NJ Recruiting

[Eagleton96]

Was looking at the football offer list and I was surprised at how few of the recruits were from NJ. It's just an impression, but it seems less than even a few years ago.

I know we didn't always land all of our targets from NJ, but seemed like the offers at least went out.

Anyone have any insight? Are we recruiting over them? Are we not making offers because the top NJ kids aren't interested? Or maybe it's always been this way? Maybe just a down year in NJ?

We all know that the academic reputation of Rutgers gets better the farther away from NJ you get. Wondering if something similar is happening here.

 

[Mr_Twister]

This is a Show Me the Money era.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

Was looking at the football offer list and I was surprised at how few of the recruits were from NJ. It's just an impression, but it seems less than even a few years ago.

I know we didn't always land all of our targets from NJ, but seemed like the offers at least went out.

Anyone have any insight? Are we recruiting over them? Are we not making offers because the top NJ kids aren't interested? Or maybe it's always been this way? Maybe just a down year in NJ?

We all know that the academic reputation of Rutgers gets better the farther away from NJ you get. Wondering if something similar is happening here.

The quality of players coming out of NJ in the last few years is not the same as it once was 15 or 20 years ago. There is something different about NJ players of today. IMO, they are front-runners who want the world while not being able to produce according to their ranking.

 

[chase_NJ]

The 2026 NJ class is weak (relatively speaking). You go where the talent is.

 

[DJ Spanky]

The quality of players coming out of NJ in the last few years is not the same as it once was 15 or 20 years ago.

The 2026 NJ class is weak (relatively speaking).

The above, plus we've moved to a more national footprint. If you've noticed we have been pulling more recruits from the Midwest and the Southeast.

 

[satnom]

The quality of players coming out of NJ in the last few years is not the same as it once was 15 or 20 years ago. There is something different about NJ players of today. IMO, they are front-runners who want the world while not being able to produce according to their ranking.

Attitudes no different than years from the past.

GO RU

 

[MADHAT1]

The above, plus we've moved to a more national footprint. If you've noticed we have been pulling more recruits from the Midwest and the Southeast.

When RU was in the BE it's recruiting ground basically was in the East and Florida ( Schiano's connections)
After joining the B1G recruiting area expanded to the Midwest and some were recruited in southern states because of being in the B1G.
Now with West Coast programs in the B1G recruiting there will be easier.
Rutgers now is recruiting talent all across the nation, but the recruiting is still stronger in the areas it plays , like the east and midwest and Florida where Greg still can bring in the talent to RU.

 

[Eagleton96]

The above, plus we've moved to a more national footprint. If you've noticed we have been pulling more recruits from the Midwest and the Southeast.

I've definitely noticed it. But still the small number of offers to NJ kids was striking.

I did a little counting. This year we have 14 offers out to NJ kids. Last year we had 11 COMMITS from NJ kids with 27 NJ offers.

 

[cubuffsdoug]

Attitudes no different than years from the past.

GO RU

I got out of coaching because the attitudes of the players and parents are self-centered. Too much influence by what they see. These are HS kids looking for an opportunity, but most think they have arrived already.

 

[yesrutgers01]

I got out of coaching because the attitudes of the players and parents are self-centered. Too much influence by what they see. These are HS kids looking for an opportunity, but most think they have arrived already.

I am so glad that in 2004, my wife and I were blissfully ignorant of the recruiting process. We would often wonder why his HS Coach was so stressed out about it. lol

 

[jakeknight]

Georgia is similar to Fla. in terms of talent, Jersey has a far smaller talent pool, in NJ we need to overcome past perceptions, and familiarity, plus the local media outlets often hurt rather than help RU. We have a much better national rep than we do in NJ.
Jersey every year probably produces 3-6 can’t miss player with another 6-10 with a major offer lists. Fla, Ga. and Carolina’s to a more limited extent produce multiples of the NJ numbers.
Plus the Big and the SEC have a dominant growing National rep. In