Coach Schiano and the Rutgers coaching staff have been cooking with gas over the last two days as Schiano’s guys have landed nine commits in the past two days. Four of these recruits committed to the program on Saturday while five others committed on Sunday.
Weekend Commitment Timeline
It started with Miron Gurman, a defensive end from Spencerport, New York. He comes in at 6 foot 6, 255 pounds, with a three-star rating from 247sports.com. He has experience at offensive tackle but was recruited by Schiano to play for the defense.
Next came the first of three prospects from Georgia, Braxton Kyle. Kyle is a 6 foot 3, 320-pound defensive tackle who played at North Gwinnett in Suwanee Georgia. 247sports currently lists him as a three-star. He announced his decision via Twitter, choosing Rutgers over programs such as Appalachian State and Bowling Green.
The defensive line would get even more help on Saturday, landing 6 foot 4, 241 pounds, edge rusher Raedyn Bruens out of Lynn Haven Florida. Bruens is rated as a three-star by 247sports. Rutgers was the first power four school to offer Bruens and he ultimately chose to play for the Knights despite other schools such as Miami sending him offers later on.
Moving back over to Georgia, Rutgers saw its second commit of the weekend out of the Peach State come in the form of a cornerback named Micheal Clayton. Clayton is a 6 foot 1, 170-pound defensive back from Warner Robins, Georgia. 247sports currently has him rated as a three-star. One important thing to note is how fast he is, running a 4.47 40-yard dash time.
Schiano went to work on Sunday landing five more commits
Staying in the state of Georgia, Rutgers landed its third commit from the Peach State this weekend in the form of Chase Linton. Linton is a 6-foot-4 defensive end from Atlanta who currently has a three star rating by 247sports. He committed to Rutgers immediately after his official visit.
Next came Baltimore City College receiver Vernon Allen. Allen is 6 foot 3, 185 pounds and is rated as a three star by 247. As a Junior, Allen totaled 74 catches for 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns. He chose Rutgers over Duke, Syracuse, and Big Ten rival Wisconsin.
Returning to New Jersey for a little bit, Rutgers lands Bergen Catholic prospect Chris Vigna. Vigna is a 6 foot 5, 295-pound, three-star interior offensive lineman who chose Rutgers over West Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburg. Vigna played all over the line during his Junior year at BC.
Joining the offensive line unit comes N-Kye Wynn from Muskegon, Michigan. Wynn is a 6 foot 5, 277-pound, interior offensive lineman with a three-star rating by 247sports. He has registered 67 pancake blocks during his time at Muskegon High School and chose Rutgers over offers from another Power 4 school, Arkansas.
Finally, the last recruit of the weekend was wide receiver Jourdin Houston out of St. Thomas More in Connecticut. Houston is a three-star who is 6 foot 1, 190 pounds. He has officially committed to Rutgers one week before his originally scheduled official visit next weekend, which he moved up to this weekend. He is the second wide receiver to join Rutgers this weekend despite being recruited by Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland.
The Georgia to Rutgers connection
Rutgers has done very well in the state of Georgia this weekend landing more recruits in the Peach State than they did in their home base of New Jersey. Rutgers has recruited very well in states such as Florida and Michigan since coach Schiano returned to the banks of the Raritan. Despite needing to recruit New Jersey much better, a solid Georgia connection to Rutgers only stands to boat in the Knights’ favor as they begin to compete more and more in a tough Big Ten Conference.
