East Orange (NJ) three-star athlete Al-Shadee Salaam has signed his letter of intent and is now officially a Rutgers Scarlet Knight.
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Statistics
• This past season, his senior year, Salaam had 14 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns, along with 12 tackles and a forced fumble on defense and one kick return for a touchdown.
• In 2019, his junior year, Salaam rushed 32 times for 256 yards to go along with 47 total tackles plus an interception on defense.
Recruitment
• Originally pledged to Rutgers on March 18, 2020.
• Chose Rutgers over 15 other offers from the likes of Boston College, Michigan, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Virginia, West Virginia and more.
Did You Know?
• Salaam also ran track at East Orange, where he ran the fastest 100-meter for a freshman, clocking in at 10.6 seconds.
• The East Orange native is cousins with former Rutgers commit and current Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
They Said It
• East Orange head coach Rae Oliver: “He has improved his toughness. I’ve always known he was fast and I knew he was a tough kid and he likes to play cornerback and all that stuff, but I used to try to get him to run the ball his freshman year from day one. I knew he could do it, but he didn’t have the confidence. I think with him on our track team, doing our 5:30 workouts, still having to go home to do homework and always being home to watch his sisters, it’s all made him pretty tough mentally. I think it also instilled some more confidence in himself and he truly believes in himself. I think those are both traits that will carry him through the dark days that you know are going to come, everyone gets them. I think his mental toughness is a trait that a lot of people don’t have.”
• TKR Film Analyst Anthony Siciliano: “When looking at his tape, Salaam a big-time playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. He brings a couple of things to the table, such as good lateral quickness, explosive second-level burst and good vision when he has the ball in his hands. I also like his ability to cut on a dime, which allows him to make one quick step and make defenders miss to find those open creases in between the defense. Salaam is also extremely impressive when it comes to his lateral quickness. Combine that with his elite speed and once he has the football and hits that second level of a defense, he's gone. The acceleration he has to hit the open hole allows him to get more top-end speed, blowing past the back end of a defense. But, the thing that really makes him special is his vision. He allows for holes to develop before finding a cut back lane. Overall, he just does a good job of reading the offensive line’s leverage based on the specific run schemes and allows his blockers to set up, truly maximizing each carry. Salaam is going to be explosive on the offensive side of the football and is a very nice addition to the Rutgers running back room."
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