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Jersey's top recruits see Knights in positive light
Thursday, October 26, 2006BY MIKE HELFGOT
For the Star-Ledger
Anthony Davis grew up within walking distance of Rutgers Stadium, which wasn't really such a good thing during the lean years.
He didn't laugh at Rutgers football the way so many used to, but he wasn't exactly a fan either.
"I didn't think about them much at all," he said. "When I was younger, I watched Miami a lot."
Now Davis is a 6-5, 330-pound senior at Piscataway High. He's also the most heavily recruited player in New Jersey and, according to most recruiting experts, the best offensive lineman in the country.
As such, he's looking at No. 1-ranked Ohio State. He's intrigued by Southern Cal, which has played for the national championship two straight years. And suddenly, like so many of New Jersey's best high school players, he's very interested in Rutgers.
"Rutgers is in my top three," he said. "They are doing real well right now and I'm giving them more of a look. I can walk there from my house, so I've been around there a lot and the atmosphere is real good. I am pretty excited about Rutgers. Rutgers is looking good."
So is the promise Greg Schiano made when he was hired as head coach in December 2000 to keep New Jersey's best players home. On the heels of last season's bowl game, Rutgers is off to a 7-0 start and a No. 16 national ranking heading into Sunday night's game against Connecticut.
And Schiano is finding the Scarlet Knights' program to be an easier sell in a state that often loses its best players to places such as South Bend, Ind., and Ann Arbor, Mich.
With more than three months remaining until National Signing Day, the group of New Jersey players Schiano has secured commitments from could become the best in-state class he's ever landed. Rutgers has commitments from seven of the state's top 30 players and is in the running for others.
"It is amazing what they have been able to accomplish," said Matt Boyer of Gov. Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, a two-way end who is also considering offers from Wake Forest, Northwestern and Connecticut. "The success (Rutgers) is having right now is definitely one of the reasons I'm interested, but even before the season I had interest because I love the coaches there."
Recruiting speed has been among the keys to Schiano's success, and he might be close to adding another skill player who runs the 40 in 4.4 seconds. Two-way back Mason Robinson of Somerville, was particularly impressed with Rutgers' three consecutive road victories over South Florida, Navy and Pittsburgh.
"If I had to commit today, it would be to Rutgers," Robinson said. "I have an official visit set up to Boston College (Dec. 8) and I'll probably visit Rutgers in December and then decide."
Rutgers is also a favorite of North Bergen safety Evan Rodriguez and Paulsboro linebacker Alex Silvestro, and the Scarlet Knights will go head-to-head with No. 4 West Virginia, one of three undefeated Big East teams, in the battle for both.
"That's a big load of uncommitted players," said Allen Wallace, the national recruiting editor for Scout.com and the publisher of Super Prep Magazine.
"If they want to get into the top 20 they have to get people like Anthony Davis and Mason Robinson and Alex Silvestro. It is a daunting task, but Rutgers has to start winning these battles if it wants to take the next step."
Then there's Matawan lineman Anthony Grosso, a 6-7, 290-pound symbol of how far Rutgers has come.
Grosso has found himself swept up by Rutgers fever lately, and the scholarship offers he has from Cincinnati, Duke, Temple and Vanderbilt prove he's a Division 1-caliber player. But with three huge tackles already in the fold for next year and Davis still a possibility, Rutgers might not have a scholarship available for a player who would have been a no-brainer in the past.
"The Pitt game really showed me where they're headed. I'm really excited about Rutgers," Grosso said. "I really like the offers I have now, so I'm not saying Rutgers would go right to the top, but they'd be right there if they offered."
His fate could depend on Davis, who intends to announce his decision at the U.S. Army All-American game on Jan. 6. He has an official visit scheduled to Ohio State next week and said he plans on visiting Miami during Super Bowl week, though that would come after his planned announcement. He isn't sure if he's going to take an official visit to Rutgers because he's already so familiar with the program.
Davis has heard the rumors linking Schiano to the possible job opening at Miami, but doesn't believe them. He also sounds like he'd rather play for Schiano at Rutgers than Miami.
"I haven't talked to coach Schiano about that, but I doubt he would leave because he's doing so well and Miami is struggling," Davis said.
Wallace doesn't think Davis is likely to pick USC, either, but he considers Ohio State a big favorite over Rutgers in the Davis chase.
"As Rutgers finds itself being taken seriously on the college football scene, it is going to find out why it is the cruelest sport," Wallace said. "You see these schools coming very close to getting great players, then these big programs throw their weight around and end up being very impressive to a kid.
"If Anthony Davis chooses Rutgers over those schools it will be one of the biggest surprises of the year. Because if you look at the past as the best way to predict the future, these behemoth talents end up getting swept up off their feet by these programs. Rutgers may be in the top three, but if it turns out they don't get him, they may as well be a mile away."
Either way, Davis is closer than that.
