The 2010 Rutgers football recruiting class

The 2010 recruiting class for Rutgers and head coach Greg Schiano was rather slow to develop. The wait was worth it as some late commits made this class respectable. This year Schiano seems to have re-affirmed his ground in Florida while still bringing in some home grown talent. New Jersey had some what of a down year as far as high school seniors go. Let’s take a look at the new Scarlet Knights. Recruits are in order by positions.

QB

Chas Dodd – Dodd is from South Carolina and chose Rutgers early on and kept his word. He is a natural leader on the field and brings a big accurate arm along with his high football IQ. The knock on Dodd is his size. At just 6′ and 190 lbs,  he may have trouble seeing the field behind the big Rutgers offensive lineman. Dodd may be the backup to Tom Savage this season.

RB

Jawan Jamison – This three star recruit from the Bolles School in Florida does not have great top end speed but he does break tackles. He is a shifty back that runs very low to the ground. Reminds people of former Rutgers star, Ray Rice. Jamison chose Rutgers over offers from Clemson and Northern Illinois.

Casey Turner – Turner is a durable and balanced runner. He was a workhorse for his high school in Florida where he ran for 2,232 yards and 31 TD’s his senior year. This workhorse had offers from North Carolina, Arkansas, Illinois, and South Florida among others.

Jordan Thomas – The #5 rated back in New York brings a 4.45 40 yard dash time along with his good football IQ and instincts. He also has good hands out of the backfield. One of those players that has a knack for making plays when the ball is in his hand. Thomas could play RB, WR, or defensive back for Rutgers. Thomas was rated as a three star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. Other offers were, North Carolina, Syracuse, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and Oregon State.

WR

Brandon Coleman – On paper this is a huge pick up for Rutgers. A four star receiver that played in the Under Armor All-American game, Coleman was highly regarded nationally. He is a big target that stands at 6’6″ as well as having a 32 inch vertical leap. Coleman is not overly fast but his long strides allow him to beat defenders off the line. While he needs to improve his route running, he does have good body control. With his size, Coleman could be moved to tight end. Other offers were from Notre Dame, Maryland, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech and more.

Jawaun Wynn – One of the home grown talents in this class, a three star prospect. Wynn is from Piscataway and is staying there for college. Like Coleman, Wynn has a big time vertical leap. He is a physical specimen with an NFL body. This sometimes keeps him to stiff however. While a project, Wynn could be a dangerous athlete for Rutgers. Other offers were Boston College, Connecticut and Temple.

Offensive Line

Betim Bujari – Enrolled at Rutgers early and will be able to participate in spring practices. Bujari is a very well built and strong lineman but does need to work on his technique. Most likely a guard on this level. He is from Secaucus, NJ.

Chris Fonti – Maybe the most upside of this offensive line unit. Fonti is a monster, 6’7″ 310 lbs. He is very physical and loves to pound people. Was the #8 overall prospect in New Jersey. Could be a big time player. Had other offers from East Carolina, Louisville, Delaware, and Florida International.

Rob Forst – Brother of current Rutgers starting lineman Art Forst. The young Forst has good feet. He adds depth at the position and could play either guard or center. De-commit from Delaware once Rutgers offered.

Frank Quartucci – A big, strong lineman that gave Greg Schiano chills with his story about dreaming of playing for Rutgers as a kid. He is quick and has good technique, however he played low competition on the high school level.

Jorge Vicioso – One of the top wrestlers in the state, Vicioso is a raw athletic lineman. He is very strong behind his 6’5″ 290 lbs body. He has the best feet of all the offensive lineman in this class. Rutgers is hoping he will qualify academically. Had an offer from Louisville.

Defensive Line

Djwany Mera – Mera needs to add about 20 pounds to play defensive end on this level but he is productive. He had 22 sacks as a high school senior out of Florida. Mera was somewhat of an under the radar type prospect that came on late.

Taj Alexander – Pittsburgh tried to steal this big lineman from Pennsylvania but he stayed committed to Rutgers. Alexander will likely be moved to the offensive line. He brings tons of potential.

Kenneth Kirksey – Kirksey was one of the guys that saved this class. He took it to the wire as Rutgers was still unsure if they would land this kid on signing day. He brings speed and strength to the defensive tackle position. Could be the player Rutgers has been missing since Eric Foster graduated to the NFL. Somewhat of an unknown as Scout.com has him as only a one star prospect but Rivals.com rated him at three stars. Had offers from Florida International, Iowa State, and Michigan State.

Linebacker

Fred Overstreet – One of the top 20 prospects in the Tampa area, Overstreet also played tight end in high school. He is an athletic and fast linebacker that plays active. He brings good size at 6’2″ 210 lbs. Had offers from Minnesota, Purdue and Syracuse.

Sam Bergen – Torn ACL’s in both his junior and senior years kept his recruiting down. He otherwise would have been one of the top linebackers out of Pennsylvania. He is a very hard hitter that could be moved to fullback.

David Milewski – Another linebacker that played tight end in high school. Milewski is from Sayreville, NJ and could play middle linebacker, tight end, or defensive end for Rutgers depending on how he develops. He is a solid linebacker that has a nose for the ball. Very athletic. Strong football IQ. Other offer was from Monmouth.

Marcus Thompson – This guy is a beast. Thompson also played running back in high school. At 6’2″ 225 lbs, Thompson runs like a deer and hits like a mack truck. He is a very active and big time hitter from the linebacker position. Could have an immediate impact.

Defensive Backs

Rashad Knight – A four star safety from Jacksonville, Florida. Knight is a strong, big time player. He will punish the opposition with big time hits. He was the #19 ranked defensive back. Very physical and has good cover skills as well. Could play safety or corner for Rutgers. He chose Rutgers over Michigan.

Gareef Glashen – This Miami product needs to improve his tackling and physical play but he is a speedy corner with good cover skills. He ran a 4.42 40 yard dash. Other offers were Syracuse, Memphis, Colorado State and more.

Jeremy Deering – This Tampa product chose Rutgers over Florida State on live television in Tampa the night before signing day. He is another extremely athletic player that could play multiple positions for Rutgers. Deering is a three star player that has been ranked as high as four stars in some rankings. He could play safety, corner, wide receiver or quarterback out of the wildcat package.

Lorenzo Waters – Yet another can’t miss prospect in the defensive backfield. Waters is from DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland. One of the most physical safeties in the country. He is very tough and plays the safety position like a linebacker. He is a big time hitter. Plays similar to his cousin, current Rutgers safety Joe Lefeged. Other offers were from California, Iowa, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.

Athletes

Tejay Johnson – Egg Harbor native brings game braking speed. He was the New Jersey 100-meter track champion. His is raw but very athletic and could play defensive back, wide receiver or running back for Rutgers. Had offers from Nebraska, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Michigan State.

J.T. Tartacoff – Set school records at Montgomery high school in New Jersey. Another player that brings serious speed. Has a 4.34 40 yard dash time. Tartacoff could be a dangerous slot receiver and kick returner for Rutgers. He has great hands and very good football IQ. Needs to put some time in the weight room to bulk up a little bit.

Overview

Many people are not to high on this class. I think its a very good class as Rutgers was able to bring big time speed and athleticism while filling some needs. Some of these players may contribute immediately. A few players seem like projects but they appear to have some big time upside. If a few of these recruits work hard and develop, Rutgers could have some big steals in this class. Nine players from New Jersey and nine from Florida. It’s not often you see players choosing Rutgers offer offers from schools like Michigan, Florida State, Iowa, etc.. Overall if I had to grade the class, I would give it a B. Definitely no lower then a B-