Rutgers Football added another piece to its 2026 recruiting class, tapping back into the state of Maryland and landing safety Chris Hewitt Jr. Hewitt is the Scarlet Knights' first defensive back of the class and hails from Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland.
Head coach Greg Schiano continues his strong 2026 class with the fifth commitment and third four-star, this one featuring close connections to the coaching staff.
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"[I love] the way that they are just on an increase every year and I have a chance to be a part of that and join this great 2026 recruiting class," Hewitt told The Knight Report. "Of course I’ll recruit some others. I’m going to get on it immediately. One name I will recruit is [2026 Athlete] Damon Ferguson."
Hewitt is rated as a Four-Star, ranked fifth in the state of Maryland, and is the 31st-ranked safety in the 2026 class.
Mainly recruited by safeties coach Drew Lascari, Hewitt earned 18 Power Four offers - eight Big Ten programs - and has visited the Scarlet Knights multiple times, including last weekend for Rutgers Basketball’s game at Madison Square Garden. Home-state school Maryland made a big push, but Rutgers was able to hold off the Terrapins and land Hewitt in the defensive back room.
As a junior in 2024, Hewitt caught 11 passes for 111 yards in a run-heavy offense but will play defensive back at the next level. As a safety, he ranked ninth on the team with 23 tackles, and had three interceptions with a pass breakup. He also had a kick return of 83 yards and a punt return of 63 yards.
Hewitt also has multiple connections to the coaching staff. His father, Chris Sr., has coached the Baltimore Ravens' defensive backs under multiple titles since 2012 - gradually working up the ranks to become the defensive pass game coordinator and assistant head coach in 2024 - but previously started his coaching career with Schiano as the Scarlet Knights’ running backs and cornerbacks coach from 2004-11, joining the Ravens' staff after Schiano left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
His uncle, Rutgers assistant tight ends coach Matt Hewitt, has been with the Scarlet Knights in multiple roles since 2017, first joining former head coach Chris Ash's staff as a recruiting assistant. He became an offensive quality control assistant in 2019, before being retained by Schiano as an assistant director of recruiting for two seasons before working as a defensive assistant in 2022 and becoming a quality control coach in 2023.
"I was born in Jersey and all of my family lives there," Hewitt said. "I've known Coach Schiano since I was born, [for[ my whole life. My dad and uncle have told me that he’s a great defensive guy and hes an old-school type of coach but he's also evolved with the game at the same time."
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back is the latest of a few Scarlet Knights to come from Calvert Hall. Current tight end Jackson Gister joined the program as a Preferred Walk-On (PWO) in the 2024 class, with former Rutgers standouts Tyshon Fogg and Reggie Sutton also coming from the Cardinals.
Hewitt also has some familiarity with recent Scarlet Knight recruits. He plays for Level 82, directed by former NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith, in the OT7 circuit with 2026 Four-Star wide receiver commit Dyzier Carter, as well as 2025 signee Vernon Allen III.
He is the third Four-Star of the class, joining Carter from Virginia and running back Jaylen McGill from South Carolina. Pennsylvania natives Elias Coke (wide receiver) and Wydeek Collier (outside linebacker) are the other two Three-Star commits.
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