Rutgers Football: 2026 Recruiting Breakdown

As Rutgers football hits the field for spring practice, head coach Greg Schiano and his staff continue to search for prospects to join their 2026 recruiting class. Rutgers has seven signed 2026 commitments so far, and are looking for more. These seven future Scarlet Knights hail from across the nation, with a strong east coast presence.

Representing a range of states, the seven recruits include two from Pennsylvania, alongside individual prospects from Virginia, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Maryland. According to 247Sports, RU ranks No. 32 nationally and No. 9 in the Big Ten Conference for its 2026 recruit class.

2026 Rutgers Football Commitment List

No. 1 Wide Receiver Dyzler Carter

Commitment Date: 07/27/2024

High School: Louisa County (Virginia)

Player Bio: Rutgers football kicked off its 2026 recruiting class when wide receiver Dyzler Carter committed to the Scarlet Knights on July 27, 2024. Carter is a four-star recruit from Louisa County High School in Mineral, Virginia. He is ranked the No. 133 recruit in the nation and the No. 17 wide receiver in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. Also, he is the No. 5 wide receiver in Virginia heading into his senior season.

Carter received offers from 22 FBS schools and multiple Power Five offers (Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Tennessee). The 6-foot, 180-pound wide receiver made an impact as a freshman at Virginia’s Louisa County in 2022. He caught 46 passes for 1,043 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense while carrying the ball 18 times for 222 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense, picked off 6 passes while scoring 3 more TDs via the return game.

No. 2 Edge Rusher Wydeek Collier

Commitment Date: 01/19/2025

High School: Neumann Goretti (Pennsylvania)

Player Bio: Next on Rutgers’ recruiting list is edge rusher Wydeek Collier from Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound prospect is a four-star recruit and is ranked No. 10 among his recruiting class in Pennsylvania. According to 247Sports, Collier is ranked No. 384 overall and No. 24 nationally at the edge rusher position.

He received 13 offers from FBS schools and multiple Power Five offers. Designated as an athlete currently, but made significant strides as a junior working at his likely long-term position as an edge rusher. Collier totaled 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks in eleven games. Also, he had 13 receptions for 370 yards (28.4 YPC) and two touchdowns on offense.

No. 3 Wide Receiver Elias Coke

Commitment Date: 01/15/2025

High School: Harrisburg (Pennsylvania)

Player Bio: On January 15, 2025, Rutgers football added its third 2026 recruit when wide receiver Elias Coke committed to the Scarlet Knights. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect is a three-star recruit, ranking No. 83 nationally at the wide receiver position. He is ranked No. 17 in Pennsylvania heading into his senior season.

Coke received 22 offers from FBS schools and ten from Power Five schools. As a freshman, Coke recorded 24 receptions for 409 yards and six touchdowns. The following season, he almost doubled his reception totals, logging 45 catches for 843 yards and 12 touchdowns.

No. 4 Safety Chris Hewitt Jr.

Commitment Date: 01/29/2025

High School: Calvert Hall College (Maryland)

Player Bio: Rutgers football added another defensive recruit to their 2026 recruiting class when safety Chris Hewitt Jr. committed to the Scarlet Knights. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive back is a three-star prospect out of Calvert Hall College in Towson, Maryland. According to 247Sports, Hewitt Jr. is ranked No. 8 prospect in Maryland and the No. 30 safety among his recruiting class.

He received 29 FBS school offers and elected to play for Schiano and the Scarlet Knights.  Hewitt is no stranger to Rutgers football, having visited campus multiple times over the past year. His uncle is Matt Hewitt, the assistant tight ends coach at Rutgers.

No. 5 Defensive Lineman Donovan Johnson

Commitment Date: 03/11/2025

High School: Pine Forest (North Carolina)

Player Bio: The Scarlet Knights add their third defensive recruit to their 2026 recruiting class when defensive lineman Donovan Johnson committed to RU on March 11, 2025. Johnson, 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle from Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a three-star recruit. According to 247Sports, Johnson is ranked No. 93 among defensive linemen and No. 33 in North Carolina.

Johnson had offers from 11 schools, including Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Wake Forest, Duke, and West Virginia. He currently plays offensive tackle at Pine Forest High School, and is expected to make the move inside once he reaches the next level.

No. 6 Linebacker Joey Kopec

Commitment Date: 03/07/25

High School: Cuyahoga Valley – Christian Valley (Ohio)

Player Bio: Rutgers’ new linebacker coach Zach Sparber landed his first linebacker when Joey Kopec committed to Rutgers’ 2026 recruiting class on March 7, 2025. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect brings an intimidating presence in the middle of the defense.

Kopec was being recruited heavily by the MAC. Also, he earned offers from Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green. Many schools in the Big Ten Conference showed high interest in Kopec.

No. 7 Safety Sebastian Cruz

Commitment Date: 03/29/2025

High School: Fleming Island (Florida)

Player Bio: Safety Sebastian Cruz is the most recent recruit to join the Scarlet Knights when the 5-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back committed to RU on March 29, 2025. Cruz received 15 offers from FBS schools, electing to play for Schiano. According to 247Sports, Cruz is a three-star recruit, ranking No. 75 nationally among safeties in his recruiting class.

In 2024, as a junior at Fleming Island High School in Orange Park, Florida, Cruz recorded snaps at defensive back and running back. Cruz totaled 114 tackles (9.5 TFLs), 12 PBUs, 5 INTs, and a FF while adding 15 carries for 52 yards and 3 touchdowns on offense.