Rivals Camp Series New Jersey: Five teams that should be pleased
SOMERSET, N.J. -- Some of the best prospects in the Northeast flocked to New Jersey on Sunday for the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas. College football programs from across the country recruit this area of the country and top-ranked prospects had plenty to say. Here are the five programs that were talked about most by the elite prospects at Sunday’s event.
MICHIGAN
Michigan seemed to have already offered or expressed interest in nearly every player at the camp. Their biggest target in attendance was Rivals100 running back Jalen Berger. After his recent string of visits, Berger said on Sunday that Michigan and Ohio State are his top two contenders. Keep an eye on his recruitment as the process more forward.
The Wolverines were a major topic of conversation for a lot of underclassmen as well. Linebacker Tyler Martin is only a freshman right now but he talked about Michigan like he has been close with that program for years. In the 2021 class, running back Johnny Martin is planning a visit to Ann Arbor and 6-foot-9, 275-pound Bennett Pitcher is a name Michigan fans need to get really familiar with.
OHIO STATE
Ryan Day and his program were consistently present on Sunday because of new quarterback commit Kyle McCord. He is only a 2021 prospect but he was easily one of the two or three best quarterbacks in attendance. Rivals100 running back Jalen Berger just finished up a series of visits and had plenty to say about Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Michigan are his leading contenders. Big time 2021 defensive back Tysheem Johnson also said Ohio State was recruiting him really hard. Expect him to take a closer look at the Buckeyes as his recruitment rolls on.
PENN STATE
Penn State has always recruited New Jersey well and there were plenty of players at the camp on Sunday that had good things to say about the program. Recent commit Nicholas Dawkins was one of the better offensive linemen at the camp and seems to have a promising future. Class of 2021 quarterback Christian Veilluex wants to take a visit to Penn State soon and 2021 prospects Tysheem Johnson and Shafeek Smith were both really excited about where the Penn State program is headed. Freshman defensive lineman KJ Miles has a long time left in his recruitment but his offer sheet is already pretty long and Penn State seems to be near the top of the heap.
RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights cast a wide net on the recruiting trail but their message always resonates well with in-state prospects. There were countless prospects at the camp that mentioned their interest in playing for Rutgers and dozens of them made the short trip over to the campus after the camp was over. Leading the way was Jalen Berger, the top prospect in New Jersey. Joining him at Rutgers was a large contingent of players from Bronx (N.Y.) Cardinal Hayes, 2021 quarterback Christian Veilleux, and many others that stopped by on Saturday. Judging by their comments, the players seem to really like the coaches and are hoping for more success on the field this fall.
TEXAS A&M
It feels strange putting Texas A&M on this list but the Aggies are quickly becoming a player for multiple prospects in the Northeast. Rivals250 defensive end Fadil Diggs committed to Jimbo Fisher's squad on Saturday and then celebrated by winning defensive line MVP and getting an invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas. He is just scratching the surface of his potential and his natural abilities have been enough for him so far. Defensive tackle Isaiah Raikes very nearly won the defensive line MVP award and he seems to be very high on Texas A&M as well. Diggs is working hard to recruit him to College Station.
