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Rutgers coach Chris Ash ended up having to scramble to put together his first class of Scarlet Knights and ended up with a group ranked much lower than any recently in Piscataway.
That is probably to be expected given the tumultuous year that preceded his hiring, but he hopes to have addressed some needs (both immediate and long term) before getting a full year to dig into the fertile recruiting grounds of his new home.
Scout.com national class ranking: 71
Big Ten ranking: 13
Top-rated prospect: Trey Sneed, a three-star running back from Orange Park, Fla., is the No. 40 player in the country at his position.
Biggest area of need potentially filled: After a down year across the board, there might not be a spot Rutgers didn't need immediate help. Quarterback was a big concern, though, with Ash planning to move the Scarlet Knights to a spread offense. Therefore snagging Tylin Oden from Columbia (Tenn.) Spring Hill was a key development.
Early enrollees: Sneed, fellow Florida native Solomon Manning, a linebacker from Colonia, and Piscataway Milford Academy linebacker Elom Lumor will all take part in spring practice.
In state?
This is a key area of talent acquisition for every school even though some live in different neighborhoods than others.
Rutgers is fortunate to be in a talent-rich state, but the 2016 recruiting cycle was another reminder of the major challenge Ash faces in his attempt to "fence the Garden State."
Excited to get out and recruit the Great State of New Jersey today!!! #FenceTheGarden
— Chris Ash (@CoachChrisAsh) January 14, 2016
Michigan signed six players from New Jersey, including four of the top six, thanks in no small part to former New Jersey high school football head coach Chris Partridge, now a member of Jim Harbaugh's staff.
Michigan State signed two four-star prospects from New Jersey while Ohio State, Tennessee and Duke all got one.
Manning, the No. 12 prospect in the state, was the highest rated to sign with the Scarlet Knights.
Of course, Ash faced an uphill climb by getting into the game late, but this year is not unique in recent history: Rutgers only signed one of the state's top 10 prospects in the last three years under previous head coach Kyle Flood.
The last top 10 New Jersey player to pick Rutgers was Dorian Miller, an offensive lineman from Metuchen in 2013.
Ranking trend: Rutgers posted the lowest-ranked class nationally of the Scout era. The previous low came in 2003 when the Scarlet Knights came in at 69th.
Rutgers' four-year average national ranking is 46.9, but history shows the program is capable of more. From 2009-12, the Scarlet Knights' average national ranking was 34.8, and from the 2011-13 their classes ranked 30th, 31st and 31st, respectively.
Rutgers has ranked 10th or worse in the Big Ten every year since joining the conference, but its classes in 2012 and '13 would have been third and fourth respectively if the Scarlet Knights were in the league at that time.
