Miami, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Rutgers. These were the top picks for Elias Coke, a talented wide receiver from Harrisburg, Pa. Most people thought he’d pick the Nittany Lions. But in a twist, Greg Schiano made a last-minute push, and Coke decided to join the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers had their eye on Coke for almost two years. They offered him a spot early on, and he’s visited more than six times. The coaching staff’s steady approach finally paid off.
“Their message has always been honest and consistent,” Coke shared with On3. “I’ve gotten a lot of mail. Probably the most mail from them. I talk to a lot of the coaches and the recruiting staff pretty often and they talk to my mom too.”
Coke mentioned that Coach Schiano, Dave Brock, and John Perry were the main people recruiting him from Rutgers. Their consistency made a big difference.
Penn State seemed like the favorite for a while. Coke visited there several times during the fall, and two of his teammates have already committed to James Franklin. But the chance to shine in New Jersey pulled Coke towards Rutgers.
“I want to play football. I’m not afraid of hard work,” he said. “I know I’ll earn my opportunity to see the field early at Rutgers. You can’t develop as a player if you can’t put what you are learning off the field into real live in-game situations, so it’s important that I see the field early and often.”
He added, “I’ll learn from NFL coaches and that’s important because they’ve been there and know what I need to do to get there from the developmental side.”
The honesty from the Rutgers coaches about their program’s status and goals impressed Coke. He sees them improving each year and believes he can be a part of that growth.
Interestingly, Coke didn’t attend a game at Rutgers this past season. His last visit was for a picnic last summer. But he’s planning to return soon—this time as a committed player.
“Rutgers was my top choice for a long time,” Coke admitted. “I started to go to Penn State a lot more recently and got to know their coaches more and more, so that started to make this decision harder. In the end, I just had to make a decision and I just feel like Rutgers is the right choice.”
This choice could shake things up for both teams. Will Coke’s commitment to Rutgers boost their game? Only time will tell.
