2025 OT Jayden Elijah commits to Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Matawan (N.J.) Regional three-star offensive tackle Jayden Elijah committed to Rutgers late Monday night.

He is the nation’s No. 535 overall prospect and No. 37 offensive tackle in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks No. 17 in New Jersey.

Elijah is the third prospect to join the Scarlet Knights’ 2025 class, joining Saint Augustine (Fla.) Creekside three-star quarterback Sean Ashenfelder and Hillside (N.J.) linebacker Talibi Kaba.

More on Rutgers recruiting

Rutgers’ 2024 recruiting class ranked No. 41 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and featured a trio of blue-chip recruits.

Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview four-star safety Antonio White joined the class in June alongside Riverhead (N.Y.) St. Anthony’s four-star tight end KJ Duff. Trenton (N.J.) Notre Dame four-star quarterback AJ Surace committed to the Knights early on in the cycle last Feburary.

“I went back and forth between North Carolina and Rutgers,” Duff told On3. “I put a lot of thought into it and I put it on paper and wrote it out. Rutgers made too much sense for me not to go there.”

The Scarlet Knights were on of his first offers, dating back to his sophomore season in January 2022. He’d previously camped in Piscataway, but the offer was something special, especially being a Northeast prospect.

“The way they recruited me from the beginning was consistent,” he said. “It was perfect for 18 months. They loved me and stayed the same, and their recruitment stayed the same. They made it clear I was a No. 1 priority for a very long time.”

Other notable signees in the 2024 class include Detroit Country Day three-star athlete Gabriel Winowich and Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic three-star safety Kaj Sanders — both top-500 recruits.