A quiet stretch on the calendar has not slowed the buzz around Rutgers. With a holiday week setting a calmer tone, there is still plenty moving on both the football and basketball fronts as July rolls along.
On the football side, Rutgers will send three players to Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Monday, July 28: wide receiver KJ Duff, running back Antwan Raymond, and offensive lineman Kwabena (Kobe) Asamoah. Duff and Raymond both picked up Second Team All-Big Ten recognition from coaches and media after strong 2025 seasons, while Asamoah earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and continues to anchor an offensive line that has taken a step forward. The event gives those three a chance to talk about what lies ahead for the 2026 season.
Recruiting activity also picked up before the dead period settled in last week, and Rutgers used that final day to bring several prospects to campus. One of the more notable visitors was four-star linebacker Liam Conlon of Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., who is ranked No. 174 overall and No. 12 among linebackers in the 2028 class. He was clear about where Rutgers sits for him.
"Rutgers is still high on my list. They believed in me early on and I'll always appreciate that," he said.
Rutgers has also made headway with prospects in New Jersey in the 2028 class, including safety Mekhi McNair of St. Augustine Prep in Richland, N.J. McNair described his view of the Scarlet Knights this way:
"Rutgers is definitely one of the schools I'm giving strong consideration to. I'm still keeping my options open and continuing to build relationships with different programs," McNair said last week.
Another 2028 target entered the picture last week when Rutgers offered quarterback Connor Kulka of State College Area High School in State College, Pa. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback now holds two offers, with Buffalo being the other program to extend one.
For now, Rutgers coaches are away on vacation through the early part of July before returning ahead of training camp.
Across the court, former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. is set to sign a new three-year, $9 million contract to stay with the Boston Celtics. Boston is declining his $2.6 million team option to make room for the longer deal, a move that reflects Harper’s steady climb from training camp invitee to roster player.
Harper, who wore the Scarlet Knights uniform from 2018-22, left a strong imprint on the program. After going undrafted in 2022, he had to work through two-way deals with the Toronto Raptors and later spent time in the G League, including with the Maine Celtics. He then joined Boston’s training camp in 2025, earned a two-way contract, and broke through in 2025-26.
Meanwhile, the new Rutgers basketball team is back on campus and working out, with Scarlet Nation set to be at Tuesday’s practice. Detailed practice coverage and notes from Piscataway are expected to follow.
In Other News...
Rutgers Is Making A Serious Push To Keep This NJ Recruit Home
Rutgers has made its move on Jaisier Gray, extending a scholarship offer to the Weequahic High School defensive lineman after Penn State got in first. For the Scarlet Knights, the appeal is obvious: landing a New Jersey prospect with Big Ten interest is exactly the kind of in-state recruiting win that can shape the roster and the conversation around the program.
Gray recently got a closer look at Rutgers, where he met Greg Schiano, Dennis Dottin-Carter and other recruits while taking in the atmosphere around the team. The visit appears to have left a strong impression, especially with the way the staff and players carried themselves, and Rutgers now finds itself trying to turn that early momentum into something more lasting as the recruitment continues. [Read more 🡒]