Rutgers Football NSD: LB Olakunle Fatukasi Signs!

Grand Street High School linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi made his commitment to Rutgers University official today, signing his National Letter of Intent.

Fatukasi announced his commitment on June 28th, choosing Rutgers over his other offers from schools such as Indiana, Maryland, and Syracuse.

Fatukasi, a consensus 3-star recruit, is the second highest ranked defensive recruit of the class, and the top-ranked outside linebacker in the state of New York, according to Scout.com.

While Fatukasi played the majority of his snaps in high school at the middle linebacker position, he is destined to slide outside at the next level due to his outstanding pass rushing ability and acceleration to the football. When Fatukasi approaches a ball carrier, he delivers punishment at the point of contact whether it be in the backfield, out in space, or anywhere in between.

A similar frame to fellow Rutgers commit Tyshon Fogg, Fatukasi stands at 6’2”, 215 pounds. Fatukasi is already a physically imposing figure, but still has room to grow. He will need to add a few pounds in the weight room to withstand and give out punishment while in pursuit of quarterbacks across the Big Ten.

Fatukasi was a monster both on the field and on the stat sheet this past fall, racking up 148 total tackles to go along with six tackles and one interception.

Freshman Impact Index: A common theme for the high-ranked linebackers in the 2017 class, any prospect with the size and physicality to compete right away will have a shot at earning some playing time. The fight for playing time could come down to an entertaining two-way competition between the two highest ranked defensive commits, Fatukasi and Tyshon Fogg.

Take a look at Olakunle’s season highlights:

Welcome to the Banks, Olakunle!

Keep it locked in to On the Banks all day for more National Signing Day coverage.