4-star RB Jaylen McGill decommits from Rutgers

Spartanburg (S.C.) Mountain View Prep four-star running back Jaylen McGill has decommitted from Rutgers, he announced Wednesday morning.

He was pledged to the Scarlet Knights for less than a month, as he committed to Greg Schiano and Co. on Jan. 25.

McGill is the No. 219 overall prospect and No. 19 RB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in South Carolina.

“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,” McGill wrote on X announcing his decision.

The Knights have lost one of their early top commits and now have just four prospects in their 2026 recruiting class to date. McGill was one of four recruits who committed to the Big Ten program last month.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder was a weapon for Mountain View Prep as a junior in 2024, running for over 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for nearly 400 yards and an additional seven scores.

The likes of South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Virginia Tech have also offered McGill throughout his recruitment.

More on Rutgers Recruiting

With McGill no longer in the fold, Rutgers now has four commits in its 2026 class — which ranks No. 18 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Louisa (Va.) County four-star wide receiver Dyzier Carter remains the top commit in the class, checking in as the No. 146 recruit and No. 24 WR in the nation. He pledged back in July and remains in the mix, though the likes of Michigan and Georgia remain in pursuit.

Philadephia Neumann Goretti four-star athlete Wydeek Collier, Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall three-star WR Chris Hewitt and Harrisburg (Pa.) three-star WR Elias Coke round out the class to date. The trio each committed within two weeks of each other last month.

“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,” Coke told On3. “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 cycle, Rutgers inked the nation’s No. 30 class. Schiano and his staff are looking to reach higher in the 2026 cycle.