that he will be in attendance.
Desmon Peoples (Archbishop Wood, PA)
Peoples will be coming up to the camp with teammate Nate Smith, although Brandon Arcidiacono, another of his teammates, isn’t expected to make the trip.
Blake Rankin (Bloomsburg, PA)
Rankin will make another trip to Piscataway almost a month after his commitment during the spring game. Rankin also was an influence on his friend Chris Muller’s decision to commit to Rutgers yesterday.
2012 prospects
Abner Logan (Dexter, MA)
The four-star linebacker is up to five offers and is hopeful of landing one more at Rutgers next week. Hailing from a tiny New England school, Logan is a bit of a late bloomer on the recruiting circuit but owns an immensity of talent.
T.J. White (West Chester Henderson, PA)
A teammate of RU incoming freshman Myles Jackson, White is starting to gain attention on the camping circuit. He currently holds offers from Bucknell and Western Michigan but may be a bit of a longshot to leave the banks with a Rutgers offer.
Korren Kirven (Brookville, VA)
The defensive tackle has offers from all over and has been looking forward to camping at Rutgers for the last month. The visit could play a big part into how Rutgers factors into the four-star’s recruitment.
Daqual Randall (Palmetto, FL)
The three-star linebacker claims eight offers, including one from Rutgers, and will make the trip from the Sunshine State. He has named RU to his top four and the camp experience will be telling for not only him, but the RU staff as well.
Duaron Williams (Jones, FL)
The Orlando product has pulled in a multitude of offers and will fly into New Jersey Monday morning, which will follow a Saturday stopover at the University of Miami. The offensive guard remains very high on Rutgers and a good visit could enhance that even more.
Eli Ankou (St. Peter, Canada)
The Canadian defensive end has been busy touring the country and will carry three offers into Piscataway as he looks to add one more. Hi showing this off-season has helped his cause since he was a virtual unknown before that being hidden up in Ontario.
Orlando David (Chaminade Madonna, FL)
One of the few tight ends holding a Rutgers offer, David has been planning to camp at Rutgers since last year. With only a few tight ends on the boardholding RU offers, the camping experience could be pivotal in the direction David’s recruitment takes with Rutgers.
Marchez Coates (McDonough, MD)
Coates has been nothing short of spectacular on the combine circuit winning one MVP award after another thanks to his superior cover skills at the defensive back position. Pitt was the first BCS school to offer him, yet schools have become wary of offering due to undisclosed issues off the football field.
Chucky Wingate (Bergen Catholic)
The speedy Wingate is a bit undersized but still has a great deal of talent. RU is looking at him as a cornerback and he will have the chance to showcase his skills as he continues to seek out his first D1 offer.
Nate Smith (Archbishop Wood, PA)
Smith was told a good performance would land him a Rutgers offer and up his total to six. Smith is an excellent cover safety and the longer he keeps his recruitment open, the more offers he should pull in.
Kalief Joyner (Christ the King, NY)
The wait for an offer continues for Joyner who possesses great size for a tight end. He is also a tough, hard-nosed player with an excellent work ethic and is still trying to overcome being from a lightly-recruited area of NY.
Eric McMullen (Paulsboro)
He might be a little undersized for a linebacker at 6-foot but packs quite a wallop. He has an outside shot of gaining an offer even though he is an incredibly hard worker with a nice upside. McMullen should move up on a lot of school's boards as more linebackers commit.
John Ferranto (Burlington Township)
The camping circuit has been good to the 6-foot-6 offensive lineman as he now claims six offers. He is still a bit raw and his latest offer from UNC came as a bit of a surprise. With RU currently in good standing with some higher-tier OL, Ferranto may be more of a second or third option later down the line.
Jahmahl Pardner (Aquinas Institute, NY)
The Rochester product is packed with talent and is starting to creep out from under the recruiting radar. He has pulled in six offers and has excellent size. The staff will get the chance to check out his straightaway speed while he is on campus.
Marcus McGill (Gates Chili, NY)
The talented wide receiver spends a good deal of time working out with RU commit Quentin Gause and is very impressive physically. It is still a little surprising that he has only pulled in one offer from Buffalo to this point.
Shayne Jones (Immaculata)
Jones is a talented safety who is finally starting to pull in some offers as his list now stands at three. Rutgers has a few DB’s higher on its board, but Jones would be a formidable second if things fell through with those other prospects.
Trey Dudley-Giles (Pasco, FL)
The 5-foot-10 athlete holds RU in high regard and currently claims six offers, although Rutgers is the only BCS school amongst that group. Giles’ recruitment has been a bit quiet as of late but he will be looking to make some noise in New Jersey.
Jordan Powell (Lacey Township)
The tight end is likely start to gain more attention once the state’s other two top tight ends (Giacone, Morris) verbally commit and end their respective recruitments. For now, he will look to impress on the camping circuit as he continues to seek out his first offer.
Xavier Griffin (Newark, DE)
The 6-foot-3, 185 pound receiver received a recent visit from Rutgers WR coach P.J. Fleck and is a bit of a late bloomer on the recruiting landscape. He will also be competing in the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout.
Other 2012 campers
Bret Niederreither - DE (Red Lion, PA)
David Grinnage - DE/TE (Newark, DE)
Matt Barnett - FB (Paul VI)
Malachi Moore - OL (Pope John)
Steve Cluley - QB (Wall)
Eric Patton - FB (St Elizabeth's, DE)
Blake Feagles - P (Ridgewood)
Greg Johnson - WR/TE (West Orange)
Joe Scelzo - DT (Tottenville, NY)
Mark Clements - DB (Oakcrest)
Michael Boland - OT (Georgetown Prep, MD)
Jayquan Hall-Watson - RB (Orange)
Rammel Tisdale - FB/LB (East Orange)
Rob Dvoracek - FB (Parkland, PA)
Tahjier Hammary - WR/DB (Asbury Park)
Lance Smith - RB (West Orange NJ)
Michael Abanikanda - RB/CB (Thomas Jefferson, Brooklyn NY)
Denzell Leitch - ATH (North Bergen)
Mike Eckrote - QB (Wayne Valley)
Kalyph Hardy - ATH (Central)
Chris Inge - DB (Williamstown)
Cody Greenhagen - FB (Morris Knolls)
2013 campers
Tashawn Bower (Immaculata)
The promising defensive end already visited during the Big Man camp and will return next week, but he is not sure whether he will work out or just drop by. Bower is up to five offers with the latest coming from Florida State.
Darrius Merriweather (Eastern)
The up and coming wide receiver has been all over the camping circuit and had a particularly strong performance while out at Pitt a couple of weeks ago.
Chris Laviano (Holy Trinity, NY)
The quarterback recently pulled in his first offer from Rutgers, but hasn’t been focusing too much on recruiting in the early going. Nevertheless, he stated that he is ‘excited’ to learn more about Rutgers.
Eli Woodard (Eastern)
The talented cornerback looks as though he will emerge as one of the top defensive backs in the state in the class of 2013. A good showing at Rutgers might also bring Woodard his second offer, the first of which came yesterday from Notre Dame.
David Williams (West Catholic, PA)
The Philly running back added a Virginia offer this week to give him a total of five to go along with others from Pitt, UConn, Temple and Maryland. Williams is extremely quick, could use some additional bulk but is very elusive in the open field.
Other 2013 campers
Andre Patton - ATH (St.Elizabeth's, DE)
Brandon Bell - RB/LB (Oakcrest)
Robert Mahon - OL (Randolph)
Brad Henson - OL (Monsignor Donovan)
Zaire Williams - RB (Cherokee)
Possible campers
TJ Neal (McKeesport, PA)
The linebacker claimed this week that he is still highly considering Rutgers and stated that he will ‘probably’ make the trip down to Piscataway. Neal’s offer list recently climbed into the teens.
Drew Madhu (Plant, FL)
The Florida safety holds three offers and spent the middle of the week visiting Indiana. He is still waiting to hear from his coach whether or not his tour will continue through Piscataway.
D’Vario Montgomery (Winter Park, FL)
For a while, the four-star wide receiver has been saying he will camp at Rutgers but that still seems to be a question mark heading into the weekend. Montgomery is rivals.com’s 150th ranked player in the nation.
J.R. Robinson (St. Peter’s Prep)
The defensive back recently pulled in his first offer from Tulane and will be participating in the 7-on-7 Schiano Shootout, but is uncertain as to whether or not he will make another trip to Piscataway in the subsequent days.
Kye Morgan (Franklin)
The local standout hasn’t hit the camp or combine circuit this off-seaon, but said late this week that he will ‘probably’ camp at Rutgers yet he doesn’t know for sure if that will happen.
This post was edited on 6/24 2:43 AM by Bobby Deren
