Commitment breakdown: Rutgers lands Rivals100 OL Jacob Allen
Rivals100 offensive lineman Jacob Allen hasn’t been very interested in all the flash and fame that can come with the recruiting process. He didn’t talk to many colleges and he didn’t take many virtual or in-person visits. The Princeton (N.J.) Hun School star quietly went about his business and landed on a school that he felt most comfortable with. On Thursday, before their spring game, Allen announced his commitment to Rutgers, choosing them over Penn State, Michigan State, and others.
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WHAT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS ARE GETTING
Rutgers has had a hard time fielding a consistently reliable offensive line for years Allen should help in that department fairly quickly. The in-state lineman has heavy hands and drives his man backwards. Allen is pretty quick for his size and that will help him as a pass blocker but he needs more experience in this area. There is a lot to like about Allen’s run blocking abilities that translate to the college game pretty well and it’ll be interesting to see how quickly he’s able to get in good enough physical shape to be a contributor. Allen will face his steepest learning curve when pass blocking but he has all the natural abilities to be successful.
WHY THIS IS BIG FOR RUTGERS
Greg Schiano and his staff are recruiting at a really impressive clip. Allen is his fourth offensive line commitment in this class and his second highest rated so far. Coach Schiano and his staff prioritized recruiting offensive linemen in this class and they’ve now landed possibly their top target. Allen’s commitment, along with commitments from players like Rivals100 quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, Rivals250 defensive end Kenny Fletcher, and four-stars Anthony Johnson, Amarion Brown, and Samuel Brown, could signal a real turning point for the Rutgers program.