Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU Florida Players
5.) Isaiah Wharton
4.) Marcus Applefield
3.) Trey Sneed
2.) Josh Hicks
1.) Janarion Grant
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers will debut seven new starters on offense and defense when the season begins
Team Tidbits
This past spring practice ended prematurely for fifth-year senior Chris Muller as a lower leg injury had sidelined him. There was also some speculation as to when Muller would be healthy enough to return. Scarlet Nation has learned the Muller has shaken off his injury issues and will be 100% healthy and ready to go for the start of training camp. Muller has started the last 37 games at Rutgers and that streak appears as though it will continue.
Recruiting Tidbits
DE Mike Tverdov – Union
During what was an otherwise quiet week of recruiting, Rutgers landed a very big commitment from Tverdov and after he made the announcement on Wednesday, he began to receive a lot of immediate attention.
“I got a ton of great reactions,” Tverdov said. “It took me a couple hours to go through everyone's texts, messages and tweets. The fans were ecstatic and the commits were all happy and welcomed me. Some of the Rutgers defensive linemen texted me and were all fired up. It was a very fun and exciting afternoon.”
DT Jaohne Duggan – Liberty (Pa.)
The recent Rutgers commit confirmed with Scarlet Nation that he will be back on campus this Monday, July 18th. He also confirmed that he will be back on campus later in the month on July 30th when the team will have a summer BBQ.
DT Corey Bolds – Paramus Catholic
Rutgers continues to make a strong push for Bolds and that push continues to show signs of progress. Scarlet Nation has learned that Bolds is currently holding Rutgers in very high regards. The recruiting efforts to land Bolds could wind up paying off before the summer is out, although Bolds has not yet set any date for his final decision.
WR Everett Wormley – Burlington Township
The RU commit is anxious to get started on his senior campaign and the steps towards that final season have already begun. Wormley has begun his team’s version of OTAs last week, although his formal practices will not begin until August 10. He also confirmed he will be up at Rutgers for the team BBQ on July 30th.
LB Olakunle Fatukasi – Grand Street Campus (N.Y.)
Fatukasi is one of three RU linebacker commits as that position filled up in a hurry. He was one of three linebackers to commit to Rutgers in less than a two-week span as it went from a position of need to a position that is pretty full.
“I talk to coaches [Bill] Busch and [Jay] Niemann a lot,” Fatukasi said. “They mostly just check in with me to see how I'm doing.”
Fatukasi has also started to do some recruiting of his own.
“I'm really working on getting a 2018 kid, Orin Ormsby (Episcopal Academy, Va.). I work out with him and am trying to get him to come join me at Rutgers.”
Ormsby played last season at Holy Cross in Flushing, N.Y., and will spend next season at Episcopal.
DB Naijee Jones – Timber Creek
The first commit to the RU recruiting class of 2017, Jones has seen this class start to really take shape. He is also playing his part in the recruiting process and that has included helping to make a strong push for a big-time uncommitted NJ four-star.
“The coaches are telling me the same things, just to keep working. We are also trying to get some big guys. We want Fred [Hansard],” Jones said.
WR Shameen Jones – Cardinal Hayes
The Bronx wide receiver has put his recruitment behind him and now has set his sights on the upcoming season.
"I speak to the Rutgers staff daily,” Jones said. “Other than that, I haven't been really focused on recruiting. I am more focused on my high school team this season and winning a championship."
Jones confirmed that he remains solid to his RU commitment as this season is expected to be another big one for the talented wide receiver. Had he kept his recruitment open, chances are that Jones would have landed some more offers this fall.
LB C.J. Onyechi – West Orange
The Rutgers commit offered up his verbal a month ago, although he is scheduled to take a trip out to Kentucky this weekend. Onyechi did not get the chance to visit many schools this past year and has made no indications that he is wavering from his RU commitment at this time.
Eye on Rutgers
With the start of summer camp just on the horizon, it is time to take a look at some predictions for the upcoming season. Here is a look at some of the early picks for various distinctions during training camp.
Sleeper Underclassman: Jonah Jackson
The second-year offensive lineman has steadily worked his way up and could quickly find himself among the top seven linemen on the team. Jackson could play an important role as a backup this season and looks as though he will provide some solid guard depth. Jackson also brings the versatility to play multiple positions on the O-line.
Keep an Eye on: Jawuan Harris
Rutgers needs some speed at the wide receiver position and Harris could be the answer that the staff is looking for. He showed off his speed on the base paths last season playing for the RU baseball team and that speed could result in a lot of catches this season. Harris’ playmaking abilities may be sorely needed this season.
Workhorse to watch: Robert Martin
Martin has added close to 15 pounds to his playing weight from the past two seasons. A more durable Martin could grind out a lot more punishing yards. If he can consistently move the chains, it would do a world of good for the RU offense. And if Martin can get it going through training camp, expect him to get the lion’s share of the carries this season.
Freshmen to watch: Damon Hayes and K.J. Gray
A lot of freshman playing time is dictated by position need. This summer, the secondary looks to be most in need of some more able bodies. That means that true freshmen like K.J. Gray and Damon Hayes could get their chances in a secondary that is short on depth. It would not be surprising if both of those players saw the field this season.
Top Five RU Florida Players
5.) Isaiah Wharton
4.) Marcus Applefield
3.) Trey Sneed
2.) Josh Hicks
1.) Janarion Grant
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Rutgers will debut seven new starters on offense and defense when the season begins
Team Tidbits
This past spring practice ended prematurely for fifth-year senior Chris Muller as a lower leg injury had sidelined him. There was also some speculation as to when Muller would be healthy enough to return. Scarlet Nation has learned the Muller has shaken off his injury issues and will be 100% healthy and ready to go for the start of training camp. Muller has started the last 37 games at Rutgers and that streak appears as though it will continue.
Recruiting Tidbits
DE Mike Tverdov – Union
During what was an otherwise quiet week of recruiting, Rutgers landed a very big commitment from Tverdov and after he made the announcement on Wednesday, he began to receive a lot of immediate attention.
“I got a ton of great reactions,” Tverdov said. “It took me a couple hours to go through everyone's texts, messages and tweets. The fans were ecstatic and the commits were all happy and welcomed me. Some of the Rutgers defensive linemen texted me and were all fired up. It was a very fun and exciting afternoon.”
DT Jaohne Duggan – Liberty (Pa.)
The recent Rutgers commit confirmed with Scarlet Nation that he will be back on campus this Monday, July 18th. He also confirmed that he will be back on campus later in the month on July 30th when the team will have a summer BBQ.
DT Corey Bolds – Paramus Catholic
Rutgers continues to make a strong push for Bolds and that push continues to show signs of progress. Scarlet Nation has learned that Bolds is currently holding Rutgers in very high regards. The recruiting efforts to land Bolds could wind up paying off before the summer is out, although Bolds has not yet set any date for his final decision.
WR Everett Wormley – Burlington Township
The RU commit is anxious to get started on his senior campaign and the steps towards that final season have already begun. Wormley has begun his team’s version of OTAs last week, although his formal practices will not begin until August 10. He also confirmed he will be up at Rutgers for the team BBQ on July 30th.
LB Olakunle Fatukasi – Grand Street Campus (N.Y.)
Fatukasi is one of three RU linebacker commits as that position filled up in a hurry. He was one of three linebackers to commit to Rutgers in less than a two-week span as it went from a position of need to a position that is pretty full.
“I talk to coaches [Bill] Busch and [Jay] Niemann a lot,” Fatukasi said. “They mostly just check in with me to see how I'm doing.”
Fatukasi has also started to do some recruiting of his own.
“I'm really working on getting a 2018 kid, Orin Ormsby (Episcopal Academy, Va.). I work out with him and am trying to get him to come join me at Rutgers.”
Ormsby played last season at Holy Cross in Flushing, N.Y., and will spend next season at Episcopal.
DB Naijee Jones – Timber Creek
The first commit to the RU recruiting class of 2017, Jones has seen this class start to really take shape. He is also playing his part in the recruiting process and that has included helping to make a strong push for a big-time uncommitted NJ four-star.
“The coaches are telling me the same things, just to keep working. We are also trying to get some big guys. We want Fred [Hansard],” Jones said.
WR Shameen Jones – Cardinal Hayes
The Bronx wide receiver has put his recruitment behind him and now has set his sights on the upcoming season.
"I speak to the Rutgers staff daily,” Jones said. “Other than that, I haven't been really focused on recruiting. I am more focused on my high school team this season and winning a championship."
Jones confirmed that he remains solid to his RU commitment as this season is expected to be another big one for the talented wide receiver. Had he kept his recruitment open, chances are that Jones would have landed some more offers this fall.
LB C.J. Onyechi – West Orange
The Rutgers commit offered up his verbal a month ago, although he is scheduled to take a trip out to Kentucky this weekend. Onyechi did not get the chance to visit many schools this past year and has made no indications that he is wavering from his RU commitment at this time.
Eye on Rutgers
With the start of summer camp just on the horizon, it is time to take a look at some predictions for the upcoming season. Here is a look at some of the early picks for various distinctions during training camp.
Sleeper Underclassman: Jonah Jackson
The second-year offensive lineman has steadily worked his way up and could quickly find himself among the top seven linemen on the team. Jackson could play an important role as a backup this season and looks as though he will provide some solid guard depth. Jackson also brings the versatility to play multiple positions on the O-line.
Keep an Eye on: Jawuan Harris
Rutgers needs some speed at the wide receiver position and Harris could be the answer that the staff is looking for. He showed off his speed on the base paths last season playing for the RU baseball team and that speed could result in a lot of catches this season. Harris’ playmaking abilities may be sorely needed this season.
Workhorse to watch: Robert Martin
Martin has added close to 15 pounds to his playing weight from the past two seasons. A more durable Martin could grind out a lot more punishing yards. If he can consistently move the chains, it would do a world of good for the RU offense. And if Martin can get it going through training camp, expect him to get the lion’s share of the carries this season.
Freshmen to watch: Damon Hayes and K.J. Gray
A lot of freshman playing time is dictated by position need. This summer, the secondary looks to be most in need of some more able bodies. That means that true freshmen like K.J. Gray and Damon Hayes could get their chances in a secondary that is short on depth. It would not be surprising if both of those players saw the field this season.
