College Football

Rutgers Football Recruiting: Scarlet Knights Land 4-Star Bergen Catholic Football Star Kaj Sanders

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Mike Lipinski
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Mike Lipinski Sports Editor

Mike Lipinski has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2005. Previous stops include Section 247 Sports, My MMA News, and more. He has been a part of the Sports Talk Philly team since 2019. He is the editor of Philadelphia Phillies content, co-editor for college football covering mainly the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and dabbles in all other sports. Follow him on social media channels -Twitter & Threads- @TheMikeLipinski

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Sports Editor

Published10 Jul 2023

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The 2024 recruiting cycle continues to trend upwards for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  Rutgers received the commitment of composite four-star safety Kaj Sanders from Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ) on Saturday. Sanders is ranked No. 4 in New Jersey according to Rivals.com and is the second four-star commitment to the program in two weeks. 

Sanders cited Rutgers’ ability to put defensive backs into the National Football League as one of the reasons he chose to commit to the Scarlet Knights.  Sanders told 247 Sports Brian Dohn that Devin and Jason McCourty’s journey from Piscataway to the NFL stood out. 

“It stood out to me because they both made it to the league,” Sanders said. “I always heard from coaches that one of the brothers was better than the other, and it was crazy how he [Greg Schiano] put both of them in the league, no matter who was better than who.” 

In addition to the McCourty twins, Rutgers has a long history of placing defensive backs into the NFL including Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Marcus Cooper, Courtney Greene, Nathan Jones, and Tre Avery.

What Sanders’ Commitment Means for Rutgers

The enormity of Sanders’ commitment to Rutgers can’t be understated.  Sanders plays at one of the nation’s top high school football programs, Bergen Catholic, a program that has not always been friendly to Rutgers.  The Crusaders are ranked No. 24 in MaxPrep’s 2023 preseason high school football Top 25 poll and are coming off a No. 1 ranking in the state and a Non-Public “A” state championship.  

A commitment by a player of Sanders’ level certainly opens the doors for other players to view Rutgers differently. This was a sentiment that Bergen Catholic head football coach Vito Campanile echoed.  

“For whatever reason, the high level Big North kids have gone to the SEC or the Big Ten on more of a national level,” Campanile said. “I think he’s a kid who could play at those types of places, and I think he can really be the face of recruiting for Rutgers in our state.”

  • Bergen Catholic head football coach Vito Campanile via 247 Sports Brian Dohn

Sanders committed to Rutgers over offers from other Power 5 schools including Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Michigan State to name a few. 

Where Rutgers Stands in the 2024 College Football Recruiting Rankings

  • Rivals.com: Overall- 25th, Big Ten- 8th
  • 247 Sports: Overall- 31st, Big Ten- 10th
  • On3.com: Overall-38th, Big Ten- 11th