New Jersey Linebacker DJ McClary Flips Commitment From Penn State To Rutgers
Thursday, July 25, 2024
DJ McClary, a linebacker from Snyder High School in Jersey City, has flipped his commitment from Penn State to the Scarlet Knights. McClary had been committed to the Nittany Lions since September, but has made three visits to Rutgers in the interim, including an official visit on May 31st. According to McClary, a private talk with head coach Greg Schiano swayed him to rethink his plans. McClary, a four-star prospect and the No. 4 prospect in New Jersey, is now the 28th member of the Scarlet Knights' already-stacked 2025 recruiting class.
A stand-out player
McClary’s flip is quite the loss for the Nittany Lion’s as he was their third-best prospect in their 2025 recruiting class, as well as the team’s No. 1-rated. linebacker. Last year, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound player showed his strengths on the field at Synder in a dual role of both linebacker and quarterback. On the offensive line, McClary threw 50 of 117 passes for 793 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,420 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.
And as for the defensive line, McClary made a similarly impressive performance. He made 94 tackles in total and 14 tackles for the loss. On top of that, McClary also registered two sacks and an interception across nine games. It’s therefore not surprising that McClary also had offers from a number of other college’s, including Michigan, Maryland, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Ohio State.
The Scarlet Knights now have five four-star prospects
With the addition of McClary, the Scarlet Knights now have five four-star prospects in their 2025 lineup. Plus, four of those five (McClary, defensive back Tariq Hayer, offensive line Jaelyne Matthews, and wide receiver Michael Thomas III) are also listed in the ESPN 300—the highest number so far in Rutgars’ history. Six offensive lineman who all have strength on their side have also been added, such as, 6-foot-5, 295-pound Chris Vigna and 6-foot-7-265-pound Jayden Elijah. Powerful athletes with strong movement skills and big frames will help the team do well on the field.
Home-grown talent
It’s also worth noting that the Scarletts Knights now have nine players from New Jersey, including McClary. Wide receiver Michael Thomas III, for example, is graduating from Donovan Catholic. Matthews is a student at Toms River North, while Vigna goes to Bergen Catholic. Regional running back John Forster also goes to St. Joseph. Previously, in comparison, Rutgers has always found it difficult to recruit local players, but that now seems to be changing for the better. McClary even has family ties to Rutgers as his brother, Isaac Holmes, previously played defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights also under head coach Schiano.
“I really love the group and the guys we have committed right now,” Schiano said. “I think the reason is our coaches do a great job of identifying the guys that are right for us. We don’t worry about their stars or who else is recruiting them. We really do a deep dive and evaluation on each kid. It takes a lot of time.”