ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill on why Rutgers football signee Gabe Winowich is a four-star

kristian dyer

Wed, Jan 3, 2024, 10:52 AM·15 min read

Tom Luginbill is a big believer in Gabe Winowich, the four-star running back who is signed and sealed for Rutgers football. Winowich may not have an impressive offer list, but the ESPN analyst believes he is a standout player and an elite talent.

Winowich is a four-star running back with just two Power Five offers (Maryland and Rutgers football) but he is a four-star and part of the ESPN 300. Originally from Michigan, he moved to New Jersey for his senior season and played at Notre Dame Prep (Lawrenceville).

There he partnered with quarterback A.J. Surace (a three-star ranked seventh in New Jersey by Rivals), also a Rutgers commit. Both players are expected to enroll at Rutgers in January.

On Tuesday, Luginbill was asked about his thoughts about Winowich and why the future Rutgers running back was a four-star by ESPN despite only holding a pair of Power Five offers.

“We really liked him. He’s in our ESPN 300 – we don’t care about offers, we care about what he shows us. And we just liked him on film,” Luginbill said.
“We thought he was a really good high-end player and you know what, listen in recruiting and these cycles now, there’s roughly 2,800 kids that will sign an FCS letter. You’re sometimes you’re going to miss on guys and you’re going to pick a guy instead of looking at another guy – and that happens with programs across the country each and every day of the year. So the fact that he didn’t get a lot of attention, I think is a win for Rutgers because they get a really, really good player that they didn’t have to fight over really hard for and he is in their footprint.”

The changing landscape of college football, headlined by conference expansion, is impacting Rutgers. If Rutgers is to continue their progression and their rebuild following a 7-6 season and a win over Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl, they will need to continue adding quality recruits from ‘The State of Rutgers.’

“I think was what’s happened with the Big Ten with conference realignment and expansion, you know, for schools like Rutgers who like Minnesota, Maryland to some degree…the landscape just got more competitive,” Luginbill said.
“It just got more difficult, right? And in New Jersey, where there’s generally each and every year a high level of quality of player, the more those guys Rutgers can get home and prevent leaving, the better chance they have of competing and being relevant on the field. So my take is Greg Schiano knows that, he knows that as well as anybody else. He knows it isn’t the Big East anymore.”

Luginbill will be on the call for the Under Armour All-America Game on Wednesday, January 3 at 4:00 pm EST (ESPN). The annual all-star game features another very strong roster.

One player, four-star wide receiver Braylon Burnside, is set to commit during the game. Burnside is down to Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

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Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai.

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