Rutgers Football NSD: DE Mike Tverdov Signs!

Union High School defensive lineman Mike Tverdov made his commitment to Rutgers University official today, signing his National Letter of Intent.

Tverdov announced his commitment on July 13th, choosing Rutgers over his other offers from schools such as Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Mike’s signing continues the Tverdov legacy at Rutgers, following in his older brother’s footsteps. Pete Tverdov was a defensive lineman who graduated in 2008.

Mike Tverdov is a 3-star recruit, ranked as the 57^th best weakside defensive end in the country, according to 247Sports.

Standing at 6’3”, 230 pounds, Tverdov used his combination of size and strength to bully high school offensive tackles all season long. In his senior season alone, Tverdov registered a whopping 14 sacks to go along with 66 tackles and 29 tackles for loss.

Tverdov demonstrates solid tendencies against the run as well, showing discipline in setting the edge and sticking to his assignment. D-1 size, effectiveness against both the run and pass, and a lack of glaring weaknesses will lead to Tverdov becoming a mainstay in the Rutgers defensive line rotation for the foreseeable future.

Freshman Impact Index: Defensive line is one of the more common positions where we see impact from true freshman, and the opportunity for Tverdov is most certainly there. While Tverdov is a key cog on the defensive line of the future, he lacks the speed and explosion to make an impact in just his first year on campus. Unless Tverdov really blows away the coaching staff on the practice field, I don’t think it would surprise me to see the Union product start his Rutgers career as a red shirt or buried on the depth chart.

Take a look at Mike’s season highlights:

Welcome to the Banks, Mike!

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