Rutgers football lands more commitments in June
June was a busy month for the Rutgers football team as it made additions to both the 2023 and 2024 rosters. Here is a quick look into every newcomer the Scarlet Knights brought in.
Shawn Bowman — Transfer Tight End
Perhaps Rutgers' biggest win is a transfer rather than a recruit. The Knights landed Bowman out of Maine to give the offense another receiving weapon. Last year Bowman recorded 377 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He was rated a top-50 tight end, despite playing for the Black Bears, who played in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), according to Pro Football Focus.
Bowman is projected to start as the primary tight end for Rutgers and he gives quarterback Gavin Wimsatt another veteran player to rely on.
Sage Clawges — Class of 2023 Athlete
Clawges is a surprise addition to the 2023 roster, as he was originally set to be a part of the 2024 recruiting class. Upon committing, though, the athlete from Morgantown, West Virginia, reclassified to the 2023 recruiting class and will join the Knights sometime this summer. He will likely play either wide receiver or defensive back on the Banks, and joining the team a year early gives him extra time to develop his skills under head coach Greg Schiano's watch.
Aaris Bethea — Class of 2024 Defensive Lineman
Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 250 pounds, Bethea becomes another player out of Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn to come to Rutgers. Though a bit undersized for the defensive tackle position, he reportedly has great strength and uses his hands well. Bethea was recruited by defensive line coach Marquise Watson and he is the sixth-ranked recruit in the state of New York, according to Rivals.
Dakhari Gilley — Class of 2024 Defensive Back
Gilley is a three-star star recruit that stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds. He was the second of three recruits to commit on June 10, joining Bethea and Montele Johnson. Gilley will join the Knights as a safety, but he has a chance to move to the linebacker position with his size and versatility. He comes from University Christian School in Jacksonville, Florida, and adds another dynamic athlete to the defense. Gilley recorded 69 total tackles and 24.5 tackles for loss in his junior season.
Montele Johnson — Class of 2024 Linebacker
Johnson is a three-star inside linebacker recruit from West Bloomfield, Michigan. His commitment showcases Schiano's changed priority to start recruiting outside of New Jersey, as only 3 of Rutgers' 21 commits in the 2024 class come from the Garden State. Johnson is another versatile defender who can play in a linebacker spot or as an edge rusher.
Benjamin Black — Class of 2024 Wide Receiver
The addition of Black gives the Knights a great deal of speed in the passing game, as the wide receiver from Charlotte, North Carolina, ran a 10.76-second 100-meter dash and a 21.79-second 200-meter dash for Mallard Creek High School. On the football field, he led his team with 25 receptions for 402 yards, an average of approximately 16 yards per reception.
Samarian Robinson — Class of 2024 Linebacker
Robinson is a three-star linebacker out of Tallahassee, Florida, who stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds. Robinson had a whirlwind couple of days on the recruiting trail after originally committing to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in January.
He received an offer from Rutgers in late May before taking an official visit to the Banks a month later. The day after his official visit, he de-committed from the UCF Knights and an hour later announced his commitment to the Scarlet Knights. Robinson finished second on his team at Lincoln High School with 93 total tackles in his junior year.
Elijah King — Class of 2024 Defensive Lineman
King is a three-star defensive lineman that hails from Gahanna, Ohio, who stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 230 pounds. King adds to a strong 2024 defensive line class for Rutgers. In his junior year at Lincoln High School, he finished with 50.5 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. King had several Power Five offers before choosing to come to play for the Knights.
Noah Shaw — Class of 2024 Athlete
Shaw is another commit hailing from North Carolina and is another versatile defender. He can play multiple positions on the defensive side, including linebacker, safety or even at the slot cornerback position. Shaw stuffed the stat sheet for Asheville High School last season with 115 total tackles, three sacks, 15 passes broken up, two interceptions and two fumbles recovered.
Antonio White — Class of 2024 Safety
White is yet another extremely versatile piece on the defensive side for Schiano and defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak. He has played a variety of positions in high school and will add another excellent athlete to the roster in 2024. His versatility showed in the stat sheet, recording 75 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack and three interceptions for Parkview High School outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Carter Kadow — Class of 2024 Offensive Tackle
Kadow’s commitment came as a surprise, committing to Rutgers after attending its Big Man Academy as part of the Knights' seven-on-seven camps. Kadow was originally listed as a tight end but offensive line coach Pat Flaherty liked Kadow's potential as an offensive tackle. Kadow stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 260 pounds. Kadow is teammates with fellow 2024 commit Sam Pilof at Middleton High School in Wisconsin.
Korey Duff Jr. — Class of 2024 Tight End
Duff Jr. is a dynamic playmaker on the offensive side of the ball and can either play wide receiver or tight end. He has a great size advantage, as he stands at 6-foot-5 and he has soft hands. Duff Jr. is currently the highest-ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. Duff Jr. has the potential to be a star in Rutgers’ offense for years to come.
While the 2023 roster is mostly set, the coaching staff will continue to work to round out the 2024 recruiting class and start recruiting the 2025 recruiting class.
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