Which Rutgers early enrollees will earn immediate playing time?

Even though the 2016 recruiting class still needs about 10 more commits, one-third of the current cimmits have enrolled in classes and are on campus. Jon Pollock, Solomon Manning, Trey Sneed, and Elorm Lumor are the 2016 early enrollees and some can make an immediate impact for the Scarlet Knights.

LB Jon Pollock

Pollock is almost a lock to earn playing time in some capacity this year, as long as he stays healthy. Rutgers will have 3 new starting linebackers this year since Steve Longa decided to declare for the NFL Draft. All linebackers will be in the same position regardless of how long they have been at Rutgers. The key here is that Ash will see Pollock as much as any linebacker on the team since he is an EE. Pollock has a chance to earn the starting MLB job, but senior Isaiah Johnson has the college experience necessary and almost won the job last year. Even if Pollock is the backup MLB, he should see time on the field and a lot of time on special teams. For reference, Johnson was the backup this year and saw action in all 12 games, notching 7 tackles and 1 TFL. Chance to play week 1: 99%

LB Solomon Manning

Manning also has a great shot to earn playing time due to the lack of depth at linebacker. When he committed, the big issue was that he wasn't very big and he didn't make up for his lack of size with speed. It turned out that he improved his speed and is a much better athlete than when he committed back in June. Like Pollock, Manning will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on special teams. He will also be able to compete for a spot at outside linebacker. There is currently no one that has established them as a frontrunner to start at OLB so Manning really has as good an opportunity as anyone to get a spot as a starter. Personally, I don't think he will be a week 1 starter since he still needs to put on a little bit of weight. However, he very well could put on a strong showing during camp and impress the coaches. Chris Ash made it very clear that the best players will play, regardless of where they were last year. This bodes well for Manning. His chances mainly depend on how big he is and if he can get to around 215-220 lbs by fall camp. Chance to play week 1: 70%

HB Trey Sneed

As it stands, Sneed is the highest ranked recruit in the 2016 class. He is already on campus, though I don't think he will see the field this year. He is simply buried behind better football players. Josh Hicks and Robert Martin are the two stars, and Justin Goodwin and Desmond Peoples are still on the roster. There is a chance that Sneed is better than them, but I don't know if it is worth it to burn his redshirt to get him some looks as the 4th-string HB. He will also have to battle with r-Fr Charles Snorweah, who is looking to be the elusive change of pace back on the team. I think the smart move is to redshirt Sneed this year and work him into the rotation in 2017 depending on who is still on the roster. His only chance of playing this year is if there are key injuries or if Kyle Flood comes back to burn his redshirt for no reason #DontaeOwens Chance to play week 1: 10%

OLD/DE Elorm Lumor

Lumor is a very interesting situation. He is a pass-rusher, but is still too small to even be a linebacker. He runs a 4.50 40-yard dash, which is really freakin' fast for a DE. He will need to bulk up big time this spring and fall and take a redshirt year to fill out his frame. If he can get up to around 240-250 lbs, he can step right in in 2017 to fill the role of Kemoko Turay or wreak havoc with Turay depending on what Turay does after the 2016 season. Regardless, Lumor is pretty much a lock to redshirt this year. Rutgers has plenty of depth on the defensive line and there is no reason to rush him onto the field when he isn't physically ready to play the D-Line. Hopefully he spends the fall under the wing of the defensive ends on the roster to help him improve his raw but impressive abilities. Keep an eye on Lumor as a potential future big name. Chance to play week 1: 1%