Rutgers football adds 4-star safety to 2026 recruiting class

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Rutgers football has made a big addition to its 2026 recruiting class.

The Scarlet Knights on Friday, Dec. 5 announced the signing of Messiah Tilson, a four-star safety from Illinois.

Tilson had been committed to Kentucky, but ultimately decided to join Greg Schiano and Rutgers.

Tilson visited in June, but Schiano continued to recruit him, especially in recent days.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Tilson is rated a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite. He’s the No. 10 recruit in Illinois for this class, the No. 33 safety recruit in the country.

Tilson brings more speed to the Scarlet Knights’ secondary – he ran a 10.76 100-meter dash.

Also a wide receiver for Guilford High School, Tilson had 46 catches for 742 yards with four touchdowns.

Defensively, Tilson had 51 tackles and an interception.

He also starred for his high school’s track and field team, and finished sixth in the nation in the 100 at the AAU Track and Field Nationals.

Tilson also held offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri, among others.

Rutgers’ 2026 recruiting class grew to 22 members with the addition of Tilson.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football adds 4-star safety to 2026 recruiting class

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