CJ Onyechi breaks down his Rutgers commitment

Earlier this afternoon, West Orange class of 2017 linebacker CJ Onyechi announced his decision to spend his college career at Rutgers. Onyechi, NJVarsity.com’s No.14 ranked prospect in the NJ class of 2017, now becomes the 11th in-state player to join this current RU recruiting class.

Even though the announcement came earlier today, Rutgers was Onyechi’s mind for quite a while.

“Even before the junior day, I really liked Rutgers,” he said. “My parents just wanted to make sure Rutgers was the right spot.”

Onyechi’s trip to campus last week showcased the academic side of Rutgers to Onyechi and his family.

“The last visit I went on really focused on academics and my parents got a better understanding of everything,” Onyechi said. “That tipped the scale.”

With offers from top Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton and Yale, it was not easy to turn down that kind of education.

“It was kind of hard to do that because my parents wanted me to go that route,” Onyechi acknowledged. “But I feel like this way I can make the most of my potential in both football and in school.”

Onyechi went on to talk about the RU coaching staff’s reaction when he informed them of his decision.

“They seemed ecstatic. That made me feel even better and showed me I was really wanted by the coaching staff. They always kept in contact, but they really knew the right time to talk to me. Sometimes I would be busy with stuff and other coaches would be texting me during school or when I can’t reply. But the Rutgers coaches would contact me right after practice so I would be home.

“They always contracted me at the best time. And they seemed to want me more than other schools right from the beginning.”

It was also a group effort by the entire coaching staff.

“The one thing about Rutgers is that all the coaches were really involved. It was not just one guy,” Onyechi said.

After Onyechi announced his decision via Twitter, he was flooded with messages and congratulations from, fans, prospects and many others.

“It is a little overwhelming but I like it,” Onyechi said. “I like the feeling. Not many people from my school get this and it is really good to get this kind of recognition.”

And now that his recruitment is finished, Onyechi is still getting used to the fact that he will soon be a college football player on a full scholarship.

"I don’t think it has really hit me yet. But I feel like next year when everybody is struggling to get their applications into school, I will feel real relieved that I don’t have to do all that.”