Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is making the most of his successful 2011 season on the recruiting trail. After struggling through the 2010 season and missing a bowl, the Scarlet Knights rebounded in 2011 by winning nine games, including a Pinstripe Bowl victory Iowa State. With some positive momentum, Schiano is cashing in on the recruiting trail. With just a week to go before signing day, Schiano has another solid recruiting class lined up and is poised for a very big finish. Depending on the recruiting service you prefer, Rutgers already has one of the best recruiting classes in the Big East. If Greg Schiano and his staff finish the way some expect them to, the Scarlet Knights will easily sign the best recruiting class in the Big East and surely one of the top 25 classes in America.
According to the experts at Rivals.com, Rutgers will likely land as many as four more prospects rated four-stars or higher, three of them ranked in that site's top 100 prospects nationally. in making their predictions, the team at Rivals predicted that Rutgers will land a pair of prospects from nearby Don Bosco Prep: defensive end Darius Hamilton and defensive back Yuri Wright. Hamilton is rated five stars and Wright is rated four stars. Hamilton is ranked the #11 player in the nation while Wright is ranked #85. They also predict that Rutgers will win the battle for in-state athlete Devin Fuller, who is rated four stars and is ranked the #37 player in the nation.
In addition to those three predictions from the crew at Rivals, Mike Farrell with Rivals also predicts that four-star offensive line JJ Denman, who is currently committed to Wisconsin but considering other schools, will commit to Rutgers as well. Denman would be the second four-star offensive lineman in Rutgers class and would go a long way towards stabilizing the offensive line for the future. They would also join linebacker Quanzell Lambert and wide receiver Leonte Carroo as the highest rated member of what is shaping up to be one of Schiano's best recruiting classes yet.
Be sure to check out our Recruiting Section for additional news as national signing day approaches.