Meet the Newest Scarlet Knights

<table width="700"><tr><td align="center"><font face="arial" size="3"><u>Meet the Newest Scarlet Knights</u></font>

<font face="arial" size="1">by J. Chase Boyadjian</font></p></td></tr><tr><td><font face="arial" size="2">

The casual fan might look at Rutgers’ recruiting class for 2008 and feel a bit disappointed with the lack of blue chip recruits.
And although Rutgers did miss out on a few top tier projects, namely JB Fitzgerald and Brandon Smith, there’s no denying that the
Class of 2008 is one of the best in school history. Filled with tremendous athletes, two terrific quarterbacks, and massive lineman,
this class may not garner the respect of recruiting services around the country, but it has certainly made an impression on die-hard followers everywhere.</p>



The highlight of this year’s class is DC Jefferson, a massive quarterback out of Winter, Haven Florida. Listed as a 3-star prospect by rivals.com, DC has
been said to have the most pure potential out of any quarterback in 2008 besides Terrelle Pryor. The recruiting process for DC was an interesting one.
He originally committed to Rutgers back in the summer of 2007 before being quoted in a newspaper weeks later that he was considering LSU. A few months
later, that consideration grew into a de-commitment from Rutgers and a verbal to LSU. As DC’s senior season came to a close, however, word leaked that
he was considering switching back to the State University of New Jersey and days later, DC was once again a Scarlet Knight. Standing at 6’6”, Jefferson
is as big as they come at the quarterback position. He has one of the strongest arms in the nation, and although his vision is not the greatest and he
is still very raw, his potential is through the roof. A few years in the Rutgers program and he could be great.</p>



Keeping with the theme of retaining the top offensive line prospect in the state, Rutgers was able to secure a commitment from Art Forst (Manasquan, NJ).
Although not as heralded as last year’s gigantic recruit Anthony Davis, Forst has the potential to be just as effective as AD in the long run. Still a
little raw, Forst has enrolled early and will be getting a 6 month head start over his fellow 2008 signees. This added time in the program figures to help
Forst drastically, and as a result, he may even get a chance to see significant playing time as a freshman. He chose Rutgers over offers from Notre Dame and Florida
and is an outstanding student-athlete.</p>



Joining Forst on the offensive line will be massive tackle, Devon Watkis from New York. At 6'8" and 335 pounds, Watkis is hard to miss, and Rutgers
certainly didn't miss in recriuting him. Watkis committed way back in April of 2007 and stayed true to his commitment throughout his senior season despite hearing from
many Division 1 schools. Watkis figures to red-shirt his freshman year seeing as Rutgers had many top prospects red-shirt last year, including Caleb Ruch, Richard Muldrow,
and Desmond Stapleton. </p>



On the defensive side of the ball, Rutgers picked up the top defensive lineman from New York, Scott Vallone from powerhouse St. Anthony's. An absolute
workhorse, Vallone will remind many Scarlet Knights fans of current defensive lineman, Pete Tverdov. While leading his team to a state championship in his senior year, Vallone
posted impressive numbers: 71 tackles, including 16 for loss with eight sacks. His outstanding play won him CHSFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Given his outstanding ability to get to the quarterback, Vallone might get a shot on the defensive line come summer practice. He still needs to bulk up some more,
but there's no denying the talent this young man possesses. He will be a force at Rutgers for years to come. Scott had offers from many big time programs such as Boston College, Maryland, and Virginia. He verbally committed to Rutgers back in June of 2007. </p>



Staying on defense, we move to the linebacker position. Piscataway outside linebacker Marvin Booker is an absolute stud of an athlete who posted
ridiculous numbers for the Chiefs in 2007. Throughout the team's 11-1 season, Booker accumulated 113 tackles, of which 25 were for loss and five went for sacks. He also
forced three fumbles. His amazing play earned him second team all-state honors. Unfortunately, Booker is the classic "tweener" meaning he's a linebacker trapped in a
safety's body. As a result, he was hurt during his recruitment, earning only one other offer from Temple. A few months in the Rutgers strength and conditioning program
and Booker will likely shed that "tweener" reputation and develop into the true stud linebacker that he is. Rated as a two-star by rivals.com, Booker could end up being
a major steal in this year's class.</p>



Eric LeGrand from Colinia, New Jersey is the recruit that every coach wishes for. Eric loves his state university and committed to Rutgers early in
June of 2007. He has been a constant source of optimism throughout his senior year and has helped in convincing many recruits to come to Rutgers. At first glance, Eric
looks like he might be a defensive tackle, standing in at 6'3" and 240 pounds. But there's no mistaking this young man's true position after watching his film for only a few
seconds: he is the classic MIKE. Possessing ridiculous speed for a player of his size, Eric figures to help Rutgers' running defense drastically, even as early as next year.
Yes, he's that good and may even break the two-deep before the season starts. He already has all the instincts that a natural middle linebacker needs and his speed figures
to improve even more once he gets down to his ideal weight of about 230-235 pounds. If there's one thing he won't need to work on at Rutgers, it's his strength. He already
bench presses 430 pounds and has a ridiculous max squat of 650 pounds. Eric also had offers from Maryland and Virginia and was receiving heavy interest from both Florida
and Michigan before committing early to Rutgers.</p>



Keith Stroud came on late as a wide receiver prospect, eventually earning a four-star ranking from rivals.com and rising to the top of the prep school
list. Originally from Brooklyn, Stroud spent one year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia working on his grades.<img src="http://sportstwo.com/forums/uploads/1201228237/gallery_22_19_1585.png
" alt="Keith Stroud" align="left" hspace="2" />

Possessing all the great qualities found in top tier wide receivers, Keith Stroud is a physical specimen that matches up favorably with current Rutgers WR, Kenny Britt. They
are both very similar in stature and both know how to play their position better than most kids their age. Stroud has terrific hands and very rarely loses a jump ball to his defender.
His route running leaves something to be desired, but like Art Forst, Stroud enrolled early and figures to benefit greatly from the extra 6 months in the program. Do not be surprised
to see Stroud used a lot in the passing game next year depending on how well he develops over the summer and finetunes the little aspects of his game. He's going to be a good one.</p>



The Scarlet Knights were able to pick up a relatively unknown WR from Belle Glade, Florida in Eddie Poole. Not much is known about Poole, which explains
why basically all recruiting services have him as a two-star prospect. But what is known about him is definitely something Scarlet Knights fans will enjoy. First off, he comes
from the same high school that produced standout Rutgers player, William Beckford, along with upwards of 130 Division 1 athletes. Secondly, he is an absolute freak of an athlete and also excels in basketball and track. Poole's teammate, Travis Benjamin, was the big time
prospect on Glades Central this year, overshadowing all other players on the team. Nevertheless, Poole finished his senior year with 24 receptions for 533 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He had knee surgery in the spring of 2007, which also contributed to his lack of recruitment. It is unknown whether he will see time at WR or as a safety.</p>



Morgan Carter comes to Rutgers from Woodridge, Virginia. A quintessential athlete, Morgan Carter can play upwards of four positions
on a football field; he figures to get shots at wide receiver, tight end, safety, and possibly even linebacker. Morgan won WR MVP honors at the Elite College Combine held at
Rutgers over a year ago, beating out top prospects such as Dejuan Miller, Colin Larmond, and fellow future Scarlet Knight, Tim Wright. Rutgers was the first school
to offer Carter back in December of 2006, and that is one of the main reasons why he decided to come to the banks of the Old Raritan. Morgan not only excels on the field,
but also in the classroom. He has a 4.0 core GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, and takes multiple AP courses.</p>



The wide receiver class in New Jersey for 2008 was very impressive with three big time players. Rutgers was able to secure a commitment from one of these

fine athletes fairly early. Tim Wright
from Wall is rated by many services as the best wide receiver in the state, ahead of both Dejuan Miller and Colin Larmond. Tim is a quarterback's dream receiver:
he runs perfect routes, has a big frame at 6'4" and 205 pounds, and catches anything that's thrown in his vicinity. He also played multiple positions in high school, including
running back and safety. Wright figures to challenge for playing time as early as this year and has the potential to start once Tiquan Underwood graduates.</p>



The last player to verbally commit to the Scarlet Knights this year was Marcus Cooper, a wide receiver from Bloomfield, Connecticut.
Marcus earned All State honors this year and ended up with a ridiculous 1,071 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ranks second in Connecticut history with
3,014 career receiving yards, 43 touchdown receptions, and his 170 career receptions rank fourth in state history. His ability to gain big yards after the catch is
unbelievable and he possesses great speed for a player of his size. Marcus figures to be a red-shirt candidate if he stays at the wide receiver position, which seems to be the most likely scenario.</p>



Keeping with the theme of pure athletes is Brandon Jones from Sickleville, New Jersey. An under-the-radar prospect, Jones excels on
both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. He had an outstanding senior season that included eight interceptions on defense, two of which were returned for
touchdowns. Jones figures to get a shot at three positions, including wide receiver, cornerback, and safety. He will most likely red-shirt his freshman year.</p>



Khaseem Greene is an interesting recruit considering the fact that he was basically guaranteed a scholarship by Coach Schiano last year. The only problem
was that Greene was not qualified, thus forcing him to spend a year at prep school in Connecticut. He is originally from Elizabeth and earned second team all-state honors
his senior year. He is a big bodied safety that also has the potential to play linebacker in the future. Scarlet Knights fans should look forward to Greene's development
because he figures to be one of the top prospects to fight for playing time once Courtney Greene leaves next year.He is also a fantastic basketball player and is good friends with Rutgers shooting guard, Corey Chandler.</p>



One of the more intriguing recruits for Rutgers this year is Marquis Hamm. It had been a known fact that Hamm had been favoring Rutgers over
Colorado for some time and was likely going to commit to the Scarlet Knights. There was only one problem: he didn't have a scholarship offer. Hamm had been struggling to get qualified, and
as a result, Rutgers held off in offering him for quite some time.
Eventually, however, Hamm got the scholarship offer he had so desired on his official visit to the school in December. He committed on the spot. Hamm is one of the most
impressive looking athletes that you will come across. He is athletic as they come and can play multiple positions. Although listed as a defensive end by most recruiting
services, Hamm will get a look at tight end at Rutgers as well. He is one of three local New Brunswick prospects to head to Division 1 schools this year, joining teammates
Brandon Smith (Michigan) and Paul Vigo (Colorado).</p>



Coming into the recruiting season this year, it was a known fact that Rutgers needed to pick up a few true cornerbacks in the class. Things looked to be
in good shape over the summer when top Florida corners Janoris Jenkins and Brandon Harris declared Rutgers as their leader. However, time passed, Jenkins committed to Florida,
and Harris quickly indicated he wanted to stay close to home, and Rutgers was left without the corners they had wanted. Then it became known that under the radar recruit, David Rowe,
was considering Rutgers. Rowe is from Cocoa, Florida and although he is listed as a two-star prospect by rivals, he's definitely better than his ranking indicates. He was rated by
the Orlando Sentinel as the 63rd best prospect in Florida and also had an offer from Miami and was receiving heavy interest from South Carolina. Rowe has great instincts as a
cornerback and will likely fight for the starting spot left by Jason McCourty when he graduates next year. He is also a fantastic basketball and baseball player.</p>



With Rutgers going without a quarterback in last year's class, it was imperative that the Scarlet Knights pick up two in this class. Along with DC Jefferson,
Rutgers was also able to secure a commitment from Ewing QB, Steve Shimko. Shimko was highly touted early in his recruitment and figured to be a 20 offer kid.
However, with some very poor showings at combines over the summer, his stock dropped, and Rutgers ended up being his only offer. Nevertheless, the top quarterback in the state of
New Jersey this year figures to red-shirt his freshman season and eventually fight for playing time once Mike Teel graduates. Shimko is the third player in this class to enroll early
along with Art Forst and Keith Stroud.</p>



Last year, Maryland was very kind to Rutgers, providing the Scarlet Knights with two terrific athletes in Joe Lefeged and Jourdan Brooks.
Lefeged was one of the top freshman in the Big East, and while Brooks red-shirted, he figures to be in the mix this year for the starting running back spot. Well, Rutgers once again got one of
the top prospects from Maryland this year, athlete Wayne Warren. Warren played quarterback in high school, but was recruited as a defensive back by Rutgers.
He is as physically gifted as they come and will fight for playing time at safety as early as this coming year.</p>



For the third straight year, Rutgers was able to pick up the top running back in the state of New Jerey. The past two top backs, Kordell Young
and Mason Robinson, will be joined next year by speedster Rashad White. White is perhaps the fastest human being in any New Jersey high school this year,
boasting a 40 yard dash time of 4.4 seconds. Rashad had a ridiculous junior year posting numbers of 2,386 yards and 26 touchdowns, which earned him first team all-state honors.
During his senior year, however, schools were able to stack the box against Teaneck as they had virtually no other offensive options , thus limiting White to only 1,463 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. He earned second team all-state honors
this past year. White will get a chance to play at running back, slot receiver, and kick returner this year. Rutgers will find any way possible to get his speed on the field.
Rashad was the first prospect to commit to Rutgers for this class and stayed true to his verbal even when Tennessee put full-court pressure on him.</p>



The final player from Florida to commit to Rutgers this year was stud wide receiver, Malcolm Johnson. Johnson was one of the top athletes in Florida
this year and was considered a Rutgers lean for what seemed like forever. He finally made his decision late in the process and decided to play his college ball in New Brunswick.
His three-star ranking on both rivals and scout is not a good indicator of his ability. It is well known that Malcolm has had grade issues and was having trouble qualifying (he's still
not qualified; is re-taking the SAT soon), so his ranking suffered drastically. But there's no denying that Malcolm is a big time player and his other offers prove it: Arizona, Miami, Virginia Tech among others.
If Malcolm does qualify, he has a good chance of seeing playing time at either wide receiver or cornerback as a true freshman as he is just as effective on defense as he is on
offense. He is the cousin of current Rutgers wide receiver, Tim Brown. </p>



It is only fitting to end our future Scarlet Knights discussion with the final player to commit to Rutgers for the Class of 2008: Patrick Kivlehan.
Kivlehan received his offer literally 12 hours before 7:00 AM on LOI day, and as a result, many fans viewed him as an emergency back-up plan. While this was most likely the case, there's no doubt
that Kivlehan knows how to play this game. There are some scouts who would even argue that Kivlehan was the best high school player in the state of New Jersey this past year. The knock on
Patrick's game was that while he dominated in high school, he didn't have the skills needed to continue that success on to the collegiate level. In the end, however, Kivlehan got his offer
that he so desparately wanted and figures to make an impact on special teams next year. One last tidbit on Patrick: he's from St. Joseph's in Montvale. Sound familiar? Well, it should because
3/4 of the starting defensive backs for Rutgers last year came from the same school. Both of the McCourty's hail from St. Joes, as does safety, Ron Girault, whose story is eerily similar to Kivlehan's. Both received offers
hours before signing day and were not highly rated by any recruiting service whatsoever. All Girault has done since is start since his freshman year and earn all Big-East honors. He is now training
for the NFL draft and has a chance to be selected in the later rounds. Will Kivlehan follow in his footsteps? Only time will tell.</p>



For more complete coverage of all the future Scarlet Knights, visit ScarletKnights.com</p>
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Sick article! Thanks for putting in the hard work to keep us less informed fans in the know. An all-around professional and well written article.

edit: heh, I found one myself

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ Feb 10 2008, 01:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Sick article! Thanks for putting in the hard work to keep us less informed fans in the know. All all_around professional and well written article.</div>
Thanks. I was going to proof read it, but my head hurt. So there might be some mistakes in there.

EDIT: Just found one. Ha.

 

Malcolm Johnson Signing Day Article