Jaylen McGill Backs Out of Rutgers Commitment
Spartanburg, S.C. – In a surprising move, Jaylen McGill, the four-star running back from Mountain View Prep, has decided to step back from his commitment to Rutgers. He made this announcement early Wednesday.
It was a short-lived commitment. McGill had only committed to Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights on January 25th.
McGill isn’t just any player. He’s ranked as the No. 219 overall prospect and the No. 19 running back for the 2026 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. This ranking takes into account evaluations from all four major recruiting companies. Plus, he’s the No. 3 player in South Carolina.
In his announcement on X, McGill shared, “I feel like the Lord has called me some place else. I’ve prayed about this decision and reflected on my decision. With that being said, I’m choosing to reopen my recruiting back up, and I’m decommitting from the University of Rutgers.”
This decision leaves Rutgers with only four prospects in their 2026 recruiting class. McGill was one of the four recruits who joined the Big Ten program just last month.
Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 185 pounds, McGill was a powerhouse for Mountain View Prep during his junior year in 2024. He ran for over 1,600 yards and scored 24 touchdowns, while also catching 22 passes for nearly 400 yards and seven more scores.
But McGill’s talent hasn’t gone unnoticed by other big names. Schools like South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech have all shown interest in him.
More on Rutgers Recruiting
With McGill out of the picture, Rutgers’ 2026 class now stands at four commits, ranking No. 18 in the nation according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
Leading the pack is Louisa (Va.) County’s four-star wide receiver, Dyzier Carter. He’s the No. 146 recruit and No. 24 wide receiver in the country. Although he committed back in July, schools like Michigan and Georgia are still keen on him.
Rounding out the class are Philadelphia Neumann Goretti’s four-star athlete Wydeek Collier, Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall’s three-star WR Chris Hewitt, and Harrisburg (Pa.)’s three-star WR Elias Coke. These three committed within weeks of each other last month.
Coke shared his thoughts on playing for Rutgers: “I want to play football. I’m not afraid of hard work and 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.”
Last year’s cycle saw Rutgers signing the nation’s No. 30 class. Schiano and his team are aiming even higher for 2026. Will they make it? Only time will tell.
