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The Monday Morning Kickoff

Samuel Vretman
Samuel Vretman

Recruiting continues to include a wealth of offers going out for the Rutgers football team as well as the men’s basketball team. Each program also secured a commitment last week.

The Rutgers football program landed another commitment last week as Cheshire Academy (Conn.) offensive lineman Samuel Vretman became the latest prospect to join the recruiting class of 2017.

“Out of everyone on the staff, [Offensive Line] Coach [AJ] Blazek, [Special Teams Coach Vince] Okruch, and [Head] Coach [Chris] Ash stood out the most,” Vretman said. “Coach Blazek is just a great man and an even better coach. I can talk him about pretty much anything.”

Vretman has been enjoying an excellent spring on the camping circuit and definitely proved himself worthy of earning a fourth star in regards to his ranking.

Recruiting also continued last week with more new offers going out in and out of the state of New Jersey.

One of those local offers went out to St. Joe’s Montvale sophomore safety Evan Stewart whose father, George Stewart, played for Rutgers back in the early 1990’s.

“I know a decent amount about the school just from my dad and growing up going to the games. My dad actually still knows a couple people up there,” Stewart said of Rutgers. “I really like the new atmosphere and energy that is surrounding the program recently.”

Stewart’s teammate, defensive end Dorian Hardy, is among the top national recruits in the 2018 class and will be back on the RU campus for another unofficial visit on June 10th.

"I know a lot about Rutgers and I've been there a few times so far. The visit is mostly for my mom to get to see the campus,” said Hardy, who is now up to 21 offers.

One of the RU out-of-state offers went to class of 2017 Toledo running back Michael Warren, who decommitted from Kentucky only hours after learning of his RU offer.

Warren also plans to check out Rutgers in the coming months.

“I'm in the midst of planning my summer visits, but I will definitely be at Rutgers sometime this summer,” Warren said. “I'm really hoping to see their campus, learn some more about the new staff, see the facilities, and learn a little about the academic side of things.”

On the hoops side of things, Rutgers received a signed letter of intent last week from small forward Issa Thiam of Jacksonville County Day School.

“They got a diamond player, lucked up on a player that a few other colleges would’ve loved to have,” said Tyrone Maldonado, the Director of the Jacksonville Warriors, Thiam’s AAU squad. “He's a hard worker inside and out. Not too many weaknesses. He's played the two the three and the four. He's a very versatile player and he’s not afraid to drop down on the block and play on the five as well.”

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