Rutgers Football: 2013 Recruits Show Promise for the Future

While many fans have been looking forward to the 2012 campaign under new head coach Kyle Flood, the Scarlet Knights have been busy procuring talent for the 2013 season and beyond.

With the fresh start in the coaching regime this upcoming season, Rutgers has already been busy appropriating talent for Kyle Flood's second year at the helm, particularly at the skill positions. While a number of players have already committed, there are others with offers still under consideration. Those who have committed include:

Quarterbacks: Chis Laviano, (6'2", 197 lbs) from Hicksville, NY. Generally regarded to have a good arm, strength and accuracy, Laviano reportedly gave Syracuse some consideration, but committed to Kyle Flood's program on June 15th. Some sources list the Scarlet Knights looking at as many as 15 other quarterbacks, with offers out to four of them.

Running Backs: Dontea Ayres, (5'8", 205 lbs) committed on May 25 from Wicomico High School in Salisbury, MD. With a time of 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, Ayres reportedly received offers from five other schools including long-time Rutgers rival, West Virginia. Justin Goodwin (5'11", 185 lbs), a local Garden State prospect form Madison, NJ, committed to Rutgers on May 17 after reportedly receiving four other offers, including Big East rivals Connecticut and Temple.

Receivers: John Tsimis (5'11", 180 lbs) is another local New Jersey prospect who reportedly turned down offers from Ivy League schools (Pennsylvania, Princeton and Harvard) to join the Scarlet Knights in 2013. With a reputation for being able to snag the long pass, Tsimis has spent much of his high school career as a split end, with a limited amount of time in the slot. Tsimis committed to the Knights on May 25.

Defensive Line: On June 12, Egg Harbor (NJ) Township's Eric Wiafe (6'5", 258 lbs) committed to the Scarlet Knights after turning down offers from Buffalo and Massachusetts. With a 4.9 time in the 40-yard dash, Wiafe also had a 29.2 inch vertical jump at the Philadelphia Nike Combine. He committed to Rutgers on June 12.

Linebackers: Currently, no linebacker prospects have committed to Rutgers, but they do reportedly have an offer out to Jeremy Benjamin from Hollywood, FL. At 6'3", 225 pounds with a time of 4.6 in the 40-yard dash, Benjamin has been courted by 15 other schools (including West Virginia, Purdue and Kansas State), all of which have made offers to him.

Defensive Backs: Anthony Cioffi (6'0", 175 lbs) is a very athletic prospect out of Springfield, NJ, where he played quarterback, receiver and safety. He committed to Rutgers on February 19. Another safety, South Brunswick High School's T.J. Taylor (6'3", 185 lbs), declined offers from Big East members Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Temple before committing to RU on June 7.

Of these players, the one rated highest by ESPN is Chris Laviano, whom Rivals.com rates as No. 28 in the country at the quarterback position.

"I've pretty much known for quite a while that Rutgers was my top choice," said Laviano of his decision to join the Scarlet Knights over other schools. "It's more about Rutgers and more about my feelings and expectations for what this Rutgers program is going to be."