Rutgers football landed its highest rated recruit in the 2024 class as 4-star playmaker Korey “KJ” Duff Jr. committed on Thursday night on his Instagram page.
The 6’5″, 200 pound prospect is a wide receiver who could ultimately become a tight end in college. He is a fluid route runner with sure hands and good speed. Duff has also shown a willingness to block downfield in the run or short pass game.
In 10 games as a junior at St. Anthony’s in Melville, New York, Duff Jr. had 42 catches for 995 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. He was dominant in the pass game, averaging 23.7 yards per reception and 99.5 receiving yards per game. Duff Jr. improved his production after a strong sophomore campaign in which he had 35 catches for 682 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns in 9 games. During that 2021 season, Duff Jr. averaged 19.5 yards per catch and 75.8 yards per game.
Duff Jr. is ranked the No. 2 recruit in New York, the No. 17 tight end nationally and No. 341 overall in the 2024 class per 247 Sports composite rankings. He holds almost two dozen offers with double digit power five offers. They include North Carolina, Miami, Texas A&M, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, Kansas, UCF and Arizona State among others.
In the last couple of months, Duff has taken unofficial visits to Miami and UCF, while taking official visits to North Carolina and Rutgers. He was scheduled to take an official visit to Miami last weekend but it never happened. Ultimately, the constant pursuit of Duff Jr. by Rutgers will lead him to become a Scarlet Knight.
With his blocking ability and frame, Duff Jr. is projected to be a tight end at the next level. However, it will be interesting to track his development and don’t think his potential to play wide receiver or even a hybrid role should be ruled out.
This is a great recruiting win for Greg Schiano and the coaching staff. Duff Jr. is an explosive athlete who could become a major contributor early on in his college career. He does run after the catch similarly to former Rutgers great Kenny Britt but even is an even bigger target.
Following Duff Jr.’s commitment, the 20 member 2024 class for Rutgers is now ranked No. 24 nationally and No. 8 in the Big Ten per 247 Sports composite rankings. I’ll update the rankings as soon as KJ is added.
To watch or listen to Thursday’s podcast episode featuring my rapid reaction to Duff Jr.’s commitment, click here.
You can watch junior season highlights of Duff Jr. below.
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thevinman
June 30, 2023 at 10:54 am
Good to see a really tall WR commit.
Biochemist01
June 30, 2023 at 9:38 pm
Awesome commit! #2 in NY State! I see a TE in the future.
pj43
June 30, 2023 at 11:35 pm
This recruit was at the top of my list to fill the remainder of the ’24 class. I’m very excited about his commitment. IMO, Duff is a WR – not a TE. Just look at the tape! Put him in the slot or out wide. I don’t care. He’s so fluid, runs great routes with great hands and has the ability to take it all the way after the catch. He flat out possesses the entire package to be a great receiver for Rutgers and elevate the passing game. Schiano & his staff have done a great job filling this ’24 class with recruits who have the size, speed and potential to put this program at a competitive level in the Big Ten.