Rutgers Football: Are Recruits Being Taken for a Ride or to Be Applauded?

There was no question that when Greg Schiano suddenly resigned from coaching RU, and RU was jilted by Mario Cristobal during negotiations to be RU's head coach, new head coach Kyle Flood inherited a situation at a major crossroads.

Not only did the Scarlet Knights face high expectations this fall, finishing a game out of a tie for first place in the Big East and returning the majority of their key players, but they were set to welcome in the best recruiting class in the history of the program.

With just days to signing day, rival coaches were set to poach RU's class, and it seemed that was an inevitability.

However, that didn't happen.

With glue and tape, Kyle Flood, with the rest of his coaching staff in a state of flux, held this impressive class together.

How did he do it?

Last month, Philadelphia columnist Mike Kern of PhillyNews.com reported that sources were telling him RU had been telling recruits it was planning on moving to the Big Ten "sooner than later."

Rutgers has yet to comment on that report.

So is RU coach Kyle Flood one hell of a salesman or is this just a baseless rumor?

Let's deal with the second part first.

Clearly, without a named source, this is hard to prove. However, it's a little strange to make this up, particularly with the way Rutgers has flirted with the Big Ten over the last four or five years.

Second, let's look at the language—"plans on moving to the Big Ten." I am planning on being a millionaire. It may not happen.

That sort of equivocating language allows someone to say anything without really lying.

I will believe this Big Ten thing when the contracts are being signed. It seems every other school who has wanted to switch conference allegiances these past few years have been able to do it and for some reason, Rutgers has been left in the cold.

So while it is admirable that these recruits held firm to their commitments to Rutgers, if they were banking on the Big Ten, they may be taken for a ride.