Rutgers' 2007 Recruiting Class Among Best Ever

Even before the Scarlet Knights' 11-2 season was capped off with a 37-10 victory over Kansas State in the inaugural Texas Bowl (the first bowl victory in school history), the team was already building towards bigger and better things. Head coach Greg Schiano has been a firm believer since the beginning of his tenure at RU that once the team begins winning big games, the players will follow. It looks like that is finally happening, and it might be even quicker than Schiano himself could have hoped. After all, just four seasons ago the Knights were an abysmal 1-11.

In recent years the team has seen the likes of Brian Leonard and Ray Rice. Last season highly recruited athletes Kenny Britt and Kordell Young found their way to the banks. Despite these athletes and others making names for themselves and for Rutgers' football, nothing could have prepared Rutgers' fans for some of the commitments of high school seniors this winter.

The biggest name of them all is Anthony Davis, a monstrous 6'5.5", 330 lbs. offensive tackle that hails from Piscataway, the site of Rutgers' football stadium. In the past Rutgers has seen it's local talent flee to top football programs. Dwayne Jarrett, a New Brunswick native, decided to switch coasts and had a college career that will land him in the first day of the NFL Draft this April. Anthony Davis, after much deliberation and plenty of rumors, decided to stay right at home.

Davis is widely considered to be one of the top offensive linemen in the entire nation. The five star player received over 50 scholarship offers from schools including football powerhouses USC, Florida, Ohio State, and Miami. Heading into the winter months Davis had narrowed his choice down to OSU or Rutgers, and after visiting with both schools, he surprisingly made his decision before OSU even had the chance to face Florida in the BCS Championship game. Davis was coming to RU. It was a dream come true for Rutgers' football fans, and the possibility of an elite high school athlete coming to play for RU was no longer a foolish wish.

The flood gates have most certainly been opened. Manny Abreu, at 6'2" and 235 lbs, is regarded as one of the best senior linebackers in the country. Like his soon-to-be-teammate, Abreu is following Davis' lead and remaining in New Jersey to play college football. Four star defensive backs Joseph Lefeged (S) and Mason Robinson (CB) will also be joining the Scarlet Knights this fall. Robinson is yet another New Jersey native, although unlike the 330-pound Davis, Robinson runs a 4.40 forty. A slew of other top recruits will be donning scarlet this September.

Schiano's roots at the University of Miami have always helped him recruit in Florida as well as New Jersey, and this off-season has been no different. Rutgers is still fighting to recruit Florida's four star running back Antwain Easterling along with top WRs A.J. Guyton and Alphonso Bryant.

The foundation has already been laid for these new recruits. Rutgers' football has gone from laughing stock to nationally ranked and from running joke to bowl winner in only half a decade. The 2007 recruiting class will help the Scarlet Knights demand even more respect. Winning breeds winning, and if this year's freshmen class is any indication, Rutgers will be doing plenty of winning in the coming years.