Rutgers Football adds K Antonio Chadha from PA powerhouse St. Joe's Prep
Rutgers Football added another top tier specialist to the list of verbal commits today, as St. Joseph's Prep (PA) kicker Antonio Chadha made his announcement that he was committing to the Scarlet Knights.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound kicker spoke with TKR almost immediately following the commitment to break down the news, his recent visit to campus and more.
"I believe in coach (Greg) Schiano a lot," Chadha told TKR. "I believe that he will lead our program to greatness. I also just love the warmth and hospitality that I felt when I went up to visit on Sunday. I love the entire coaching staff and I love the school itself. In the end, I ultimately thought that Rutgers gave me the best chance to achieve my personal goals, plus they believe in me and I believe in the program."
The Scarlet Knights offered Chadha a spot on the team last Thursday when head coach Greg Schiano himself went to down to St. Joe's Prep.
"Coach Schiano came into my school, looked me in the eye, and gave it to me myself," said Chadha. "That is a moment that I will cherish forever and stuck with me through this entire process."
Just a few days later, Chadha and his family made the trip to campus to talk more with the staff and lock up his commitment.
We went on the visit on Sunday and the first thing we did when we got there was meet with coach Schiano," he said. "My parents got to meet coach and it was important to me to show them why I liked him so much. We also visited the campuses of the school, took a tour of their top tier facilities, took some awesome pictures and watched some film to study some things with Coach Bruno, and at the end of the day just had a blast. I really wanted this to work out and I’m glad it did."
As Chadha mentioned, assistant coach Keith Bruno was one of the leaders in his recruitment and this should come as no surprise as he has taken over the Special Teams room since the program decided not to renew the contract of Adam Scheier this offseason.
"I think that coach Bruno has stepped into his role perfectly." said Chadha. "He’s very direct and he is intense, which is what I love the most about him. I like to get coached hard because I want to be the best I can be. I think that both coaches Bruno and Schiano together can really elevate my game. Coach Bruno was also a big advocate for me as well as Coach Shaw, so they both hold special places in my heart."
Now that his recruitment is done with, the Pennsylvania native plan on recruiting some of his former teammates at St. Joe's Prep. Some of the notable names on the team currently include four-star DE James Heard,
Stay tuned for more Rutgers Football recruiting news right here on The Knight Report!