Schiano adds to recruit list as offseason continues
As head football coach Greg Schiano puts together the final touches on his 2021 recruiting class, he has gotten a number of three-star recruits committed to the Rutgers football program. After securing four new players in early February, Schiano has worked on getting the Scarlet Knights back to their mid-2000s form.
Staying mostly on the East Coast, Schiano has gotten players of the likes of linebacker Khayri Banton, defensive end Keshon Griffin, cornerback Alijah Clark, wide receivers Brayden Fox and Max Patterson and defensive end Cam’Ron Stewart.
Everyone a part of this Class of 2021 has been signed in late March, helping Rutgers have the 11th best-recruiting class in the country for the 2021 season, according to NBC Sports.
Banton, the Knights' highest-rated recruit, is from the Garden State. Playing at West Side in Newark, New Jersey, he is the seventh best player in New Jersey for his position. The 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound linebacker has been nothing but dominant for his high school. In 2019, he had 60 tackles, 15 tackles for losses, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered. Schiano’s first four-star recruit might be his best of the recruiting class.
Griffin attended St. Joseph’s in Hammonton, New Jersey. Another homegrown player coming to the Banks, the three-star defensive end is ranked No. 9 in New Jersey for his position. In the 2019 campaign, he put up 48 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Not being too far off from a four-star recruit, Griffin seems to be the next best thing with a very promising build at 6 feet 4 inches and 220 pounds.
Clark, the three-star recruit from Camden, New Jersey, has gotten offers from other powerhouse schools like Boston College, Maryland and Miami. The cornerback decided to stay home at Rutgers, though. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound athlete has been nothing short of impressive for Camden. For 2019, Clark put up 34 total tackles, 10 being solo, five interceptions, one fumble recovery and seven passes deflected. Adding more defensive depth to a versatile defense looks to be Schiano’s endgame.
Stewart, the defensive athlete from Reading, Pennsylvania, was signed in late March. The three-star recruit was ranked 17th in the state for his talents. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and 225 pounds, Stewart's size helped him excel on the defensive end of the football. After getting other offers from schools like Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Kent State, Stewart decided to put on the scarlet for 2021, becoming another addition to Schiano’s recruiting class.
Patterson, the wide receiver from Arlington, Virginia, sits at 5 feet 11 inches and 165 pounds, though is a big playmaker. Patterson chose the Knights over the Bulls, the Golden Flashes and UMass. He measured at a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash as well, showing his versatility as an athlete. Schiano embraces player development, and this is a player who he believes can embrace that philosophy as well under his program.
Fox, the wide receiver from Akron, Ohio, was the latest signing for Rutgers. The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound three-star recruit played for Archbishop Hoban. He received other offers from Air Force, Akron, Army and Ball State. Fox joins a crowded receiving corps on the Knights. In 2019, Fox tallied 41 receptions, 915 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. In Ohio, he ranked 45th among wide receivers. In the country, he sits at 163rd.
Schiano has helped put Rutgers back on the map with one of the top recruiting classes in the country. He still has an abundance of time to climb the rankings with more recruits for 2021.
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