Rutgers Football: Scarlet Knights Build Iron-Clad Fence Around the State

With yesterday's verbal commitment of Savon Huggins, Rutgers looks to be enjoying the best recruiting season in school history.  If there aren't more than the usual amount of de-commits, this class could squeeze into the nation's top 25.

What's so encouraging for coach Greg Schiano is that Rutgers locked up more in-state talent than ever before.

Huggins is clearly the best running back in the state and he joins Jersey's top-ranked quarterback (Gary Nova), its top-ranked receiver (Miles Shuler) and its top-ranked offensive lineman (Josue Matias).

If Rutgers can land Paramus Catholic's Marquise Wright, another top lineman, they can claim 10 or 11 of the state's top-ranked players.  Huggins in ranked No. 1 and Shuler is ranked No. 3.

Usually it's Notre Dame, Penn State or Pitt that recruits three or four of New Jersey's top players.  That didn't happen this year.

Surprisingly, it was South Carolina that came into the state and walked away with three of its best players: WR Damiere Byrd (No. 5), DB Sheldon Royster (Huggins' high school teammate, No. 6) and Tanner McEvoy, the No. 11 ranked player in the state.

Besides the success South Carolina has had, Rutgers has built a solid fence around the state and has sent a strong message to all outsiders.  "New Jersey is Rutgers' territory, stay out!"

Huggins was one of a number of recruits that made it clear Rutgers new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti had a lot to do with his choosing Scarlet Knights.  Cignetti brought Gary Nova with him from Pitt when he de-committed because coach Dave Wannstedt was fired.

If Cignetti is anywhere near as good an offensive coordinator as he has shown to be as a recruiter, Rutgers could be in for an offensive resurgence.

Huggins is the first five-star player Rutgers has recruited since Anthony Davis in 2007.  They've had others like Nate Robinson in 2003 and Berkeley Hutchinson in 2002, but they didn't work out and hardly saw the playing field. 

It's dangerous to give too much credit to the "star system."  The 2011 class looks very strong with Huggins and four other players rated with four stars, but some of Rutgers greatest players were only rated as two or three stars upon their recruitment.

Brian Leonard, Rutgers' greatest player, was a three-star coming out of high school.  Ray Rice was a three-star, Kenny Britt was a three-star and Devin McCourty was a two-star.