Quotables
Devin Fuller on whether or not playing QB will affect his college decision:
“Yes it does. Getting it down to 11, it didn't matter but getting it to the school I want to play at is the main decision.”
Kenneth Kirksey on what surprised him most this summer:
“The coaches, how smart they are. The things they do to help me I didn’t expect.”
Ka’Lial Glaud on training camp:
"Camp is rough. But if you love football and you’ve been grinding all summer, you look forward to camp. I just think as a whole for this team this year, camp has been very anticipated. Were all very hungry.”
Desmond Stapleton on training camp:
“Every camp is different, I always come in here like I’m a true freshman. That’s how I approach. It’s my last one, so I’m trying to enjoy it.”
Scott Vallone on David Osei:
“He’s an ox. He’s real strong and he knows that he has us there to help him. And he knows he has to be able to go out there and do it out on the field. The fact that he’s just so strong, I think puts him in a good position.”
Michael Giacone on RU’s class of 2012:
“We’re already a top 25 class and it’s just getting better.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 2013 prospects
5. Eli Woodard (Eastern)
4. Nadir Barnwell (Piscataway)
3. Tashawn Bower (Immaculata)
2. Kevin Olsen (Wayne Hills)
1. Greg Webb (Timber Creek)
The Numbers Game
10 scholarship linebackers on the RU roster
9 RU hoops home games vs. out-of-conference opponents in 2011
8 NJ commits to RU in the class of 2012
7 practices down in training camp
6 RU quarterbacks on the 2011 roster
5 RU quarterbacks in training camp (Dodd, Bimonte, Nova, Bellia, Hamersma)
4 RU quarterbacks in camp never played a down of college football
3 RU true freshman DE’s in camp (Jackson, Isakka, George)
2 SEC opponents for RU hoops this season (LSU and Florida)
1 day until Rutgers’ first scrimmage
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
At least eight true freshmen will play during game one against NC Central
Recruiting tidbits
Darius Hamilton (Don Bosco)
The nation’s No. 5 prospect in the class of 2012 is being highly pursued for his abilities to play the part of a dominating defensive end. But Hamilton is also looking for a school that will accommodate his needs in the classroom.
“I know communications is something I've wanted to do for a while actually,” said Hamilton. “When you put on NFL Network, when you put on ESPN, those guys are getting paid to do what they love to do. They love sports, they never had to leave sports because they know so much about it that they can talk about it. I think that's what I'm able to do.”
Devin Fuller (Old Tappan)
Internet rumors surfaced this week about Fuller making an early commitment next week to Rutgers. Scarlet Nation can confirm those rumors are just rumors. Fuller has no plans of committing any time soon and, while he likes Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights are still fighting to make the cut to his final five which should be revealed before the start of his season. At this point, Rutgers has a very good shot but is not a lock for that final five just yet.
Yuri Wright (Don Bosco)
The state’s No. 3 ranked prospect in the class of 2012 is still waiting out his recruitment, but the recent commitment of teammate Leonte Carroo to Rutgers could possibly affect which school Wright selects.
"It possibly can,” Wright acknowledged. “But I'm just going to make the best decision for me.”
Wright cited Georgia and Michigan as places he will visit, while also mentioning that California and Rutgers were near the top of his long list of schools.
"Coach Schiano, he's a real good coach and he can teach me a lot," Wright said. "Devin and Jason McCourty came from my town, and I see where they are know and hopefully one day I can get there."
Ryan Brodie (Long Branch)
Brodie dropped by Rutgers last Sunday to check out practice and will likely return to take in another practice before camp concludes. He is also planning to check out a UConn practice soon. Brodie is also likely to take trips to Miami, South Carolina, Purdue and Virginia before announcing his final decision.
Carlton Agudosi (Franklin)
The Rutgers commit has been a familiar face in Piscataway and is also doing his part on the recruiting front. Agudosi has been in communication to other 2012 prospects, including recent RU commit Leonte Carroo.
“I talked to Leonte for the last few months and he was always leaning towards Rutgers,” said Agudosi. “So I was excited when he committed.”
Alquadin Muhammed (Don Bosco) 2013
While not as talented as the 2012 class at Don Bosco, the class 2013 has some FBS talent headlined by DE Alquadin Muhammad. Muhammad (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), who transferred from Paterson Catholic along with Elijah Shumate when the school closed in 2010, made an immediate impact for the Ironmen last fall as a situational pass rusher. Rutgers has already made a verbal offer to Muhammad, along with Boston College and Colorado. With a lot of recruiting talk centered around Garrett Sickels, Tashawn Bower and Greg Webb, Muhammad is without of doubt in the upper echelon of prospects of 2013 NJ defensive linemen prospects.
Andre Patton (St. Elizabeth, DE) 2013
A couple of months ago, Scarlet Nation introduced you to Wilmington (DE) St. Elizabeth 2013 ATH Andre Patton. Along with his older brother 2012 LB Eric, they helped lead their school to the Division 2 state title last season. Patton (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) shined as a safety and wide receiver, dominating during the playoffs. Patton only had 10 catches last fall, but 4 went for touchdowns with an average of nearly 32 yards per catch while compiling 36 tackles and 4 interceptions from his strong safety position.
His efforts last fall caught the eye of RU wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck who has been recruiting the Mid-Atlantic area. Scarlet Nation has learned that Patton received his first verbal offer from Rutgers this summer. Also an All-State basketball player, Patton has been receiving division 1 interest in both sports. In Football, Alabama, North Carolina, Penn State and Temple have also inquired. Both brothers visited Rutgers during the spring and enjoyed the experience. Per St.Elizabeth head coach Joe Hemphil, Eric has some grade issues right now but Rutgers has still been in contact.
Khaliel Rodgers (Red Lion, DE) 2013
Thanks to a ruling by the DIAA, Red Lion Christian Academy was able to start practice on August 1st and junior offensive lineman Khaliel Rodgers is enjoying the experience thus far.
"It's been awesome," said Rodgers. "Nothing but live hitting intensity every day. We are being coached as college players, so it's a great experience for all.”
Rodgers was recently recognized by Rivals.com with numerous accolades most recently making the All-Camp Team on offense. Right now, Rodgers is keeping a level head amongst all of the attention.
"I'm just staying humble," said Rodgers. "More (attention) will come soon because my name is out there as well as my team so we have to show what we are about.”
USA Today recently took a trip down to the Red Lion campus to profile the team embarking on a rough regular season slate this fall. Rodgers mentioned that Rutgers has been calling the Red Lion coaches quite a bit recently to inquire about Rodgers.
Monster High School Triple Header at Rutgers?
Already hosting the season opener between St.Peter's Prep and Montclair on September 9th, it is looking like Rutgers will get the opportunity to host one of the biggest high school football events in New Jersey history. After having some difficulty finding a venue, it looks as though the triple header featuring Bergen Catholic vs. Youngstown (OH) Cardinal Mooney, St. Peter's Prep-Jersey City, NJ vs. Youngstown (OH) Ursuline & the headliner featuring Rivals High #2 ranked Don Bosco Prep-Ramsey, NJ vs. #24 Lakewood (OH) St. Edward will be held at High Point Solutions Stadium on Sunday Oct 9th, a day after the Scarlet Knights host Pittsburgh. There is still a chance that the games will be held at West Point, NY on the Army campus.
This could prove to be a great recruiting opportunity for Rutgers. Although the program has not recruited Ohio in the past, the visit could spur the interest of these three powerhouse programs which have been known to produce multiple FBS caliber prospects.
Camp Visitors
Through the first week of camp, Rutgers has welcomed visitors from the class of 2012 as well as some from the class of 2013. Those visitors include:
Steve Longa - Saddle Brook (2x’s)
Carlton Agudosi - Franklin (2 x’s)
Ruhann Peele - Linden (2x’s)
Leonte Carroo - Don Bosco
Ryan Brodie - Long Branch
Blake Rankin - Bloomsburg PA
Kevin Olsen - Wayne Hills (2013)
Adam Breneman - Cedar Cliff (2013)
Coachspeak
Frank Cignetti
RU offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti has enjoyed quite a journey through the coaching world. His resume is quite an impressive one, that has included a few stints in the NFL. Cignetti offered some thoughts on his coaching timeline and his list of mentors.
"My father, I learned a great deal of offensive football from my father. Then I got the opportunity to go to the Kansas City Chiefs and learn from Jimmy Ray when he was our offensive coordinator. Then I got the opportunity to go learn more of this offense from Mike McCarthy; when he was offensive coordinator, I was the QB coach. Then I got the opportunity to do it myself (at Fresno) for Pat Hill who is a tremendous head coach...One of the great opportunities I got was to go to San Francisco and work for Jim Hostler when he was the offensive coordinator, and learn another style of offense."
P.J. Fleck
Rutgers wide receiving corps made tremendous strides last year under first-year coach P.J. Fleck. This year, that group is looking to take it one step farther as Fleck has them heading in the right direction.
“We have a saying in our room that says 'a hungry dog is a dangerous dog.’ And they’re all hungry,” said Fleck. “The great things about it is that they’re so competitive, not with one another, they’re competitive with themselves. Every single one of them want to be the best.”
Fleck has been able to quickly mold this group into a solid one, but he isn’t so quick to take the credit.
“On the field, their cohesiveness is tremendous,” he said. “For how ’young’ we are, it’s amazing how far they’ve come. It’s all because of their work ethic and how hard they push each other.”
Scarlet Stuff
Martin to get a chance
Rutgers freshman running back Ben Martin is likely to get his share of touches in tomorrow’s scrimmage with Jawan Jamison out with a hamstring injury while Jeremy Deering is likely to be scratched for precautionary measures after getting ‘dinged’ last week. Martin had a rough go of things during his senior year of high school because of a nagging ankle injury, but looks to be back to full strength.
"I had a good rehab period,“ said Martin. “My ankle is 100 percent, now I just have to show everyone what I can do. It feels good when I cut, no pain at all."
Rowe the safety
Senior David Rowe seems to be making a very smooth adjustment to safety after starting at cornerback the past two seasons.
“I don’t think it’s that big of an adjustment,” said Rowe. “You have to make more calls and stuff and be a little more vocal. That’s something I’m working on.”
Facing some tough competition on a daily basis has not only helped Rowe, but the entire secondary as a whole.
“We have some good receivers so we get some good practice every day,” said Rowe. “I think the receivers are going to make us better overall.”
On and on
The walk-on tradition at Rutgers continues as redshirt freshmen like Michael Burton continue to show that the legacy built under the Greg Schiano era will continue.
“Around here, the only difference between scholarship and walk-on is who’s paying the bill,” said Schiano. “And if you do it well enough, someone else is going to be paying the bill soon. We’ve rewarded walk-ons when they’ve proven that they’re going to be a contributor. Regardless if you are a walk on that is player 105 on the roster who got invited to camp, he’s gets treated the same. That’s one of the reasons I think we have such a great walk-on program. Kids want to walk on and play here because they know, they look at our history, our NFL players that were walk-ons.”
This post was edited on 8/12 5:02 PM by Bobby Deren
Devin Fuller on whether or not playing QB will affect his college decision:
“Yes it does. Getting it down to 11, it didn't matter but getting it to the school I want to play at is the main decision.”
Kenneth Kirksey on what surprised him most this summer:
“The coaches, how smart they are. The things they do to help me I didn’t expect.”
Ka’Lial Glaud on training camp:
"Camp is rough. But if you love football and you’ve been grinding all summer, you look forward to camp. I just think as a whole for this team this year, camp has been very anticipated. Were all very hungry.”
Desmond Stapleton on training camp:
“Every camp is different, I always come in here like I’m a true freshman. That’s how I approach. It’s my last one, so I’m trying to enjoy it.”
Scott Vallone on David Osei:
“He’s an ox. He’s real strong and he knows that he has us there to help him. And he knows he has to be able to go out there and do it out on the field. The fact that he’s just so strong, I think puts him in a good position.”
Michael Giacone on RU’s class of 2012:
“We’re already a top 25 class and it’s just getting better.”
Fat Cat Top 5
Top 5 2013 prospects
5. Eli Woodard (Eastern)
4. Nadir Barnwell (Piscataway)
3. Tashawn Bower (Immaculata)
2. Kevin Olsen (Wayne Hills)
1. Greg Webb (Timber Creek)
The Numbers Game
10 scholarship linebackers on the RU roster
9 RU hoops home games vs. out-of-conference opponents in 2011
8 NJ commits to RU in the class of 2012
7 practices down in training camp
6 RU quarterbacks on the 2011 roster
5 RU quarterbacks in training camp (Dodd, Bimonte, Nova, Bellia, Hamersma)
4 RU quarterbacks in camp never played a down of college football
3 RU true freshman DE’s in camp (Jackson, Isakka, George)
2 SEC opponents for RU hoops this season (LSU and Florida)
1 day until Rutgers’ first scrimmage
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
At least eight true freshmen will play during game one against NC Central
Recruiting tidbits
Darius Hamilton (Don Bosco)
The nation’s No. 5 prospect in the class of 2012 is being highly pursued for his abilities to play the part of a dominating defensive end. But Hamilton is also looking for a school that will accommodate his needs in the classroom.
“I know communications is something I've wanted to do for a while actually,” said Hamilton. “When you put on NFL Network, when you put on ESPN, those guys are getting paid to do what they love to do. They love sports, they never had to leave sports because they know so much about it that they can talk about it. I think that's what I'm able to do.”
Devin Fuller (Old Tappan)
Internet rumors surfaced this week about Fuller making an early commitment next week to Rutgers. Scarlet Nation can confirm those rumors are just rumors. Fuller has no plans of committing any time soon and, while he likes Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights are still fighting to make the cut to his final five which should be revealed before the start of his season. At this point, Rutgers has a very good shot but is not a lock for that final five just yet.
Yuri Wright (Don Bosco)
The state’s No. 3 ranked prospect in the class of 2012 is still waiting out his recruitment, but the recent commitment of teammate Leonte Carroo to Rutgers could possibly affect which school Wright selects.
"It possibly can,” Wright acknowledged. “But I'm just going to make the best decision for me.”
Wright cited Georgia and Michigan as places he will visit, while also mentioning that California and Rutgers were near the top of his long list of schools.
"Coach Schiano, he's a real good coach and he can teach me a lot," Wright said. "Devin and Jason McCourty came from my town, and I see where they are know and hopefully one day I can get there."
Ryan Brodie (Long Branch)
Brodie dropped by Rutgers last Sunday to check out practice and will likely return to take in another practice before camp concludes. He is also planning to check out a UConn practice soon. Brodie is also likely to take trips to Miami, South Carolina, Purdue and Virginia before announcing his final decision.
Carlton Agudosi (Franklin)
The Rutgers commit has been a familiar face in Piscataway and is also doing his part on the recruiting front. Agudosi has been in communication to other 2012 prospects, including recent RU commit Leonte Carroo.
“I talked to Leonte for the last few months and he was always leaning towards Rutgers,” said Agudosi. “So I was excited when he committed.”
Alquadin Muhammed (Don Bosco) 2013
While not as talented as the 2012 class at Don Bosco, the class 2013 has some FBS talent headlined by DE Alquadin Muhammad. Muhammad (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), who transferred from Paterson Catholic along with Elijah Shumate when the school closed in 2010, made an immediate impact for the Ironmen last fall as a situational pass rusher. Rutgers has already made a verbal offer to Muhammad, along with Boston College and Colorado. With a lot of recruiting talk centered around Garrett Sickels, Tashawn Bower and Greg Webb, Muhammad is without of doubt in the upper echelon of prospects of 2013 NJ defensive linemen prospects.
Andre Patton (St. Elizabeth, DE) 2013
A couple of months ago, Scarlet Nation introduced you to Wilmington (DE) St. Elizabeth 2013 ATH Andre Patton. Along with his older brother 2012 LB Eric, they helped lead their school to the Division 2 state title last season. Patton (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) shined as a safety and wide receiver, dominating during the playoffs. Patton only had 10 catches last fall, but 4 went for touchdowns with an average of nearly 32 yards per catch while compiling 36 tackles and 4 interceptions from his strong safety position.
His efforts last fall caught the eye of RU wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck who has been recruiting the Mid-Atlantic area. Scarlet Nation has learned that Patton received his first verbal offer from Rutgers this summer. Also an All-State basketball player, Patton has been receiving division 1 interest in both sports. In Football, Alabama, North Carolina, Penn State and Temple have also inquired. Both brothers visited Rutgers during the spring and enjoyed the experience. Per St.Elizabeth head coach Joe Hemphil, Eric has some grade issues right now but Rutgers has still been in contact.
Khaliel Rodgers (Red Lion, DE) 2013
Thanks to a ruling by the DIAA, Red Lion Christian Academy was able to start practice on August 1st and junior offensive lineman Khaliel Rodgers is enjoying the experience thus far.
"It's been awesome," said Rodgers. "Nothing but live hitting intensity every day. We are being coached as college players, so it's a great experience for all.”
Rodgers was recently recognized by Rivals.com with numerous accolades most recently making the All-Camp Team on offense. Right now, Rodgers is keeping a level head amongst all of the attention.
"I'm just staying humble," said Rodgers. "More (attention) will come soon because my name is out there as well as my team so we have to show what we are about.”
USA Today recently took a trip down to the Red Lion campus to profile the team embarking on a rough regular season slate this fall. Rodgers mentioned that Rutgers has been calling the Red Lion coaches quite a bit recently to inquire about Rodgers.
Monster High School Triple Header at Rutgers?
Already hosting the season opener between St.Peter's Prep and Montclair on September 9th, it is looking like Rutgers will get the opportunity to host one of the biggest high school football events in New Jersey history. After having some difficulty finding a venue, it looks as though the triple header featuring Bergen Catholic vs. Youngstown (OH) Cardinal Mooney, St. Peter's Prep-Jersey City, NJ vs. Youngstown (OH) Ursuline & the headliner featuring Rivals High #2 ranked Don Bosco Prep-Ramsey, NJ vs. #24 Lakewood (OH) St. Edward will be held at High Point Solutions Stadium on Sunday Oct 9th, a day after the Scarlet Knights host Pittsburgh. There is still a chance that the games will be held at West Point, NY on the Army campus.
This could prove to be a great recruiting opportunity for Rutgers. Although the program has not recruited Ohio in the past, the visit could spur the interest of these three powerhouse programs which have been known to produce multiple FBS caliber prospects.
Camp Visitors
Through the first week of camp, Rutgers has welcomed visitors from the class of 2012 as well as some from the class of 2013. Those visitors include:
Steve Longa - Saddle Brook (2x’s)
Carlton Agudosi - Franklin (2 x’s)
Ruhann Peele - Linden (2x’s)
Leonte Carroo - Don Bosco
Ryan Brodie - Long Branch
Blake Rankin - Bloomsburg PA
Kevin Olsen - Wayne Hills (2013)
Adam Breneman - Cedar Cliff (2013)
Coachspeak
Frank Cignetti
RU offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti has enjoyed quite a journey through the coaching world. His resume is quite an impressive one, that has included a few stints in the NFL. Cignetti offered some thoughts on his coaching timeline and his list of mentors.
"My father, I learned a great deal of offensive football from my father. Then I got the opportunity to go to the Kansas City Chiefs and learn from Jimmy Ray when he was our offensive coordinator. Then I got the opportunity to go learn more of this offense from Mike McCarthy; when he was offensive coordinator, I was the QB coach. Then I got the opportunity to do it myself (at Fresno) for Pat Hill who is a tremendous head coach...One of the great opportunities I got was to go to San Francisco and work for Jim Hostler when he was the offensive coordinator, and learn another style of offense."
P.J. Fleck
Rutgers wide receiving corps made tremendous strides last year under first-year coach P.J. Fleck. This year, that group is looking to take it one step farther as Fleck has them heading in the right direction.
“We have a saying in our room that says 'a hungry dog is a dangerous dog.’ And they’re all hungry,” said Fleck. “The great things about it is that they’re so competitive, not with one another, they’re competitive with themselves. Every single one of them want to be the best.”
Fleck has been able to quickly mold this group into a solid one, but he isn’t so quick to take the credit.
“On the field, their cohesiveness is tremendous,” he said. “For how ’young’ we are, it’s amazing how far they’ve come. It’s all because of their work ethic and how hard they push each other.”
Scarlet Stuff
Martin to get a chance
Rutgers freshman running back Ben Martin is likely to get his share of touches in tomorrow’s scrimmage with Jawan Jamison out with a hamstring injury while Jeremy Deering is likely to be scratched for precautionary measures after getting ‘dinged’ last week. Martin had a rough go of things during his senior year of high school because of a nagging ankle injury, but looks to be back to full strength.
"I had a good rehab period,“ said Martin. “My ankle is 100 percent, now I just have to show everyone what I can do. It feels good when I cut, no pain at all."
Rowe the safety
Senior David Rowe seems to be making a very smooth adjustment to safety after starting at cornerback the past two seasons.
“I don’t think it’s that big of an adjustment,” said Rowe. “You have to make more calls and stuff and be a little more vocal. That’s something I’m working on.”
Facing some tough competition on a daily basis has not only helped Rowe, but the entire secondary as a whole.
“We have some good receivers so we get some good practice every day,” said Rowe. “I think the receivers are going to make us better overall.”
On and on
The walk-on tradition at Rutgers continues as redshirt freshmen like Michael Burton continue to show that the legacy built under the Greg Schiano era will continue.
“Around here, the only difference between scholarship and walk-on is who’s paying the bill,” said Schiano. “And if you do it well enough, someone else is going to be paying the bill soon. We’ve rewarded walk-ons when they’ve proven that they’re going to be a contributor. Regardless if you are a walk on that is player 105 on the roster who got invited to camp, he’s gets treated the same. That’s one of the reasons I think we have such a great walk-on program. Kids want to walk on and play here because they know, they look at our history, our NFL players that were walk-ons.”
This post was edited on 8/12 5:02 PM by Bobby Deren