Rutgers Football

Come July 1, 2014 the Big Ten will be forever changed once again, officially adding Rutgers and Maryland as full members of the conference. However, these two schools don't come in to the league on equal footing—on or off the field. 

No, it isn't about Maryland nailing down a pretty good recruiting class and Rutgers falling off over the last month. No, it has nothing to do with Maryland ending last season with a bowl win and Rutgers losing in its backyard of New York City.

This also has nothing to do with Maryland finishing 7-6 and Rutgers 6-7 the year before joining the much more competitive Big Ten conference.  

It all comes down to the one thing that drove expansion in the first place—money. As the Wu-Tang Clan likes to say, "Cash rules everything around me," and in the case of Maryland and Rutgers the cash situations make all the difference. 

It's also why Rutgers has a much bigger chance of being successful in the Big Ten, and quickly. Sure, both athletic departments are operating in the red, but there is a difference in how they got there and how they are getting out of it. 

On Wednesday, Rutgers announced a deal to pay the American Athletic Conference an $11 million exit fee. It ends the dispute between the conference and its soon-to-be former member, but more importantly, it doesn't break the back of the Rutgers athletic department. 

Rutgers may have some major work to do on the field to be competitive, but its athletic budget is in good health going forward. 

According to Patricia Alex of The Record, Rutgers has projected that over the next 12 years the increase in revenue from moving to the Big Ten will approach $200 million. 

They also broke a deal with Nelligan Sports Marketing last year, choosing a $65 million deal with IMG College for marketing. 

Rutgers President Robert Barchi seems satisfied with the gains the Big Ten will give them in the long term, despite the upfront costs. He released a statement about both moves to Alex and The Record:

One-time restructuring costs like this settlement and the costs associated with canceling a previous marketing contract are more than offset by anticipated revenues from the Big Ten and from our new marketing partner IMG College.

Barchi and Rutgers' athletic department don't appear worried about the one-time budget hole. Instead it appears they'll be on the fast track to financial stability thanks to the move the Big Ten. 

The same can't be said of Maryland, where the hole is much deeper and the way out could almost kill the athletic department despite the move to the much more lucrative Big Ten. 

The Terps are facing a $52.2 million exit fee from the ACC, but have been fighting that fee in court and filled a counter-suit in excess of $156.8 million, according to Steve Berkowitz of USA Today. 

Hidden in that same article is a key fact—the ACC has been withholding $19 million in revenues from the Terps, in a move done to hedge against the school not paying the exit fee. 

That means Maryland is without a serious source of its athletic budget. Speaking of which, said athletic budget is already a mess.

Maryland was forced to drop seven sports to make up for a multimillion-dollar hole in its annual budget. 

Gone were seven sports, and according to Mark Giannotto of the Washington Post, the annual budget deficits were severe enough that they were going top the tens of millions per year region. 

The announcement comes after Maryland President Wallace D. Loh accepted the recommendation of a 17-member panel last November that called for the school to eliminate eight athletic programs to offset a deficit that is projected to reach more than $4 million this fiscal year and could top $17 million by 2017.

In a world that's driven by having the latest and greatest, having a healthy athletic budget is the biggest key to keeping up with the Joneses of the college football world. 

Maryland's budget woes are so bad that the university itself had to loan the athletic department $21 million this past August thanks to a $20 million budget deficit. It's a loan to the athletic department that must be paid back, and one that cuts into the athletic department's ability to get on the same page as the rest of the Big Ten.

The University of Maryland's athletic commission stated the following in its final report this past August:

After Maryland Athletics achieves financial stability, half of its excess revenues will be used to repay its debts and the other half will be set aside to build its financial reserves.  This is to ensure that Maryland Athletics, which is a self-supporting enterprise, will never again be in a position where it has to cut teams.

That area is of major concern when talking about the Terps in the Big Ten, as a University of Maryland commission pointed out the harsh reality of money, the Terps and the move to the Big Ten. 

Internally, the Terps are already fighting a major uphill battle to be on the Big Ten's level in dealing with spending on student-athletes.

As stated by Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post:  

Maryland’s athletic department currently falls “in the lowest quartile for revenues per student-athlete when compared to its Big Ten peers,” according to the report, which expressed doubt that “the University will reach the per student-athlete spending of our Big Ten peers during the next twelve years,” or until around 2025. 

Maryland's uncertain ACC exit fee and its own budgetary issues have to be a big worry as they head in to a conference that is among the richest in collegiate athletics. 

It's especially worrisome when Maryland's hope of using Big Ten monies for a quick turnaround appear dead in the water. The commission recommended the following about the use of monies for the building of facilities like an indoor practice facility: 

"Facilities needs, including practice fields, an indoor practice facility, and a Varsity Team House, should be viewed as capital expenses and should not be financed with revenues from the Big Ten." 

That's how bad Maryland's fiscal situation is. Despite a nearly $10 million increase in revenues from the Big Ten move, the Terps are not in position to use that added money to improve facilities that will make them more competitive. 

Maryland's reality when it joins the Big Ten is that for the better part of its first 10 years in the league it'll be paying for the ineptitude of athletic departments past.

While Maryland has the bigger name recognition, it's clear that the internal setups of these two institutions couldn't be further from each other. 

It all adds up to advantage Rutgers, as these two chart a new course in the Big Ten. 

Andy Coppens is Bleacher Report's lead writer for Big Ten football. You can follow him on Twitter: @ andycoppens.

Welp. It's finally official.

According to Jason Baum, Rutgers' Senior Associate Athletic Director of Communications, the Scarlet Knights have officially agreed to a settlement with the American Athletic Conference, their now-former league, that will pave the way for them to join the Big Ten on July 1, 2014:

According to Brett McMurphy, Rutgers was able to get out for an exit fee of $11.5 million—roughly $3.5 million less than the ACC was seeking but $500,000 more than Louisville paid to exit and join the ACC:

This is news only insofar as completeness. It's not like it comes as a shock, though it's nice to finally have it done.

Rutgers, along with Maryland of the ACC, are both slated to join the Big Ten at some point this summer, giving the misleadingly titled conference a total of 14 teams. 

The AAC is just one year old, having formed in the wake of the Big East during all the conference-realignment chaos of the past few seasons. Though its stint with the conference was short (and decidedly unmemorable), Rutgers will always be remembered as a charter member of the league.

"It’s been a privilege to be a member of the American Athletic Conference," said Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann, according to Keith Sargeant of the New Jersey Press Media Group. "I deeply appreciate the leadership and insight Commissioner Aresco provided us as we worked together for an outcome (to this exit)."

Even though the exit fee was less than the AAC was asking for, $11.5 million is still a considerable price. According to Tom Luicci of NJ.com, the Scarlet Knights have also coughed up $1.5 million to hire four new assistants and to move Joe Rossi from his previous role coaching special teams to his new role of defensive coordinator.

Life in the Big Ten, it seems, is expensive—but of course that doesn't come as a shock. It's a bigger market and a higher standard of competition than Rutgers, having played most recently in the AAC and Big East, is used to.

However, with bigger costs comes bigger earning potential, and Rutgers hopes to cash in on some of those fat Big Ten paychecks in the near future:

That makes this short-term price well worth it.

Philip Nelson should be very familiar with his new home; it will look a lot like his old one. That's because the former Minnesota quarterback will be staying in the Big Ten, deciding to transfer to Rutgers according to Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com:

When he announced his transfer, most assumed the Big Ten was out of the picture, and that's because doing so would've given the junior-to-be just one year of eligibility. Yet, Nelson's new home gives him the best of both worlds. 

Nelson found a way to stay inside the Big Ten and not lose a year of eligibility as well, and that's because he is transferring to Rutgers immediately.

It means the former University of Minnesota quarterback is technically transferring to a school that is not a Big Ten institution. Rutgers won't join the conference officially until July 1, 2014, and by that time Nelson would've had a full semester as a student there. 

Clever timing aside, Nelson comes in to a very interesting situation at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. 

According to Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger, former Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen is set to become the newest offensive coordinator. That means a very large focus on the passing game, something Nelson was looking for in a new home.

"For me, I am looking to play in a system that centers more around the pass game which utilizes my skill sets," said Nelson in a statement via Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I am excited to go out and meet with programs that match up with my talents." 

However, just because the school will get even more pass-orientated than it has been in the past, Nelson isn't jumping in to a ready-made situation for him to start following this season, which he must sit out anyway.  

Senior Gary Nova (who made 10 starts last year) returns for another year at the helm this year. It was a rocky season for Nova in 2013, as he completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 2,159 yards, 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

There's also the matter of two youngsters already on the roster in redshirt sophomore Blake Rankin and true sophomore Chris Laviano, who are expected to be challengers for Nova in the spring. 

Should either one win that job and perform well, Nelson could be in some serious trouble to gain traction as a starter in 2015 or beyond. 

Additionally, Rutgers just added a 247sports composite 3-star quarterback, Giovanni Rescigno. This after losing the commitment of 4-star quarterback Tyler Wiegers earlier in the recruiting cycle. 

Rescigno comes from the same high school as Michigan quarterback Shane Morris—De La Salle Collegiate in Warren, Mich.

Nelson clearly won't be the only quarterback in the mix in the future, and that's where one other piece of news comes in handy—Nelson has his redshirt year still available.

So, he has three years to use his final two years of eligibility. He'd be wise to use that redshirt during the 2015 season should he not win the starting job, taking time to work on his craft and learn Friedgen's offense. 

Given that Nelson didn't show much in the pass game as a Gopher—completing just 49.9 percent of his passes for 2,179 yards and 17 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in his two years in Minneapolis—it would be a wise decision to help his chances in the future. 

Having Friedgen in the fold will also help his development as a passer; after all, he's worked with the likes of Stan Gelbaugh, Frank Reich and Boomer Esiason just to name a few. 

However, given Nelson's stats in two years, there's a lot of work that needs to be done for him to be an adequate passer, let alone one that command the offense. 

Nelson may be back in the Big Ten, but it's far from certain the ex-Gopher will ever be a starter again. If it happens for him, it will be because he earned it and not out of a perceived need for just anyone with experience at quarterback. 

*Andy Coppens is Bleacher Report's lead writer for the Big Ten. You can follow him on Twitter: @andycoppens.

If at first you don't succeed...try again at another Big Ten school.

At least that's the mindset former Minnesota quarterback Philip Nelson has taken as he is set to transfer to Rutgers, via CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman:

Nelson spent the majority of last season as the Golden Gophers starting quarterback after taking over the job midway through his freshman campaign in 2012.

However, it wasn't the smoothest of rides, as the Mankato, Minn., native struggled for the most part, throwing for 1,306 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions on just 50.5 percent passing. That includes being pulled early during the team’s Texas Bowl loss to Syracuse, 21-17, on Dec. 27.

A couple weeks later, Nelson announced his decision to transfer from Minnesota, per The Star Tribune’s Joe Christensen.

“For me, I’m looking to play in a system that centers around the pass game which utilizes my skill sets,” he said, via Christensen’s report. “I am excited to go out and meet with programs that match up with my talents.”

Although Nelson shouldn't be expected to be the savior of any passing attack in the country, the Scarlet Knights could certainly use all the help they can get.

The team finished last season ranked No. 64 in passing (235.6 YPG). Rutgers threw 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions for a team passer rating of 118.98—good for No. 94 in the nation. 

Due to NCAA transfer rules, Phillips will have to sit out the 2014 season.

Kansas State, Texas Tech and UCLA were also in the running to secure his services.

All stats and rankings used in this article are courtesy of CFBstats.com.

For complete coverage and everything college football, you can reach Sebastian on Facebook, Twitter and via email at Sebastian.LenaBR@gmail.com.

Monday was yet another mark of progress in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' transition to the Big Ten, as it got the B1G logo put on High Point Solutions Stadium field for the first time. Yet, it's not the only transition going on for Rutgers, as Kyle Flood must replace both of his coordinators. 

Former defensive coordinator Dave Cohen was fired after the season, and on Monday it was announced that offensive coordinator Ron Prince was off to the NFL as a tight ends coach for the Detroit Lions, according to a Lions press release via Tim Twentyman.  

The writing may have been on the wall for Prince to leave as soon as Jim Caldwell was named the Lions head coach, given their three years coaching together in the NFL. But that was the risk Flood took in hiring a guy who had spent the last three years coaching in the NFL in the first place.

According to NJ.com's Tom Luicci, Prince's offense wasn't much to write home about in year one: 

Under Prince, Rutgers averaged 26.5 points per game and 365.2 yards—but the unit tailed off over the final seven games of the season, with starting quarterback Gary Nova eventually getting benched for the final three games.

In the grand scheme of things, the loss of Prince may not end up being that huge on the field.

As for the firing of Cohen? There's little doubt that Flood made the right decision in letting him go.

Under Cohen's leadership, the 2013 Rutgers defense gave up a school-record 3,737 yards passing and allowed opponents to score 29.8 points per game (81st ranked in the nation). In the five games opponents scored 40-plus points, four were Scarlet Knight losses.

Disappointing results or not, RU's coaching staff needs to be heading in the same direction as its new life in the Big Ten begins. 

These changes leave fourth-year head coach Kyle Flood and the Rutgers program in a state of flux, and it isn't the first time, either. This is the fourth straight offensive coordinator to leave the Scarlet Knights after just one season.

It brings up one very important question, is Rutgers not doing something right to keep its coordinators or attract more stable options? 

On the plus side, Rutgers is entering the cash-rich Big Ten, and the bump in money could solve a few of the issues that are going on in Piscataway, N.J. 

A transition in coaching is nothing new, but winning programs find some semblance of continuity for a period of time. Even if it's just for three or four years, it allows a team to find an identity and establish itself to fans, boosters and—most importantly—recruits. 

If you're a recruit, that kind of timeline doesn't give you confidence that the coach who's talking to you in March will be the same one wearing a red "R" on his chest the next March—let alone the next four years of your college career.

For some, the fact that this group has been through a coaching change before could be seen as an advantage. But transitioning a staff and keeping recruiting classes together in the Big East or The American Athletic Conference are very different things than doing so heading into the Big Ten. 

Pardon the cliche, but everything is bigger in the Big Ten, and building a winner in the conference requires getting the right coaches in the right positions quickly and keeping them around for a while, too.

At some point, the continued loss of offensive coordinators and a lack of continuity on the staff takes its toll on the players and the lifeblood of college football—recruiting. 

Other Big Ten teams have already started sniffing around some of the bigger commits on Rutgers' board. Andre Boggs, a 3-star cornerback, is set to visit Wisconsin this weekend (subscription required), while the most important name in the class, 4-star wide receiver Saeed Blacknall, visited Penn State and was offered this past weekend. 

Losing those two in this transition class would be significant blows, but those two situations are perfect examples of what happens when a coaching staff can't stay together for any significant period of time. Players have to assess options, and that means other teams come sniffing around committed players. 

The next offensive and defensive coordinators need to be guys Flood and Rutgers can trust will help them build a life in the Big Ten. It means finding guys who won't be jumping ship for the next opportunity right away.

At some point, Flood needs to find continuity in the staff, or it will be himself getting the notice that he will not be back at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. 

*Andy Coppens is the Big Ten football lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter: @ andycoppens. 

The Rutgers athletic department is in the news for all the wrong reasons again.

Shortly after former Rutgers football player Jevon Tyree alleged that he was bullied by Rutgers defensive coordinator Dave Cohen (who is no longer with the school), athletic director Julie Hermann was notified by another player via email that he was also bullied by Cohen when the defensive coordinator was at Western Michigan.

Keith Sargeant of My Central Jersey reported on the incident.

Tyree alleged that he was verbally abused and physically threatened by Cohen, which makes the email from the former Western Michigan player that much more chilling. According to Sargeant, the email included the following:

I pray for the young man that DC Dave Cohen is now picking on. I was once the target of Cohen at the University of Western Michigan where he was my dc before I too left the team due to the bullying I recieved (sic) from Cohen. Cohen made my time at Western Michigan the worst experience of my life. I could not believe a man like Cohen was in a position of power because he completly (sic) abuses his authority.

Cohen was fired on Dec. 8 following the conclusion of the Scarlet Knights' regular season. His dismissal was reportedly solely based on football only, though, because Rutgers allowed the most yards in school history in Cohen’s one year as defensive coordinator.

The Cohen and Tyree incident is being investigated by the Saiber law firm.

It is easy for average college football fans to overlook some of the 35 bowl games taking place this season. However, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl is a matchup even casual fans should want to see.

The game takes place at Yankee Stadium, which in itself is a sight to behold. It also adds to the impressive history for Notre Dame in New York City, as noted by ESPN's Chris Fowler:

The Fighting Irish might have had a down year, but the 8-4 squad still features many athletes from last season's appearance in the national title game. 

Meanwhile, Rutgers was one of only five bowl-eligible teams from the new American Athletic Conference, and the team is certainly looking forward to returning to the Pinstripe Bowl after winning the event in 2011.

This is only the start of the interesting storylines to follow. Here is a guide for the matchup along with other key things to look for in the upcoming game. 

When: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 12 p.m. ET

Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Odds (via Vegas Insider): Notre Dame -14

Top Storylines

Will Tommy Rees Become "Turnover Tommy" in His Final Game?

Tommy Rees came to Notre Dame with plenty of talent, but he has seen four inconsistent years thanks to his knack for throwing interceptions at the worst time.

The quarterback threw 14 picks as a sophomore in 2011 before losing his job to Everett Golson as a junior. When he took over again as a senior this year, he once again struggled to hold onto the ball.

Rees had five multi-interception games, leading to four losses and a narrow victory over Navy. Obviously, he is negatively affecting the team with his mistakes.

The good news is that Rutgers has struggled against the pass this year and has forced only eight interceptions all year while allowing 31 passing touchdowns.

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said the following regarding Rees' legacy, via Jim Johnston of WNDU: "Legacy is such a big word for me. I just love the way the kid competes out there. He is not going to go into the College Football Hall of Fame, you know what I mean, he doesn't have those incredible skills. But, he just puts his heart and soul into what he does."

A strong performance in his final game would certainly help people think well of him. 

Can Chas Dodd Have Another Strong Game at Yankee Stadium?

Two years ago, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano spent the end of the season struggling to picking between quarterbacks Gary Nova and Chas Dodd. While both played in the Pinstripe Bowl, Dodd had the better performance, completing 10 of his 17 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown in a winning effort.

While Nova has taken over the starting spot, Dodd is once again in the picture and led the Scarlet Knights to victory in the team's most recent game against South Florida.

Head coach Brian Flood discussed the move to put Dodd under center, per Tom Luicci of The Newark Star-Ledger:

Chas has been a very diligent worker the entire season, which I would expect. Chas is an unselfish guy and he's a competitor. When we first made the decision (that Nova was the starter for this year after last season) I said to him `you have to be ready. You don't know when your opportunity is going to come. Now that opportunity has arrived.

The senior quarterback has a lot of poise in the pocket, which will help him against a quality defense.

Considering the Irish have struggled to get to the quarterback all year, Dodd has a chance to have a strong performance in this one.

What Will the Crowd Be Like?

The football field set up at Yankee Stadium is intriguing, even in an empty stadium:

That being said, the crowd at the Pinstripe Bowl should have a big impact on the game. The question is which fans do a better job of filling the stadium.

Rutgers is close to New York City and has plenty of fans in the area, which is one of the reasons the school was such a big draw for the Big Ten.

On the other hand, Notre Dame has fans everywhere in the country. The Irish faithful have a knack for filling stadiums wherever the team is playing.

The Irish were 5-1 at home this year, and they could be in good shape in this matchup if their fans make it seem like yet another home game.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

A swift exodus of talented 2014 prospects has left Rutgers football searching for answers in the recruiting spectrum. The Scarlet Knights saw Adonis Jennings, Kiy Hester and Lamont Simmons decommit during a two-day span, according to NJ.com writer Todderick Hunt.

The loss of three players leaves head coach Kyle Flood's 2014 class with 22 commits. Rutgers' national recruiting ranking has dropped from 22nd to 32nd as a result, according to 247Sports.

The devastating domino effect began Sunday evening, when Jennings (Haddonfield, N.J.) backed out of his verbal pact. The 4-star wide receiver showed sure signs of unsteadiness in his relationship with Rutgers this month, visiting Iowa and Pittsburgh.

He originally committed to Rutgers in June and seemed excited about his prospects in Piscataway during a late September conversation with Bleacher Report.

"Rutgers really stood out to me," Jennings said in September. "It's my home state, and they're going into the Big Ten. I think I was one of their top receivers on the board, and they really liked me a lot. I really like them, and that's why I committed to them."

That was then; this is now. Jennings is likely to run routes elsewhere in college.

The 6'3", 185-pound Timber Creek High School product is enjoying a dominant season. Jennings has 53 receptions for 883 yards and 11 touchdowns through eight games, per MaxPreps.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV6P_cq_f9o

He is expected to spend an official visit at Pitt in January. Jennings has other offers to consider, including Arkansas, Arizona and Clemson.

The Scarlet Knights sought to shake off Jennings' disappointing departure, but Monday brought more bad news for Rutgers. The team lost another in-state standout when Hester, a 4-star safety, reopened his recruitment.

Hester (Wayne, N.J.) wanted to explore his options before national signing day while remaining committed to the Scarlet Knights. When he called the Rutgers coaching staff to inform them of his decision, it seems tension escalated and the situation changed.

"I called coach Flood, and the way the conversation went, they basically closed the door," Hester told NJ.com. "That's the way it sounded to me. That's how the conversation basically ended. He was just like, 'There is nothing left to say.' And that was the end of the conversation."

The 6-foot, 200-pound St. Joe Regional standout committed to Rutgers in June. He is now free to visit a long list of potential destinations.

Vanderbilt, Boston College, Arkansas and Michigan State are in the mix for his talents.

While Hester and Jennings each attracted national attention during the majority of their high school careers, Simmons (Jacksonville, Fla.) was a late riser in the recruiting scene.

The 6'2", 180-pound cornerback didn't receive an offer until after his junior season at Raines High School. The 3-star prospect began to build a list of scholarship opportunities and eventually committed to Rutgers in early October.

Simmons spent an official visit in Piscataway a few weeks later. On Monday, he became the third Rutgers recruit to announce a change of plans after adding an offer from a Pac-12 power.

“I have an offer from USC and have decommitted from Rutgers,” Simmons told Scout.com writer Patrick Burnham.

Simmons has received substantial interest from BCS programs across the country since dealing with a slow start to his recruiting process. He told Burnham that Rutgers remains among his top five choices, along with USC, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Auburn.

A growing list of opportunities forced Simmons to reconsider his initial commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

“I just felt like I committed too early,” he told Scout.com.

Rutgers must now pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a stunning series of decommitments. The program is on the precipice of making a major leap in competition, joining the Big Ten Conference next season.

The Scarlet Knights watched three players with instant-impact potential walk away during the developments of Sunday and Monday. In his second season at the helm since Greg Schiano's departure, Flood is now charged with the task of getting Rutgers' recruiting efforts back on track with less than three months remaining until national signing day.

Rutgers received a significant recruiting blow late Sunday, when 4-star wide receiver Adonis Jennings, via 247 Sports, officially decommitted from the Scarlet Knights' 2014 recruiting class. The Timber Creek High School (Sicklerville, N.J.) standout announced his decision on Twitter.

The 6'3", 185-pound playmaker initially created a verbal pact with Rutgers in June. He ranks among New Jersey's statistical receiving leaders, with 53 catches for 883 yards and 10 touchdowns through eight games, according to MaxPreps.com.

Jennings is listed as the nation's No. 38 wide receiver recruit and the state's No. 9 overall prospect in 247Sports composite rankings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV6P_cq_f9o

The developments of Sunday night weren't necessarily a surprise.

Jennings has shown interest in other programs and actually spent an official visit weekend at Iowa earlier this month. He reportedly visited Pittsburgh this past weekend, per Todderick Hunt of NJ.com.

His offer sheet also includes Arizona, Clemson, Connecticut, Temple and Boston College.

Jennings' former Timber Creek teammates Myles Nash and Quanzell Lambert currently suit up for the Scarlet Knights. During a September discussion with Bleacher Report, he said their presence in Piscataway "played a big role" in his recruitment.

While his relationship with the Rutgers coaching staff has clearly eroded in recent weeks, he sounded excited in September about joining the team as it makes a leap to the Big Ten Conference in 2014.

"Rutgers really stood out to me," Jennings said in September. "It's my home state, and they're going into the Big Ten. I think I was one of their top receivers on the board, and they really liked me a lot. I really like them, and that's why I committed to them."

Since then, the relationship between one of the mid-Atlantic region's top offensive recruits and Rutgers has waned.

According to Hunt, Jennings and the Scarlet Knights agreed last Thursday that he would not visit other schools leading up to national signing day. Days later, he was reportedly walking on Pittsburgh's campus.

Jennings is expected to spend an official visit at Pitt on Jan. 17, according to 247Sports.

Rutgers' recruiting class now stands at 24 players. 247Sports ranks it 25th nationally and No. 1 in the American Athletic Conference.

The Scarlet Knights will surely explore other pass-target options. Rutgers currently holds a commitment from 4-star wide receiver Saeed Blacknall (Englishtown, N.J.), who is the team's top-ranked 2014 recruit.

He may not have a 4 or 5-star rating to boast, but there’s no doubt that Ntwademela Sankofa Perry is the most interesting recruit of Rutgers’ Class of 2014.

That’s because the South African-native hasn’t played a down of organized high school football in his life.

According to NJ.com’s Todderick Hunt, Perry impressed coaches during Rutgers camp back in June. So much so, that they offered the 16-year-old a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Scarlet Knights.

While accepting the offer was a no-brainer, there’s still a waiting process the parties must go through.

“Right now, I’m just waiting for the NCAA to tell me that I’m eligible,” he told Hunt. “I just sent in my transcripts and I’m waiting for admissions to get the okay from Rutgers…because I just gave them my SAT scores and they were just waiting on that.”

If all goes well, Perry hopes to join the team in the spring of 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbMcjf6Y980

At 6-3 and 190 pounds, he certainly has the height and build to thrive at the sport. Not to mention, per Hunt, Perry also claims a 4.5-second 40-yard dash speed.

So why has he never starred on the gridiron until now?

Well, quite simply, football isn’t played in South Africa. American football that is.

However, he certainly has football in his blood. His father, Edwin Carl Perry, played defense for West Virginia during the 1980’s.

But what’s been most impressive about Perry is his drive.

After taking part in multiple college camps over the summer of 2012, he received offers from several schools around the country. Unfortunately, given his inexperience, no FBS school extended a tender.

But that hasn’t discouraged Perry, who would rather play at the highest level than accept the free ride.

"Rutgers is my preference of where I want to go," he said. "I have offers from many Division II schools, Division III. I'd like to go to Rutgers on scholarship, but I know my situation. I understand that they need to learn more about me because I don't have any high school tape. It would be hard for them to make a decision on a scholarship for me because of that.

"So, I understand why they gave me the preferred walk-on opportunity, and I'm grateful for that. But I believe I can earn a scholarship from Rutgers."

Perry is slated to graduate from Star College High School (Durban West Village, South Africa) in December.

His addition would greatly benefit a Scarlet Knights’ receiving corps that doesn’t have a single player over 300 yards of receiving through eight weeks. In fact, other than sophomore Leonte Carroo (16 receptions, 297 yards, 7 touchdowns), no other receiver has more than three touchdown grabs.

Aside from Perry, Rutgers also has verbal commitments from 4-star receivers Adonis Jennings (Sicklerville, N.J.) and Saeed Blacknall (Manalapan, N.J.) in its 2014 recruiting class.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained from NJ.com's Todderick Hunt 

For complete coverage and everything college football, you can reach Sebastian on Facebook, on Twitter and via e-mail at Sebastian.LenaBR@gmail.com