His dreams came down to two schools. One in in New Brunswick and one in State College, Pa. But in the end, it was the hometown team that needed him most.
Rutgers is the only school he has visited since the recruiting dead period was imposed almost a year ago. There were also “three-to-four” recruit Zoom meetings, where coaches Fran Brown, Jim Panagos and Nunzio Campanile playfully jockeyed to add his skills to their position groups.
One meeting grouped Kenny Fletcher with five more of Rutgers’ top targets, some who he’s remained in touch with (which also played a role).
Fletcher had hoped for more time to decide. But, the transfer portal and COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow him that luxury, helping Rutgers land the Delran (N.J.) junior and second four-star to join Rutgers’ 11th-ranked 2022 football recruiting class.
“Rutgers is on the come up so I’m rolling with them,” Fletcher told NJ Advance Media on Thursday.
A 6-4, 215-pound pass rusher and tight end, Fletcher picked Rutgers over 14 other offers, including Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and others. Like all recruits have learned this year, this is no normal recruiting cycle. High school players have been recruited less vigorously since the berth of the transfer portal and the NCAA’s free year of eligibility, impacting Fletcher’s decision timeframe.
He pegs an unofficial Rutgers trek from March of 2020 as a pivotal point in his recruitment.
“That was my first time seeing any college campus and it was just a very good and interesting experience for me,” he said. “The coaches were great and really caring.
“They told us what they had to offer and what their plan was. The main topic was the impact we could make on the program. If one of us makes the decision to commit there and starts the wave, then it’s going to be easier for the rest to come. And now it’s all started.”
Brown and Panagos were most influential in Fletcher staying home.
“We keep it 100 no matter what point in the conversation we’re at. It can go from talking about life, school, football, college, doesn’t matter. Recruiting,” he said. “I like people who keep it 100 (percent).”
Fletcher was recruited to Penn State primarily by recruiting coordinator Terrell Smith. However, the staff decreased its efforts down the stretch. Contrarily, coaches from Michigan State, Boston College, Ole Miss and Florida State joined Rutgers in recruiting Fletcher this year.
But Rutgers won out in the end.
“It kind of makes me feel like I’ve got a chance to be the king of my city,” Fletcher said. “Rutgers made this edit one time last year for all the recruits -- a picture of us at the top of a city and with those words. And that’s when I started thinking that if I go here, I can be the king of my city since it’s my hometown. It’s not like I’m an outsider. And it’s in the middle of everything.”
The staff plans to use Fletcher at rush end, forging one-on-ones. He’s also been floated as a red zone target at tight end.
“‘We may have to pull the trigger on the red zone sometimes,’” Fletcher recalls Brown and head coach Greg Schiano saying during a video chat.
Fletcher is fond of Panagos, who he speaks to daily and who’s shared tools to improve Fletcher’s game. And his bond with Schiano has to do with more than just football.
“Him being straight up with me the whole time was important,” Fletcher said.
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Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.
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