Rutgers wasting no time for 2022 recruitment
The Rutgers season may have come to a close officially on November 27th when they lost to Maryland, but the Big Ten football team isn’t resting any time soon. In fact, the Scarlet Knights coaching staff often consider this to be the busiest time of the year for them, and it has nothing to do with the Christmas holidays.
In an effort to avoid another season under 500 Coach Schiano has wasted no time looking forward to acquiring new talent to improve his squad. Since his return to Rutgers in 2019, the team has been improving year to year. Although it has been a rocky road so far, the Knights are looking to make another leap this year. “It’s coming. I know it can get frustrating, no one more than us.” Schiano was quoted as saying towards the finale of their 2021 campaign.
(Photo: Bobby Deren, 247Sports)
Looking to get a head start
Recruit season is well underway, and head coach Greg Schiano has his eye on December 15th, which he calls the actual signing date. While February is traditionally the official signing date for colleges, the early signing date has become the norm. Very few people wait until February to commit to a school, so coaches looking for young talent know they have about 15 days to lock it down once their season ends.
That’s a pretty fast turn-around and an incredible challenge for coaches who are on the sidelines of high school football games across the nation eying and wooing recruits while still attempting to manage their current team and end their season on a high. The life of a college football coach is full of high stake scouting and coaching, and Schiano is figuring out how to make things work by turning to the sky.
Rutgers is taking to the sky
This year Schiano has managed to get from the sidelines of the Scarlet Knights to the sidelines of his star recruits via helicopter, which certainly helps prove just how much he is willing to do to win the attention of players like Western Union High School student Davison Igbonison. Coach is looking to bolster a talented young defense with the likes of Max Melton and Kyonte Hamilton, especially with the graduation of Tyshon Fogg, Tyreek Maddox-Williams and Olakule Fatukasi (and perhaps Drew Singleton) which will result in the loss of a combined 101 starts.
had a great in-home visit with @GregSchiano @RUCoachFran pic.twitter.com/fucgRnGlw1
— Davison Igbinosun (@DaveIgbinosun) December 9, 2021
The defensive back was gearing up for his traditional Friday night game when Schiano came down in a helicopter just a few yards from the high school field. Not only did his entrance shorten his commute time, but it showed just how much power Rutgers has and that they are willing to flex a little bit to get the attention of the recruits they want. After all, it’s hard to ignore being pursued by a helicopter.
While it is too early yet to see if the helicopter flex worked, Igbonsion is being pursued so furiously that Schiano paid a second visit to him at home, this time landing his copter in a nearby park. It will be an interesting December for sure. To see more on Rutgers Football visit their page here: scarletknights.com
A new way to recruit
Whether you are looking at football recruits or simply need to minimize time traveling, FairLifts also offers helicopter charters designed to get you anywhere you need to go.