Kaj Sanders took a leap of religion when he dedicated to Rutgers soccer final July. Now the previous blue-chip recruit may be very a lot the face of what might nicely be a resurgence for Rutgers.
In brief, the influence of Rutgers touchdown Sanders within the final recruiting cycle is one thing that’s nonetheless resonating throughout the state.
Sanders was not solely a four-star recruit, he starred for the state’s prime program in Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey). Final summer time, he picked Rutgers from a closing 4 that additionally included North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
A four-star by Rivals. Sanders was ranked as a prime 5 recruit within the 2024 class. He was additionally a four-star by On3.
His class ended up being a really strong one, with quite a lot of prime recruits becoming a member of Sanders and committing to Rutgers. However it’s this present class, one ranked top-10 within the nation, that’s shaping as much as be Sanders’ legacy.
In actual fact, by way of his dedication, Sanders made Rutgers cool and in doing so, paved the way in which for this subsequent class to noticeably think about staying in-state. Due to his excessive talent set and athleticism, Sanders grew to become a pied piper not simply in his class but additionally within the class after him.
It isn’t hyperbole to say that with out Sanders committing to Rutgers, this monster class pulled in by head coach Greg Schiano may not be occurring. Sanders set the tone for a gaggle that now consists of seven gamers ranked as four-star recruits.
The most recent got here on Saturday when operating again John Forster, a four-star from St. Joseph’s (Montvale, New Jersey), dedicated to Rutgers. Forster is a top-five recruit within the state.
Story initially appeared on Rutgers Wire