Dylan Harper, No. 2 Prospect In 2024, Commits To Rutgers
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 overall recruit for the class of 2024, has committed to the Rutgers Scarlett Knights, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday.
He is now a part of the program’s best recruiting class in school history and joins the No. 3 overall recruit in the class, Airious “Ace” Bailey. The Scarlett Knights officially have the third-best recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports.com.
“I have a deep connection with the staff over a long period of time,” Harper said to ESPN this week. “Head coach Steve Pikiell, associate head coach Brandin Knight and assistant coach TJ Thompson. Staying at home means everything for me. It is exciting for me knowing everyone who got to see me grow up, like my family, friends and coaches, can see me play. Knowing that I can make a stamp in my home state has always been a thing for me.”
Harper’s older brother, Ron Harper Jr., is a Rutgers alumni who’s on a current two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. Having family ties to the school and the area played a big factor in this commitment.
“His advice to me was to pick a school that is best for me and make it your decision,” he said. “I saw what a great player my brother was there and how successful Rutgers was during that time. He had a great career there. He was one of the best to play at Rutgers.”
Rutgers made sure to make Harper a priority and it worked in their favor. Having him be an in-state recruit certainly helped their relentless pursuit of securing this commitment.
“I have been around him and the program for such a long time. No one works harder at his job than Coach Pikiell,” Harper said. “He gets the most out of each player and his team. I trust him to do what’s right for the team. He is such an uplifting person and coach. He is always helping others whether it’s on the court, in the program or in the community. He puts others before himself in everything he does.”
The culture at Rutgers is about to change a lot. Since 2007, the school only landed six ESPN top 100 prospects. They now have two of the three best players in the class of 2024, and this will likely convince other players to keep Rutgers in their list of potential schools.
“I believe with our recruiting class and returning players we can help Rutgers win, get to the NCAA tournament and make a deep run,” Harper said. “I feel like my game is something they are missing. I will be playing with some other really good players. The RAC is a great environment for playing your home games.“
While freshmen don’t always make a huge impact, this is a big step in the right direction for Rutgers. If they continue to find ways to get these bigger names to commit, we could see Rutgers become a school that consistently makes good runs every year during March Madness.
