Rutgers has moved on from Chris Ash in what will be known of the first domino in the 2019-20 coaching carousel. The next head coach at Rutgers will be moving into some fertile recruiting territory, and here are five prospects they should try to lock down to make an early statement.
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This is a no-brainer choice as the next coach is going to have to really lean on connections to the northern New Jersey private schools. Berger has already shown some interest in staying near home and he’s visited Rutgers a number of times. He will surely be the first uncommitted recruit the next head coach contacts.
Teams can’t win without a strong offensive line so that will surely be an area of emphasis for the next head coach. Wypler is one of the highest-ranked centers in the country. Even though he is solidly committed to Ohio State, it would send a huge message to local recruits if the next head coach were able to to get Wypler’s attention and get him on campus. The might be a tall task but it would definitely send a message.
Morant has been committed to Michigan for a long time but he has significant ties to Rutgers. Interim head coach Nunzio Campanile coached him in high school and Rutgers' next head coach will definitely want to work any angle he can to get Morant on campus. He has already shown the willingness to take visits elsewhere. Texas A&M got him for an official visit a few weeks ago and he has a visit to Penn State in the works.
The defensive line at Rutgers needs help and it’s not a bad idea to work from the inside out. Flipping Raikes from Texas A&M would be huge. It was a little surprising to see a player from southern New Jersey pick a team so far from home and the next head coach would have a little more to sell to Raikes than Ash did.
Mohan is a dynamic defensive weapon and adding a X-factor like him to a defense that lacks true playmakers would be really big. It might not be incredibly hard to flip Mohan depending on who the next coach has on staff. The potential for early playing time and playing close to home could be really important to him.
