Is Rutgers starting to become a real threat to the Big Ten in the NIL era?

Since Rutgers joined the Big Ten back in 2014, the Scarlet Knights have produced just two winning seasons and have no winless years in Big Ten play (3) than years with even four conference wins (0). Brought in to add the New York City television market to the Big Ten media package, Rutgers has been a welcome punching bag for the rest of the conference, but with Greg Schiano back at the helm and armed with some NIL weaponry, the school in Piscataway New Jersey may start to punch back. 

This week, Schiano landed his 23rd commitment of the 2025 class when former Penn State commit Jaelyne Matthews announced his plans to play for Rutgers. One of the top offensive line recruits in the state of New Jersey, Matthews and many others from a state that at times has been fertile recruiting ground for Franklin and Penn State are suddenly staying home. 

Of the 23 commitments, seven are New Jersey natives, including two top 10 players from the state. 247Sports ranks Schiano’s class as the ninth best in the country, ahead of LSU, Texas A&M, and notably, Penn State at No. 12. Rivals thinks even more highly of the incoming Scarlet Knights, ranking the class fifth best nationally and better than Kirby Smart’s current 2025 class at Georgia. 

Penn State has had much more success than Rutgers in the Big Ten, establishing itself as a staple program and winning the conference in 1994 and 2016, but the Nittany Lions still haven’t found a true conference rival. The Ohio State game is always huge, but the Buckeyes care much more about that team up north, and beating up on Maryland has become a favorite pastime of James Franklin, but to call that game a rivalry would be misleading. Rutgers, however, could begin to emerge as an East Coast foil to the Nittany Lions as the league rapidly expands westward. 

Now, to be clear, one quality recruiting class does not make a program a powerhouse, and Rutgers is a long way from officially locking down this impressive 23-player class. Still, there are signs that the school’s administration is playing the NIL game the right way and the New York city proximity may finally be paying off. 

For starters, Rutgers employs Reed Zak as the school’s general manager of name, image, and likeness through a partnership with Altius Sports Partners. He essentially is tasked with identifying potential NIL deals for Rutgers athletes and with plenty of potential partners in NYC, Rutgers recruiting has elevated in more than just football. 

Similar to Schiano, Steve Pickell is a tough, defensive-minded coach for Rutgers men’s basketball and after eight years of middling in the Big Ten, Pickell suddenly assembled the No. 3 ranked class in 2024, headlined by the No. 2 player in the country Ace Bailey and the No. 3 ranked player Dylan Harper. 

Last November, Penn State basketball hired Pat Flannery, former Bucknell head coach, as the general manager of the basketball NIL collective. Penn State football's NIL collective, Happy Valley United, is led by general manager Jen Ferrang and Andy Frank serves as the general manager of personnel and recruiting for the program. So, it's hard to argue that Penn State is falling behind from that perspective, but the recent recruiting wins should be something Penn State's entire athletic department is monitoring.

With plenty of money flowing into the transfer portal in both sports, the Scarlet Knights, with a unified NIL strategy, may have found a market inefficiency in high school recruiting. As long as Schiano and Pickell and able to keep those top recruits on campus long enough to reap the rewards, then the NIL era may elevate the entire athletic department to new heights. That could mean a legitimate Big Ten rival for Penn State, something the Nittany Lions need, but if this recruiting momentum is real, it could be a lot more than they bargained for.