Rutgers football's big recruiting weekend: These top prospects will be on campus
It’s going to be a busy recruiting weekend for Rutgers football.
Greg Schiano and his coaching staff will be hosting a large number of recruits as the Scarlet Knights look to build out their 2025 recruiting class – part of the weekend will include watching the men’s basketball team play second-ranked Purdue on Sunday at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Rutgers so far has one commitment in its 2025 class, a pledge from Florida quarterback Sean Ashenfelder.
Will anyone join him this weekend?
That remains to be seen. But Schiano and Co. certainly have momentum coming of the program’s first winning season since 2014 and a Pinstripe Bowl victory.
Here’s a look at just some of the key targets set to visit Piscataway this weekend:
John Forster, RB, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, NJ)
A three-star prospect and the 10th-ranked recruit in New Jersey for the 2025 class, Forster boasts a strong list of offers Penn State, Illinois, Tennessee and Maryland. Forster as a junior ran for 311 yards on 50 carries with five touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back has visited Rutgers several times previously.
Michael Troutman, OL, DePaul (Wayne, NJ)
The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Troutman has plenty of offers, including Michigan State, Penn State, Texas A&M and Syracuse, in addition to Rutgers. But Schiano and Co. will be hoping to convince the local product to represent his home state with the Scarlet Knights.
Cameron Smith, LB, St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia)
Landing Smith would be a big victory for Rutgers. Smith is rated a four-star recruit and the fourth-overall prospect in Pennsylvania for the Class of 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite. Smith also has offers from Michigan, Penn State, Duke, Syracuse and Texas A&M, among others.
Charles Bell, CB, St. Thomas More Prep (Connecticut)
A three-star recruit and the seventh-ranked prospect overall in Connecticut – and the 75th-ranked cornerback in the nation for his class – Bell will be making a return visit to Rutgers. Bell also holds offers from Notre Dame, Boston College, Penn State and Maryland, among others.
Tyler Partlow, DL, St. Thomas More Prep (Connecticut)
Another St. Thomas More Prep player, the 6-foot-4, 288-pound Partlow received an offer from Rutgers last February. He also has offers from Syracuse, Washington and Duke.
Jourdin Houston, WR, St. Thomas More Prep (Connecticut)
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Houston is a key target with a long list of offers that includes Michigan State, Penn State, Maryland and Minnesota. This will be a return visit for Houston. Houston received an offer from the Scarlet Knights last February.
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Jaelyne Matthews, OL, Toms River North
Matthews is already listed at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds as a high school junior, so he clearly would bring Big Ten size to Rutgers’ offensive line. That’s also a big reason why he’s a four-star prospect and the No. 6 overall recruit in New Jersey. He has an extensive list of offers that includes Florida State, Texas, Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee. Rutgers will try to convince him to stay close to home with a chance to be developed by Pat Flaherty.
Andrew Olesh, TE, Southern Lehigh (Pennsylvania)
Olesh is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end. Offers have flowed in recently – including Duke, Michigan State, Penn State, Boston College and Georgia Tech all within the last month – so his recruitment is heating up. Rutgers recruited him sooner, extending an offer in October while Olesh was on a visit.
Renick Dorilas, CB, Union
Dorilas is another local prospect Rutgers will hope to keep in New Jersey. He’s a three-star recruit and the No. 17 overall prospect in New Jersey. He’s visited Rutgers previously, so this will be a return visit. Dorilas also has offers from Penn State, Minnesota, Duke, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others.
Derek Zammit, QB, DePaul (Wayne, NJ)
While much of the focus this weekend will be on Class of 2025 recruits, several 2026 prospects will also be on campus. Zammit is one of them. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Zammit is a talented quarterback who also currently holds offers from Duke, Mississippi State, Wake Forest. Zammit received his Rutgers offer last July, so the Scarlet Knights have been recruiting him for a while now. Zammit has visited Rutgers previously.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football recruiting: Class of 2025 prospects to make campus visits
