Eight 4-stars & a top 5 recruiting class in tow: Rutgers football ends June official visits on fire! (2024)

Saturday marked the beginning of the end of an explosive stretch of Rutgers official visits when a four-star all-purpose back from the Big North joined Rutgers’ cause before being flanked by a key DB recruit from Florida, and the first player from South Carolina to choose Rutgers since Greg Schiano’s return.

If you haven’t noticed, Rutgers football recruiting, and staff in general, is on fire, and has used June to add future starters and depth better than any college football team over that span.

BUY RUTGERS FOOTBALL TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

Heading into June, Rutgers’ 2025 football recruiting class ranking dabbled in the mid-50′s out of 134 FBS teams. But, as recently as last week, the class soared as high as No. 5 nationally after adding a whopping 19 commitments following official visits this month — 13 from the first weekend (headlined by N.J. four-star offensive lineman Jae’lyne Matthews, wide receiver Michael Thomas III and running back John Forster), two from the second weekend, and four over the last three days.

“It was the relationship with Coach Schiano and Coach Susan, taking me under their wing and treating me like family,” Matthews told NJ Advance Media during his commitment ceremony at Toms River North last week. “The relationship I built with them and the players since I was in eighth grade led me to this, for sure.”

A four-star all-purpose back from St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, Forster announced his pledge to Rutgers on Saturday — two weeks after officially visiting the school.

A member of the NJ.com Top 50, Forster picked Rutgers over Penn State, Syracuse, Illinois, Tennessee, Pitt, Boston College, Duke, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The Orange, in particular, fought for his pledge. But, in the end, one school remained.

“I’ve known Rutgers was home for a while,” Forster told NJ Advance Media on Saturday. “Every time my family and I are there, it’s a great time. I knew I could be developed at a high level at Rutgers and that was the main factor for me.”

Rutgers earned its next key commitment on Sunday from CB Kaylib “Iceman” Singleton (6-1, 173), who officially visited on Friday and plays for the same school — Fleming Island in Orange Park, Fla. — as sophom*ore linebacker Abram Wright, who Singleton has a bond and shares a hometown with.

Prior to Rutgers, Singleton officially visited the Florida Gators, who most analysts had penciled in under his name. But, after exploring Piscataway, the Jersey Shore and Times Square, Iceman cancelled his trip to the University of Michigan, and joined its foe from the Big Ten East.

In Singleton and Michael Clayton — the 6-1, 170-pound CB from Georgia — Schiano has added 10.4 and 10.54 speed at the bookends. Add in the final cornerback grab of the weekend — Jakarrion Kenan, who is built similarly and boasts track speed — and Rutgers’ secondary is set.

The schools’ second Father’s Day pledge, and third of the weekend, came by way of Kenan, who averaged over 24 yards per catch, and in two years, had six INTs, a blocked punt and a blocked field goal for the Marlboro County Bulldogs.

Kenan has a large wingspan and will play cornerback or safety at Rutgers after cancelling his official visit to Mississippi State, which he scheduled prior to last weekend. Kenan will become the sole player from South Carolina to join Rutgers’ roster when he signs his national letter of intent in December.

Rutgers’ hot streak resumed Monday evening when 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge Canaan Edwards, from Langston Hughes in Fairburn, who is rated three-stars and officially visited Rutgers last weekend, became Rutgers’ fourth addition from Georgia this month.

Edwards is athletic, and after playing just two years of football, compares physically and experience-wise to senior Wesley Bailey, and has upside.

Twenty-seven players have joined Rutgers’ 2025 recruiting class, which entered Tuesday ranked sixth nationally per Rivals.com, and includes eight players ranked four-stars.

Among them are six offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, six DBs and four wide receivers, who mostly will join Rutgers in January.

Now that a running back has opted in, and with spots in the class dwindling, Rutgers can address its linebacker room, which could truly take off with Hun four-star Kamar Archie, who officially visited Rutgers last weekend, or if DJ McClary, who picked the Nittany Lions by way of Jersey City last fall, and is James Franklin’s third-ranked commit, stays home.

Outside of Rutgers’ newly minted commits, Rutgers hosted Steven Murray and Jyon Simon, who committed earlier this year, and non-committed Florida offensive linemen Demetrius Campbell and Jaden Wilkerson, New York OL Jayden Mann and Maryland DL Elijah Crawford.

There is nothing stopping Rutgers, who will lose most of its starting defense, wide receivers and key offensive linemen subsequent to next fall, from taking 30 high school seniors by time the sun sets on this class. But Rutgers will be selective, considering each high school addition means one less transfer portal player that Rutgers — a developmental program — can sign this winter.

Todderick Hunt covers Sports and Culture and Recruiting. Have a story idea or a tip? He can be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.