Quotables[/B]
Rutgers quarterback commit Tyler Wiegers on building bonds with his fellow offensive commitments:
"I've spoken with Adonis [Jennings] and Saeed [Blacknall] a lot and Jonathan Hilliman a little bit too…It's really exciting getting a chance to know those guys and talk about the future and when we're all going to be there together.
South Brunswick 2015 ATH Dontae Strickland on Rutgers' opening game against Fresno:
"I think they played hard, and to be honest coach Flood did the right thing about trying to go for two because it was a late game and they were playing away, so if they would have gotten it the crowd would have been heartbroken. But all in all, they played well."
Darius Hamilton on the Rutgers defense:
"I think we just have to get back to playing Rutgers football; hard-nosed football, bringing it to you and swarming. We just have to get back to the basics."
Kevin Snyder on Rutgers pass defense against Fresno State:
"Their perimeter passing game and the way they schemed it and did things made it really difficult for us in space. There was a lot of space out there. That's why we missed 20-plus tackles. They made it really hard and we made a lot of mistakes. That is why the points and the yards piled up real quick."
Fat Cat Top Five [/B]
Top Five Freshman with the best chances of playing for the first time on Saturday
5.) Delon Stephenson
4.) Sebastian Joseph
3.) Lester Liston
2.) Nick Arcidiacono
1.) Justin Goodwin
Bobby's Crystal Ball [/B]
Paul James will go over 100 yards rushing against Norfolk State
Seven different receivers will catch passes for Rutgers on Saturday
Marcus Thompson will lead RU in sacks this weekend
Recruiting tidbits
WR Noah Brown - Pope John XXIII
Brown will be taking his official visit to Ohio State this weekend when the Buckeyes will face San Diego State. The Buckeyes are believed to be in a very good place to obtain a commitment from Brown this weekend. Scarlet Nation has learned that Brown will be the highest-rated uncommitted prospect on campus and OSU is prepared to push Brown for a commitment before he leaves. Multiple sources told Scarlet Nation during the week that OSU head coach Urban Meyer has targeted Brown as a high-priority recruit. Brown has maintained a desire to decide on a school before his opening game on September 12th. If Brown leaves Columbus undecided, the Buckeyes may ultimately choose to part ways with the four-star prospect which would bode well for Rutgers. The Buckeyes and Rutgers have been Brown's top two schools for some time, with OSU taking the lead after his unofficial visit in the summer. However, Rutgers made up significant ground (and possibly overtook the Buckeyes) in the weeks following the trip. If Brown does pick the Buckeyes after his visit, Rutgers could try to get him on campus soon thereafter for an official visit in an attempt to overturn his decision.
TE Logan Lister - Katy (Tex.)
Lister moved to offensive tackle in the summer for Katy out of necessity and put on an impressive blocking display in his team's ESPNU-televised 49-0 win over Alief Taylor High School last night.
As confirmed yesterday on the Round Table, Lister is moving forward with the effort to enroll early at Rutgers. He is the third commitment to begin the process toward early enrollment, joining Kam Lott and Brandon Russell.
"I am looking to enroll early because it will give me an opportunity to go through spring ball and learn the system faster," Lister told Scarlet Nation. "Hopefully it will give me the chance to contribute early."
OL Jacquis Webb - Gates-Chili (N.Y.)
Webb and his teammates make their season debut on Saturday against Pittsford (N.Y.) Mendon/Southerland, a top team locally.
"They've made the sectional finals I think three years running, but we're looking a lot better than last year," Webb said. "We're more confident."
Webb says he is in much better physical shape heading into this season than he was going into last. The Rutgers commitment has been in contact with fellow pledge Zack Heeman.
"He was just asking me if I was going to make it down this weekend to the game but I told him that it's my season-opener," Webb said. "But we did talk about meeting up at a future home game down the road."
QB Tyler Wiegers - Detroit Country Day (Mich.)
Country Day lost 44-28 to Zeeland West in the season opener last week, but Wiegers produced three touchdowns, two through the air and one rushing. He and his teammates face University of Detroit Jesuit this weekend.
"They're pretty good; they're like our main rival," Wiegers said. "We play them every week, second week of the year. Hopefully we get this one. It will be a good game."
TE/WR Bryan Dobzanski - Delsea
Scarlet Nation has learned, per Delsea head coach Sal Marchese, that Rutgers has recently offered a scholarship to the junior (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) as a tight end prospect. Scarlet Nation got our first look at Dobzanski in December as he helped lead his Delsea squad to the South 3 Group championship as a safety and split end during his first season of high school football.
Dobzanski is considered by many to be one of the best all-around athletes in New Jersey. This past winter, he won the 220-pound state wrestling title, going 46-0. He followed that up in the spring by striking out 36 batters in 24 innings with a 0.29 ERA while touching 90 mph on the mound for Delsea.
The interesting note here is that Dobzanski is currently committed to Louisville for baseball and hasn't practiced yet with the Delsea football team. He spent the summer doing baseball-related activities. Dobzanski has recently expressed an interest coming back to the football team so keep a close eye on this situation, especially if Rutgers misses on Mike Gesicki and Ryan Izzo who are similar prospects.
OL Steven Gonzalez - Union City
Gonzalez and his UC teammates took on Don Bosco in a major game scrimmage test last Thursday, and though the Soaring Eagles lost 28-0, there were positive signs to be found.
"Our problem was we couldn't finish drives. We were driving it on them, but we weren't able to finish," Gonzalez said. "It should have been 28-21. But we gained so much respect after that game."
Union City is a possible top-20 team in the state this season, paced by Gonzalez and fellow 2015 Rutgers offeree Daiquan Kelly. Gonzalez is looking to visit Rutgers next week for the Eastern Michigan game, while also going to check out Florida State at Boston College and Michigan at Penn State.
OL Grant Newsome - Lawrencville School
Newsome, a Virginia native who plays his high school ball in New Jersey, counts Rutgers among his early offers, along with Penn State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Temple and Old Dominion. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Newsome attended a Rutgers practice during training camp and enjoyed the day on campus.
"It was a good visit. I got to talk with coach Wrobo, coach Prince and coach Flood," Newsome said. "They tried to show me what the program was like and what Rutgers had to offer. I got to see how well-run everything was and how fast-paced it was. It didn't just show me about football but also what everyday life is like at RU."
A major prospect in the 2015 class, Newsome is looking to make a commitment before his senior (2014) season, but has no definitive timeframe set.
"I want to decide by then because I want to focus on my team for my final year, but I don't have a timetable," he said.
ATH Jordan Adams - Franklin (Md.)
Adams became the third Franklin prospect to receive an offer from the Scarlet Knights following classmate Pat Allen and class of 2016 WR Steven Smothers. Adams received the news from his primary recruiter this week.
"Coach Wrobo told me as soon as we got on the phone," Adams said of his RU offer. "He was very cool and he wanted to know details about my background. He wasn't just interested in football which pleased me a lot."
Adams has been pleased watching the progress of current Rutgers cornerback Ian Thomas, an alum of Franklin who Adams calls his 'big bro.' Virginia Tech offered Adams earlier this year while Virginia, Maryland and Michigan State are all keeping in contact.
ATH Darnell Savage - Caravel (Del.)
The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Savage, a 2015 prospect, already has an offer from Maryland and Rutgers made its first contact with him on Sept 1.
"I spoke with coach Flood. He just told me good luck and he wants me to come to a game along with him wanting to see me play live," Savage said. "It felt good. It always feels good when any school shows interest."
As of now, Savage says he's interested in checking out the Arkansas game on Sept 21. Other schools showing interest include USC, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Nebraska, Miami and Boston College are also involved in his recruitment.
OL E.J. Donahue - Linganore (Md.)
The massive 6-foot-5, 330-pound Donahue, a junior, picked up his fourth offer yesterday courtesy of the Scarlet Knights. Maryland, Old Dominion and West Virginia have also offered.
"I'm very excited about the ability to learn more about Rutgers and possible play there in the future," Donahue said. "It means a lot that the coaches see exciting stuff in my playing ability and personality."
Commits in the house
Rutgers' home opener is tomorrow, and several committed prospects are planning to be in attendance. Mount Olive offensive tackle Zack Heeman is scheduled to be present, and 4-star defensive back commitment Kiy Hester told Scarlet Nation on Thursday that he and DePaul teammate Justin Nelson, also an RU pledge, will be there.
Cedar Grove wide receiver David Njoku said he will be arriving late after practice, while Manalapan wideout Saeed Blacknall and Nottingham defensive back Saquan Hampton may also make the trip.
Rumson Fair-Haven defensive end Donald Bedell won't be able to make it due to practice obligations, but has his sights set on another home date.
"Hopefully [I'll be there] for the Arkansas game," Bedell told Scarlet Nation.
A few members of the class of 2015 may also take in the action on Saturday and those juniors include Barnegat offensive lineman Sam Madden, East Orange quarterback Devante Williams and Wallington quarterback Ryan Adzima.
Expect a large number of prospects in attendance at next week's game against Eastern Michigan, as well as for Arkansas. Both games should produce quality environments for different reasons---Eric LeGrand's jersey retirement ceremony prior to EMU and a relatively marquee non-conference opponent in Arkansas.
Eye on Rutgers
It will be a day of firsts for quite a few Scarlet Knights on Saturday as the Scarlet Knights host Norfolk State with a noontime kickoff. This week's eye on Rutgers takes a look at some of the firsts that will be taking place inside High Point Solutions Stadium.
Second-String QB
A little more than three years after making his commitment to Rutgers in August of 2010, quarterback Mike Bimonte could see his first bout of playing time at the college level. In what is expected to be a route against Norfolk State on Saturday, Rutgers will likely turn to a lot of reserves to finish out the game. Bimonte is behind Chas Dodd on the depth chart but it looks as though only an injury to Gary Nova would force Dodd into action this season. If Nova stays healthy all year, Dodd could receive a redshirt for not playing. He would then be able to transfer to another program for a fifth season and finish out his college career as a starter. Look for Bimonte to take over the offense when Nova bows out in the second half when the margin is relatively large.
Freshmen on the field
Only three freshmen saw the field last week in RU's season opener. Janarion Grant immediately turned heads with a 100-yard kickoff return that resulted in Rutgers' first touchdown of the season. Nadir Barnwell saw meaningful minutes as the team's No.4 cornerback and it wouldn't come as any surprise if he moved up the depth chart as the year went on. Wide receiver Andre Patton also showed up last week in a special teams role against Fresno State. Justin Goodwin could be in store for some carries this week as he showed a lot of potential through training camp. Lester Liston is listed as the backup middle linebacker and getting him some reps could prove very beneficial in the event that injury strikes the linebacking corps and he has to step in at some point this season. With tight end Paul Carrezola being a game time decision, Nick Arcidiacono looks like he will be headed for his first run on the college gridiron. Lastly, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph could get some run as he already looks the part of a starting d-lineman. His situation is an interesting one as there could be tremendous benefits from him playing as well as redshirting.
First starts
Rutgers is expected to send out a new starter at right guard as redshirt freshman Chris Muller will take the field with the first-team offense for the first time in his college career. Muller took over for Andre Civil, who left with an ankle injury in the second quarter against Fresno State. Muller appeared to get stronger as the game went on and has a very good chance of being the starter throughout the rest of the season at right guard. Muller could have some company as redshirt sophomore Tyler Kroft could earn his first start with starting Paul Carrezola questionable for Saturday's game. Kroft played a fair amount last week against Fresno State and hauled in one pass for seven yards. Lastly, redshirt sophomore Paul James will get his first start at tailback after his 182-yard performance against Fresno State. James' biggest battle at Rutgers has been staying healthy and if he can do that, the former walk-on could be in store for a big season.
White at home
Rutgers will wear all white uniforms at home instead of their traditional scarlet. There will also be a special white helmet worn just for this occasion. Rutgers wore special edition white helmets back in 2011 when the Scarlet Knights defeated Army 27-12 inside Yankee Stadium.
This post was edited on 9/6 2:28 AM by Bobby Deren
Rutgers quarterback commit Tyler Wiegers on building bonds with his fellow offensive commitments:
"I've spoken with Adonis [Jennings] and Saeed [Blacknall] a lot and Jonathan Hilliman a little bit too…It's really exciting getting a chance to know those guys and talk about the future and when we're all going to be there together.
South Brunswick 2015 ATH Dontae Strickland on Rutgers' opening game against Fresno:
"I think they played hard, and to be honest coach Flood did the right thing about trying to go for two because it was a late game and they were playing away, so if they would have gotten it the crowd would have been heartbroken. But all in all, they played well."
Darius Hamilton on the Rutgers defense:
"I think we just have to get back to playing Rutgers football; hard-nosed football, bringing it to you and swarming. We just have to get back to the basics."
Kevin Snyder on Rutgers pass defense against Fresno State:
"Their perimeter passing game and the way they schemed it and did things made it really difficult for us in space. There was a lot of space out there. That's why we missed 20-plus tackles. They made it really hard and we made a lot of mistakes. That is why the points and the yards piled up real quick."
Fat Cat Top Five [/B]
Top Five Freshman with the best chances of playing for the first time on Saturday
5.) Delon Stephenson
4.) Sebastian Joseph
3.) Lester Liston
2.) Nick Arcidiacono
1.) Justin Goodwin
Bobby's Crystal Ball [/B]
Paul James will go over 100 yards rushing against Norfolk State
Seven different receivers will catch passes for Rutgers on Saturday
Marcus Thompson will lead RU in sacks this weekend
Recruiting tidbits
WR Noah Brown - Pope John XXIII
Brown will be taking his official visit to Ohio State this weekend when the Buckeyes will face San Diego State. The Buckeyes are believed to be in a very good place to obtain a commitment from Brown this weekend. Scarlet Nation has learned that Brown will be the highest-rated uncommitted prospect on campus and OSU is prepared to push Brown for a commitment before he leaves. Multiple sources told Scarlet Nation during the week that OSU head coach Urban Meyer has targeted Brown as a high-priority recruit. Brown has maintained a desire to decide on a school before his opening game on September 12th. If Brown leaves Columbus undecided, the Buckeyes may ultimately choose to part ways with the four-star prospect which would bode well for Rutgers. The Buckeyes and Rutgers have been Brown's top two schools for some time, with OSU taking the lead after his unofficial visit in the summer. However, Rutgers made up significant ground (and possibly overtook the Buckeyes) in the weeks following the trip. If Brown does pick the Buckeyes after his visit, Rutgers could try to get him on campus soon thereafter for an official visit in an attempt to overturn his decision.
TE Logan Lister - Katy (Tex.)
Lister moved to offensive tackle in the summer for Katy out of necessity and put on an impressive blocking display in his team's ESPNU-televised 49-0 win over Alief Taylor High School last night.
As confirmed yesterday on the Round Table, Lister is moving forward with the effort to enroll early at Rutgers. He is the third commitment to begin the process toward early enrollment, joining Kam Lott and Brandon Russell.
"I am looking to enroll early because it will give me an opportunity to go through spring ball and learn the system faster," Lister told Scarlet Nation. "Hopefully it will give me the chance to contribute early."
OL Jacquis Webb - Gates-Chili (N.Y.)
Webb and his teammates make their season debut on Saturday against Pittsford (N.Y.) Mendon/Southerland, a top team locally.
"They've made the sectional finals I think three years running, but we're looking a lot better than last year," Webb said. "We're more confident."
Webb says he is in much better physical shape heading into this season than he was going into last. The Rutgers commitment has been in contact with fellow pledge Zack Heeman.
"He was just asking me if I was going to make it down this weekend to the game but I told him that it's my season-opener," Webb said. "But we did talk about meeting up at a future home game down the road."
QB Tyler Wiegers - Detroit Country Day (Mich.)
Country Day lost 44-28 to Zeeland West in the season opener last week, but Wiegers produced three touchdowns, two through the air and one rushing. He and his teammates face University of Detroit Jesuit this weekend.
"They're pretty good; they're like our main rival," Wiegers said. "We play them every week, second week of the year. Hopefully we get this one. It will be a good game."
TE/WR Bryan Dobzanski - Delsea
Scarlet Nation has learned, per Delsea head coach Sal Marchese, that Rutgers has recently offered a scholarship to the junior (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) as a tight end prospect. Scarlet Nation got our first look at Dobzanski in December as he helped lead his Delsea squad to the South 3 Group championship as a safety and split end during his first season of high school football.
Dobzanski is considered by many to be one of the best all-around athletes in New Jersey. This past winter, he won the 220-pound state wrestling title, going 46-0. He followed that up in the spring by striking out 36 batters in 24 innings with a 0.29 ERA while touching 90 mph on the mound for Delsea.
The interesting note here is that Dobzanski is currently committed to Louisville for baseball and hasn't practiced yet with the Delsea football team. He spent the summer doing baseball-related activities. Dobzanski has recently expressed an interest coming back to the football team so keep a close eye on this situation, especially if Rutgers misses on Mike Gesicki and Ryan Izzo who are similar prospects.
OL Steven Gonzalez - Union City
Gonzalez and his UC teammates took on Don Bosco in a major game scrimmage test last Thursday, and though the Soaring Eagles lost 28-0, there were positive signs to be found.
"Our problem was we couldn't finish drives. We were driving it on them, but we weren't able to finish," Gonzalez said. "It should have been 28-21. But we gained so much respect after that game."
Union City is a possible top-20 team in the state this season, paced by Gonzalez and fellow 2015 Rutgers offeree Daiquan Kelly. Gonzalez is looking to visit Rutgers next week for the Eastern Michigan game, while also going to check out Florida State at Boston College and Michigan at Penn State.
OL Grant Newsome - Lawrencville School
Newsome, a Virginia native who plays his high school ball in New Jersey, counts Rutgers among his early offers, along with Penn State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Temple and Old Dominion. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Newsome attended a Rutgers practice during training camp and enjoyed the day on campus.
"It was a good visit. I got to talk with coach Wrobo, coach Prince and coach Flood," Newsome said. "They tried to show me what the program was like and what Rutgers had to offer. I got to see how well-run everything was and how fast-paced it was. It didn't just show me about football but also what everyday life is like at RU."
A major prospect in the 2015 class, Newsome is looking to make a commitment before his senior (2014) season, but has no definitive timeframe set.
"I want to decide by then because I want to focus on my team for my final year, but I don't have a timetable," he said.
ATH Jordan Adams - Franklin (Md.)
Adams became the third Franklin prospect to receive an offer from the Scarlet Knights following classmate Pat Allen and class of 2016 WR Steven Smothers. Adams received the news from his primary recruiter this week.
"Coach Wrobo told me as soon as we got on the phone," Adams said of his RU offer. "He was very cool and he wanted to know details about my background. He wasn't just interested in football which pleased me a lot."
Adams has been pleased watching the progress of current Rutgers cornerback Ian Thomas, an alum of Franklin who Adams calls his 'big bro.' Virginia Tech offered Adams earlier this year while Virginia, Maryland and Michigan State are all keeping in contact.
ATH Darnell Savage - Caravel (Del.)
The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Savage, a 2015 prospect, already has an offer from Maryland and Rutgers made its first contact with him on Sept 1.
"I spoke with coach Flood. He just told me good luck and he wants me to come to a game along with him wanting to see me play live," Savage said. "It felt good. It always feels good when any school shows interest."
As of now, Savage says he's interested in checking out the Arkansas game on Sept 21. Other schools showing interest include USC, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Nebraska, Miami and Boston College are also involved in his recruitment.
OL E.J. Donahue - Linganore (Md.)
The massive 6-foot-5, 330-pound Donahue, a junior, picked up his fourth offer yesterday courtesy of the Scarlet Knights. Maryland, Old Dominion and West Virginia have also offered.
"I'm very excited about the ability to learn more about Rutgers and possible play there in the future," Donahue said. "It means a lot that the coaches see exciting stuff in my playing ability and personality."
Commits in the house
Rutgers' home opener is tomorrow, and several committed prospects are planning to be in attendance. Mount Olive offensive tackle Zack Heeman is scheduled to be present, and 4-star defensive back commitment Kiy Hester told Scarlet Nation on Thursday that he and DePaul teammate Justin Nelson, also an RU pledge, will be there.
Cedar Grove wide receiver David Njoku said he will be arriving late after practice, while Manalapan wideout Saeed Blacknall and Nottingham defensive back Saquan Hampton may also make the trip.
Rumson Fair-Haven defensive end Donald Bedell won't be able to make it due to practice obligations, but has his sights set on another home date.
"Hopefully [I'll be there] for the Arkansas game," Bedell told Scarlet Nation.
A few members of the class of 2015 may also take in the action on Saturday and those juniors include Barnegat offensive lineman Sam Madden, East Orange quarterback Devante Williams and Wallington quarterback Ryan Adzima.
Expect a large number of prospects in attendance at next week's game against Eastern Michigan, as well as for Arkansas. Both games should produce quality environments for different reasons---Eric LeGrand's jersey retirement ceremony prior to EMU and a relatively marquee non-conference opponent in Arkansas.
Eye on Rutgers
It will be a day of firsts for quite a few Scarlet Knights on Saturday as the Scarlet Knights host Norfolk State with a noontime kickoff. This week's eye on Rutgers takes a look at some of the firsts that will be taking place inside High Point Solutions Stadium.
Second-String QB
A little more than three years after making his commitment to Rutgers in August of 2010, quarterback Mike Bimonte could see his first bout of playing time at the college level. In what is expected to be a route against Norfolk State on Saturday, Rutgers will likely turn to a lot of reserves to finish out the game. Bimonte is behind Chas Dodd on the depth chart but it looks as though only an injury to Gary Nova would force Dodd into action this season. If Nova stays healthy all year, Dodd could receive a redshirt for not playing. He would then be able to transfer to another program for a fifth season and finish out his college career as a starter. Look for Bimonte to take over the offense when Nova bows out in the second half when the margin is relatively large.
Freshmen on the field
Only three freshmen saw the field last week in RU's season opener. Janarion Grant immediately turned heads with a 100-yard kickoff return that resulted in Rutgers' first touchdown of the season. Nadir Barnwell saw meaningful minutes as the team's No.4 cornerback and it wouldn't come as any surprise if he moved up the depth chart as the year went on. Wide receiver Andre Patton also showed up last week in a special teams role against Fresno State. Justin Goodwin could be in store for some carries this week as he showed a lot of potential through training camp. Lester Liston is listed as the backup middle linebacker and getting him some reps could prove very beneficial in the event that injury strikes the linebacking corps and he has to step in at some point this season. With tight end Paul Carrezola being a game time decision, Nick Arcidiacono looks like he will be headed for his first run on the college gridiron. Lastly, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph could get some run as he already looks the part of a starting d-lineman. His situation is an interesting one as there could be tremendous benefits from him playing as well as redshirting.
First starts
Rutgers is expected to send out a new starter at right guard as redshirt freshman Chris Muller will take the field with the first-team offense for the first time in his college career. Muller took over for Andre Civil, who left with an ankle injury in the second quarter against Fresno State. Muller appeared to get stronger as the game went on and has a very good chance of being the starter throughout the rest of the season at right guard. Muller could have some company as redshirt sophomore Tyler Kroft could earn his first start with starting Paul Carrezola questionable for Saturday's game. Kroft played a fair amount last week against Fresno State and hauled in one pass for seven yards. Lastly, redshirt sophomore Paul James will get his first start at tailback after his 182-yard performance against Fresno State. James' biggest battle at Rutgers has been staying healthy and if he can do that, the former walk-on could be in store for a big season.
White at home
Rutgers will wear all white uniforms at home instead of their traditional scarlet. There will also be a special white helmet worn just for this occasion. Rutgers wore special edition white helmets back in 2011 when the Scarlet Knights defeated Army 27-12 inside Yankee Stadium.
This post was edited on 9/6 2:28 AM by Bobby Deren
