Recruiting: Rutgers Lands Three-Star NJ CB Naijee Jones

Many have already begun the process of looking towards the future to find hope within the Rutgers football program, and a shining light was cast upon the program when one of the program's top targets for 2017, in-state cornerback Naijee Jones verbally committed to the program over schools such as Syracuse and Temple.

Jones told NJ.com earlier today that the school's director of recruiting EJ Barthel and defensive backs coach Darrell Wilson were extremely influential in his recruitment process, and that the coaches loved his "ability to use his size to play physical." Jones also mentioned that with Timber Creek amidst a playoff run, and the Scarlet Knights earning a big win over Army after a string of embarrassing losses, that he felt the time was right now to commit to what is currently a struggling 2017 class, ranking at 55th in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Jones is one of the first of what's hoped to be a strong class, whether it's under current head coach Kyle Flood, or the new incoming coaching staff. Either way, Jones is a great get for a struggling Rutgers program looking to turn the corner in the Big Ten with schools like Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa beginning to pull away from the rest of the conference.

You can see highlight videos of Naijee Jones here below:

Chris is a 247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction Analyst for both college football and basketball. Follow Chris on twitter @warontheweekend for all the latest Rutgers football recruiting news and analysis.