Rutgers football's 2027 recruiting class grows after busy weekend

It was a busy and productive weekend for Rutgers football’s 2027 recruiting efforts.

Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights landed multiple commitments as the program hosted official visits – Rutgers’ 2027 recruiting class grew to 13 members.

This stage of the recruiting cycle has typically been when the Scarlet Knights add the bulk of each year’s respective class, and it looks like this year will be no different.

The current era of college football – between NIL and the transfer portal – has led many programs to alter the way they recruit or who they recruit. Some big-time programs have begun to de-emphasize high school recruiting, choosing instead to largely build their program through the portal.

But Schiano frequently talks about how Rutgers is a developmental program – recruiting high school athletes and filling the pipeline, while using the portal to plug holes when needed, remains the program’s foundation.

So while nothing is binding until the early signing period in December, this is still an important time of the year.

Here’s a look at the newest members of Rutgers football’s 2027 recruiting class:

Zion Vilma, CB

Landing Vilma was a strong pickup for Rutgers. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Vilma plays at Dr. Joaquin Garcia in Lake Worth, Florida. He had offers from Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Mississippi State and Iowa State, among others.

But here’s where relationships matter: Vilma is the cousin of former NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who played for the Jets and Saints. Schiano recruited Jonathan to Miami when he was the defensive coordinator there from 1999-2000. He coached him for a season before leaving for his first stint as Rutgers’ head coach. More than 25 years later, that family connection made a difference in landing Zion Vilma.

Vilma is a three-star prospect and the No. 83 overall recruit in Florida for the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Zion Watson, S

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Watson plays at Northside Christian High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. He’s a three-star athlete and also held offers from Army, Navy and UNLV. Watson, so far, represents the Scarlet Knights’ lone Florida commitment from this class. The Sunshine State has typically been a fruitful one for Rutgers during the Schiano era. Watson has excellent athleticism and speed – he was part of a 4×100 relay team that placed fifth at the Florida state championships.

Charles Butler, OL

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Butler is from Bishop Canevin High School in Pittsburgh. Building depth along the offensive line has also been a major emphasis under Schiano – it’s the toughest position to develop in the Big Ten. Butler clearly already boasts Big Ten size. Butler also held offers from Temple, UConn, Akron and James Madison, among others.

Aaron Southard, OL

Rutgers landed another offensive lineman in Southard, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle from The St. James school in Springfield, Virginia. Southard had offers from South Florida, James Madison, UConn and Coastal Carolina, among others. Southard is another commitment under new offensive line coach Jim Turner.

Jackson Albright, OL

Albright was the third offensive lineman Rutgers earned a commitment from. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Albright plays at Warrior Run High School in Turbotville, Pennsylvania. He’s a another lineman with Big Ten size that Turner’s looking for. Albright held offers from Syracuse and UConn, among others.

Josiah Sturdivant, DE

Tight ends coach Scott Vallone has done a stellar job recruiting North Carolina, where he’s really developed a solid pipeline to Piscataway. That continued in this recruiting cycle with Sturdivant, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound EDGE from Wake Forest High School. Another under-the-radar player, Sturdivant had offers from James Madison, Old Dominion and East Carolina, among others.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football recruiting: Who joined ’27 class after busy weekend