Rutgers added its fourth commitment of the weekend in the class of 2024 with 3-star receiver Benjamin Black pledging to the program.
Black is a 3-star wide receiver from Mallard Creek (Charlotte, NC). After taking an official visit to Rutgers last weekend, Black announced his decision to become a Scarlet Knight on Sunday. The 6’1″, 185 pounder brings elite speed to Piscataway.
He is a track All-American who has run the following times: 4.36 seconds in the 40 yard dash, 10.76 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.9 seconds in the 200 meters. He is also a state champion and state all-time record holder as a member of Mallard Creek’s 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.
On the grid iron, Black led Mallard Creek with 25 receptions for 402 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 9 games during his junior season last fall. He averaged 16.1 yards per reception. Black holds offers from Georgia Tech, Boston College, Duke, Appalachian State and East Carolina among others. He is ranked the No. 71 athlete overall and No. 21 prospect from North Carolina in the 2024 recruiting class per 247 Sports.
Black’s athleticism, good hands, playmaking ability and elite speed make him a high upside addition to the program. He isn’t just blowing by defenders on film. Black also can make tough catches in tight spaces. He also can make a major impact on special teams in the return game. I suspect he’s underrated and underrecruited due to the time spent on the track and not at football camps. He joins Isaiah Crumpler as the second receiver from North Carolina to commit to Rutgers this recruiting cycle.
Earlier this weekend, Rutgers added three 3-star defensive recruits. They include defensive tackle Aaris Bethea, safety Dah’Kari Gilley and linebacker Montele Johnson. With 15 commitments so far in the 2024 class as of late Sunday, Rutgers is now ranked No. 21 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten.
Watch Black’s junior season highlights below.
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thevinman
June 12, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Glad to see that Rutgers added a WR with speed. That is something that is key to most offenses and something we have lacked the past few years.
RUinChiTown
June 12, 2023 at 2:22 pm
That kind of speed is a real weapon. Just go long and run underneath the ball to catch it. (First play his frosh year: a post pattern from Gavin to him?)
If his routes and his hands are as good as he is fast, we may have solved an NFL prospect in him.
pj43
June 14, 2023 at 4:54 pm
Speed, size and athleticism continues to mark this ’24 class. Forget the star ratings. These recruits have 4* capability but not the recognition – yet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see many of these commits reach a 4* rating in their last year of high school, but I don’t care.