Archbishop Carroll's Taylor commits to Rutgers Waiting on confirmation from both rivals and scout. I don't really get this one since we already have 5 DB's committed; there are more pressing needs to fill with the few remaining ships.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JCB @ Jul 30 2008, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Archbishop Carroll's Taylor commits to Rutgers Waiting on confirmation from both rivals and scout. I don't really get this one since we already have 5 DB's committed; there are more pressing needs to fill with the few remaining ships.</div> Confirmed. Adding Some Florida Flavor
Mark Brazinski has de-committed. Rutgers is still in it, however. He's just starting the whole process over again.
New commitment (and likely Mark Brazinski's replacement): David Osei. He was offered yesterday once Brazinski de-committed. He was at the Big Man Camp in June, so the staff obviously likes him. He's currently about 6'4" 250 lbs, but can probably get up to 285 fairly easily since he's a wrestler. Wrestler's always need to keep their weight down. He had offers from UConn, UMass, and Delaware. We'll probably find out more later on. This definitely is a sign that Brazinski is probably going to UPenn.
Another commitment today: Malcolm Bunche. This one is BIG. He was my top remaining offensive line prospect remaining on the board. The kid has a big, big chance to play on Sundays. This is almost Anthony Davis-like.
I used to be a bg RU football fan, stopped paying attention throughout last year and some years before. But this year I'll be watching every game and can't wait for the season to begin.
Dec. 14 De'Antwan Williams, RB Woodbridge, VA Woodbridge High School Scouts Grade: 79 Position Rank: 37 Virginia running back De'Antwan Williams to Rutgers Rated No. 37 among running backs, De'Antwan Williams of Woodbridge, Va., has agreed to sign a Class of 2009 scholarship offer from Rutgers. Williams holds other offers from Alabama, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Virginia, Boston College, Illinois, Maryland and Marshall. ESPN's Billy Tucker said of the news, "Rutgers bounced back and finished strong this past fall on the gridiron and look to be doing the same off the field with the pickup of Williams. After losing its fair share of decommitments this recruiting season, including talented in-state safety Gerald Hodges (Paulsboro, N.J.) this weekend, Williams hopes to give the Scarlet Knights a boost on the recruiting trail heading down the stretch." "A back with high-carry potential in Piscataway, Williams may be short but is compact, runs with a low center of gravity and good downhill strength between the tackles. He may eventually remind Rutgers' fans of Ray Rice with his stature and "carry the load" type running style. Consistently breaks initial contact with his good balance, explosiveness and lower-body power. Williams may not possess great top-end speed but is still a threat to break off a few big runs a game." "Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano have lost a few talented prospects this recruiting season but still may be putting together one of their better classes since he started this great rebuilding project in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights currently boast three top-20 positional prospects led by ESPN's No. 12-rated quarterback Tom Savage (Philadelphia/Cardinal O'Hara) but are plenty deep in solid prospects like Williams as well." Dec. 17 Jamal Merrell, ATH Newark, DE Paul M. Hodgson Voc-Tech H.S. Scouts Grade: 79 Position Rank: 38 Jamal Merrell, twin Jamil pick Scarlet Knights Highly-coveted athlete Jamil Merrell and his twin brother, defensive end Jamal, have committed to sign with Rutgers. Jamal told the News Journal, "We just thought it was time to make our decision. We let our mom and dad know first and it was more of a family decision, but it was mainly our (the two brothers') decision." Several other programs such as Pittsburgh, Florida State, Iowa, North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Tennessee were after the two-for-one package. Dec. 17 Jamil Merrell, DE Newark , DE Paul M. Hodgson Voc-Tech H.S. Scouts Grade: 80 Position Rank: 15 Rutgers captures talented Merrell Twins Twins Jamil and Jamal Merrell of Hodgson Voc-Tech (Newark, Del.) have committed to Rutgers. Jamil is considered No. 15 nationally among defensive end prospects, while Jamal is rated No. 37 as an athlete. Jamal is expected to play outside linebacker. ESPN's Craig Haubert said of the news, "Rutgers scored a good two-for-one deal on the recruiting trail out of Delaware of all places. Talented twins Jamil and Jamal Merrell both committed to the Scarlet Knights and bring athleticism and upside to the Big East program." "Jamil projects as a defensive end and displays the tools to develop into a player at the position. He has good natural physical attributes with a tall frame and a good wingspan. He will need to hit the Rutgers weight room and add serious bulk to his frame as he is very lean. When he uses his hands he plays the run well. He moves well, can be tough to block, and his speed and long strides allows him to run down plays. He also displays the ability to be a productive pass rusher. He has that sleek lean speedy look of an edge rusher and as he develops his pass rushing arsenal he could cause problems off the edge." "His twin brother is a lot like him in the fact that Jamal also needs to add weight. He though could project to several positions. On defense he could project to safety where he displays good range. He could develop into an outside linebacker. He shows upside there, but will need to learn to play lower and work through the trash. He could also play tight end and could be an interesting prospect there as he has good hands and his size and speed could create some mismatch problems." "Both these brothers are good additions to this 2009 Rutgers class. They both need to get bigger and will need to adjust to a jump in competition coming from Delaware, but they certainly do have nice upside and ability." Among other offers were Florida State, Iowa, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Dec. 19 Antwan Lowery, DT Miami, FL Christopher Columbus High School Scouts Grade: 81 ESPN150 Rank: 123 Position Rank: 8 Scarlet Knights land ESPNU 150 DT Antwan Lowery Under Armour All-American Antwan Lowery has pledged to Rutgers over offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami-Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Southern California and Auburn, among many others. ESPN's Craig Haubert said of the commitment, "Big week for Rutgers on the recruiting trail. After landing the talented Merrell twins earlier this week the Scarlet Knights made another move with family ties. Big defensive tackle Antwan Lowery committed to Rutgers and will join his older brother Antonio who is a linebacker there." "It has certainly been a family affair this week in Piscataway. Ties aside the addition of Lowery is a big one as has the tools to be a handful in the trenches. He is big bodied kid who looks like a defensive tackle. Of the top 12 defensive tackles he is one of the biggest overall and carries the most bulk. He can be a stout presence against the run as he does a good job of taking on blocks and is very good at using his hands to separate and shed from blockers to make tackles." "While he can be a run stuffer Lowery is more then just a big space eater, the kid actually possess very good quickness for a player with his size and is able to explode off the ball and get penetration to be disruptive in the backfield. His initial quickness and activity with his hands makes him a threat as an interior pass rusher." "This kid has the tools to be a very good college defensive tackle. He does need to watch his weight and keep it at an appropriate level that will allow him to get the most out of his abilities. With the Holidays rapidly approaching Rutgers is scoring big on some last minute shopping and Lowery is a big gift that should make Scarlet Knight fans very happy." Dec. 21 Quron Pratt, CB Palmyra, NJ Palmyra High School Scouts Grade: 77 Position Rank: 35 Cornerback Quron Pratt pledges to Rutgers The Scarlet Knights have landed a Class of 2009 commitment from Quron Pratt of Palmyra, N.J. He spoke with the Philadelphia Inquirer about the decision, "I liked everything about Rutgers, what (head coach) Greg Schiano has done. Plus it's close to home, and my family, who have always supported me, can get to my games." Pratt owns Palymyra's career interceptions record with 20. Four of those picks came this fall along with 10 touchdown receptions, helping him earn a spot on the all-area first team. Recruited as a cornerback / wide receiver, he also considered Akron, Army, Duke and Northwestern.
