Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football Signee Bio: ATH Chris Long
Willingboro High School (NJ) three-star athlete Chris Long 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, Long threw 2-of-2 for 74 yards and a touchdown. He also had 1,619 receiving yards on 67 receptions to go along with 20 receiving touchdowns. On defense he had 40 total tackles (21 solo), six interceptions, two forced fumbles and one tackle for loss.
• His junior year, Long had 38 receptions for 583 yards and five touchdowns. He also added 22 total tackle (17 solo), one interception and one tackle for loss.
Honors
• USA Today's All-New Jersey First Team
• Inquirer South Jersey player of the year
• Maxwell Football Club mini max winner
• Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club All-South Jersey team
Recruitment
• Pledged to Temple on July 4th, 2019, but flipped to Rutgers on December 10th, 2019.
• Chose Rutgers over 16 other offers from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Baylor, Boston College, Duke, East Carolina, Kent State, Louisville, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Temple, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
Did You Know?
• He broke the South Jersey receiving record
They Said It
• Willingboro Head Coach Steve Everette: "“He’s a fantastic player and he is now the South Jersey record holder for receiving yards. He has got to fill out, get stronger and refine his technique. All of those are things that just about every high school kid has to do when they get to the college level. Just knowing his mentality and demeanor, you can tell he is definitely ready to be competitive college football player.”
• Rivals Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman: "I like Long a lot. He is an explosive outside receiver with pretty good hands and he has some natural athleticism. He is a difficult matchup for opposing cornerbacks, as long the Rutgers quarterbacks can find him on the outside and hit him on crossing routes. Priority number one for the next OC should be to get him into space, where he is the most dangerous."
• TKR Film Analyst Anthony Siciliano: "When you watch a player like Chris Long, you see the athleticism he possesses after the catch. He also has tremendous breakaway speed to stretch the field both vertically and horizontality. Just based off the clips on his tape, he is a fluid route runner and does a really nice job of reading the defensive backs leverage while running his routes. By doing this it allows him to use different leverages, which is why he is able to get the extra separation that is needed in his routes versus either press or soft coverage.
Two things that I’ve seen Long improved in from his junior to senior year, one his is ability to track the football and two his hands. When some throws are outside Long’s alignment while he's running his route, he manages to do a really nice job of tracking the football down, while also keeping the defensive back on his back hip to shield him from making a play. Also his hands have improved a lot, he’s a natural pass catcher and catches the football away from his chest. He high points the football well for his body frame too.
Overall, Chris Long will be a huge addition to Rutgers offense and is one kid who will have a very bright future on the banks, if he can add some strength."