Rutgers football has been on a roll in the 2025 recruitment class and they just added to the streak. Yesterday, four-star Linebacker out of the Hun school in New Jersey Kamar Archie committed to play for the Scarlet Knights. This four-star linebacker commitment comes in addition to the two other four-star linebacker commitments in June. Their names are D.J. McClary and Talibi Kaba. These three rank among the highest-rated linebacker commits to ever set foot in Piscataway.
Three New Linebackers
Rutgers under Greg Schiano has always had a record for a strong defense. However, despite a few stars like Gary Brackett and Mohammed Toure, they have always been known to have the defensive backs as the main focal point of the defense, not the linebackers. This crop of linebackers has the chance to change that.
Starting off with Archie and what he brings to the table, his game can be simplified into just a few words, fast and physical. He doesn’t shy away from contact. He takes on blocks very well. He delivers on his tackles rather than just absorbing them. He also flies to the ball carrier. When he tracks down the direction of the play and makes a fast break toward the ball. He always manages to find himself around the ball when the play is over.
The one issue with his game is that it isn’t quite refined yet. He does not have many tricks up his sleeve or moves that he could put on to shed blocks and such. However, all of that can be taught. What can’t be taught is vision, speed, and physicality, and he has all three.
Next up is D.J. McClary. McClary was originally committed to play for Penn State last September but thanks to moving elements on the Nittany Lion staff, particularly Manny Diaz flipping to being a coach at Duke, and a close relationship with Rutgers due to his brother Isaac Holmes playing for the Scarlet Knights, he decided to flip his commitment in June. His two biggest upsides are his pursuit and his tackle integrity. He flows well with the play just like Archie. He always finds himself around the ball carrier when the play is finished. During his Junior season at Henry Snyder, he registered 95 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
His tackle integrity is impressive as well. Once he got his hands on the ball carrier they never seemed to slip away. This should be expected out of a college linebacker but still, it is impressive just how rare it occurred on his game tape.
Rounding out all the four stars who are expected to play Linebacker for Rutgers we have Talibi Kaba. Kaba, despite being listed as an athlete on his recruiting profile is expected to be a Linebacker for Rutgers. The biggest attribute that he will bring to Rutgers is his instincts. Kaba is excellent at dissecting plays and tracking down ball carriers. He has great vision and can recognize the other team’s plays, putting himself in a good position to make a play. When he does get into position, he also has the athleticism to back it up. His relentless motor is something that other teams will have to take note of when he sets foot on the field.
