Oliver Pulls The Trigger, Commits to Scarlet Knights

As Double G Sports mentioned in a previous article that Pennsylvania high school defensive lineman Tymir Oliver held Rutgers in high regard, and was considered a top target to round out the 2016 recruiting class, Oliver pulled the trigger and committed to the Scarlet Knights on Wednesday as his mother accompanied him to campus.

2016 DE/DT commit Tymir Oliver (Scout.com)

“I already knew it was the time to make the decision,” Oliver told NJ.com. “I just needed my mother’s approval, and she felt good about the school. …I just told [head coach Kyle Flood] I wanted to play for Rutgers and he reached out and shook my hand. He said he was really happy to have me and I’m happy to finally be a Knight.”

The West Philadelphia Catholic product is a big 6-foot-3, 265-pound lineman who is versatile. According to Scout.com, Brian Fluck, his high school coach, said, “Tymir’s a hard worker. He conditions hard. He’s really serious about his academics and football. On the field wise, he’s quick and athletic for his size. He can play the defensive end position or defensive tackle. He has a very quick first step. He played both sides of the ball for us – offensive line and tackle. He’s a good run stopper as well as a pass rusher. He does a lot for us.”

Oliver will either play outside at defensive end at Rutgers, or, if he continues to get bigger, can slide inside and help clog up the middle. The Scarlet Knights have made a valiant effort to get bigger on both the offense and defensive lines in the weight room and recruiting to help compete in the Big Ten Conference. The three-star prospect fits that regard.

The 18th member of the 2016 recruiting class chose Rutgers over other offers from Illinois, Virgina, Boston College, Purdue, Northwestern and Temple among others. As a junior, Oliver racked up 60 tackles, three sacks, and a fumble recovery according to MaxPreps.com.

Oliver joins Venice, Fla. defensive tackle Jarrod Hewitt on the defensive line in the 2016 class. With the addition of Oliver, Rutgers now sits nationally with the No. 44 recruiting class in the country according to the 247Sports Composite.

Rutgers fans, be on the lookout as highly-touted Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.) cornerback Patrice Rene will make his collegiate intentions public on Aug. 8 at noon. Rutgers is believed to be squarely in the mix.

As the recruiting class comes closer and closer to being complete, stay with us at Double G Sports to see who will join the castle as Knights next.