It is no secret, Rutgers has taken an all in approach in trying to gain a commitment from highly coveted 6-foot-6 Class of 2024 prospect Dylan Harper.
A slick left handed guard, Rutgers has recruited Harper as thoroughly as anyone during the Steve Pikiell era.
Harper has been a prolific scoring source on which Don Bosco Prep (NJ) has leaned.
He also has a unique blend of family ties to the program and a powerful bloodline.
The younger brother of legendary Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr., Harper is heavily considering the Scarlet Knights over a veritable "who's who" of potential suitors.
Duke, Auburn, Michigan, Texas Tech, Indiana, and a swath of others had been in pursuit of the five star recruit.
Harper's unique blend of positional size, IQ, and crafty scoring should offer an instant impact at whichever program lands him.
Rutgers loyalists and recruiting prognosticators initially felt a commitment from Harper would ultimately changes the perception and expectation level of the program.
This shift in momentum actually occurred earlier.
Last month, Rutgers received a commitment from five star combo forward Ace Bailey. The commitment already positions Rutgers to boast an intriguing national 2024 recruiting class.
At 6-foot-9, offensive uniqueness is one of the finer points of Bailey's hardwood trade. He's comfortable handling the ball like a guard, utilizing his IQ with cerebral passing, and also stepping out to stick the three-pointer.
While he's a unique threat with his length and deft offensive touch, Bailey has the tools to protect the rim and manipulate shot attempts.
Bailey was regarded as the most highly rated prospect to commit to Rutgers in program history.
Even prior to Bailey's commitment, Rutgers gained national notoriety with a commitment from 2024 Keystone Athletic Academy (PA) lead guard Dellquan Warren.
A slick, crafty left handed point guard, Warren is known for his twitchy athleticism and wowing above rim finishes.
He's also a prolific passer with the type of offensive creation tailor made for a high powered offense. Warren's ability to sling darts with either hand and pioneer a breakneck attack will not only cater to Rutgers' wealth of weapons, it could ultimately benefit Harper more than anything.
The two may be the same position, albeit their contrasting styles and different make up would make for an intriguing blend.
Harper would benefit from playing the role of primary target for Dellquan. As he's shown with his increased scoring load at Don Bosco, Harper is a high volume scorer.
He's added a corner 3-pointer to his arsenal and opened up a dependable outside shot. With his penchant for stepbacks, pull-ups, and elbow jumpers, Harper has relished the focal point role at Don Bosco. He's turned in multiple games of 30+ points this season, including a recent 36-point outburst during an eyeball to eyeball showdown with Kentucky commit DJ Wagner and Camden High.
While a commitment from Harper isn't promised, with today's unpredictable NIL influenced landscape and a free agency style of cutthroat recruiting/transferring, it would surely bolster the 2024 class.
Harper is likely the missing piece, the one recruit who could catapult Rutgers 2024 recruiting class to No.1 nationally.
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