When not hosting top local targets for two junior day events in January, Rutgers’ football staff spent most of the last month in high schools issuing offers while the latest contact period, which spanned from Jan. 13 to Jan. 28, remained opened. Coaches of players from Florida, and other states in the “State of Rutgers,” earned visits from Greg Schiano and staff despite living up to 1,100 miles from Piscataway. Let’s examine who received offers, how far the staff flew to deliver them, and why.
Greg Schiano signed off on 20 players throughout the country last month, according to 247Sports.com, while six more have been offered in February.
Of the 26 offers, Schiano offered 14 juniors, 11 sophomores and one high school freshman.
Five wide receivers and three tight ends were offered, highlighting Rutgers’ need for playmakers on the outside, and blocking along the edge.
Five defensive linemen received offers because teams can never have enough of those guys. Schiano also offered three athletes, two offensive tackles, two guards, two cornerbacks, one running back, a linebacker and two sophomore quarterbacks and future four-stars — Stone Saunders, a 6-2, 195-pounder from Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg, Pa.; and most recently, Malik Washington, a 6-5, 200-pounder from Archbishop Spalding in Severn, Md.
Players who earned offers hail from the following states: Florida (8), Pennsylvania (6), New Jersey (4), New York (2), Virginia (2), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (1), and Maryland (1).
Three of the Florida players come from Tampa, where Schiano resided while assisting at Berkeley Prep, where his two sons played. Two are from Orlando, while the other four call Miami, Kissimmee, West Palm Beach and Oviedo, home.
These targets are young and most have yet to be rated by the recruiting networks, but four already rank four-stars — Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach, Fla.) junior cornerback Josh Philostin, Saline (Mi.) junior tight end Dylan Mesman, Bishop McDevitt junior wide receiver Rico Scott, and Winslow Township (Atco, N.J.) sophomore wide receiver Cameron Miller.
A new dead period began on Sunday and will last through Feb. 28. The next quiet period begins on March 1 and ends on April 14, leading to the spring evaluation period which spans April 15 through May 31.
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Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.
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