Missouri TE Travis Vokolek commits to Rutgers

Rutgers landed the first tight end in its class of 2017 less than a week before signing day as Missouri tight end Travis Vokolek of Kickapoo High School made the decision to join the Scarlet Knights today. Before making his decision public, he told Scarlet Nation why he chose Rutgers.

"I decided to chose Rutgers because it was simply just an opportunity that I could not pass up. My dream has always been to play college football at the highest level and Rutgers is giving me the opportunity to achieve my dream. The opportunity to play early if I work my tail off is incredible."

Vokolek made an official visit to Rutgers last weekend and then head coach Chris Ash and tight ends coach Vince Okruch visited him in his home the very next day.

"I get along so well with the coaches as they are all Midwest guys and I am coming from the Midwest," Vokolek said. "I really like coach Okruch who has spent his time recruiting me and is my position coach. I feel like we have a strong connection and our relationship is going to strengthen day by day when I'm at Rutgers."

Last weekend's official visit also made an impression on Vokolek.

"I felt like I was at home on my visit, Missouri isn't all big city and I expected New Brunswick to be buildings all over the place," Vokolek said. "But it is a suburb that I feel extremely comfortable with. My favorite part of the visit was hanging out with the players and getting to know them. I haven't connected with any of the other commits yet, but plan on it here pretty soon."

Rutgers is very limited on tight ends, which means Vokolek could find himself on the field as a true freshman.

"I hope to become a stronger, faster young man during my first year and really get to know the system quickly, so I can make an impact on the field as soon as possible."