Rutgers Football NSD: RB Raheem Blackshear Signs!

Archbishop Wood High School running back Tyler Raheem Blackshear made his commitment to Rutgers University official today, signing his National Letter of Intent.

While Blackshear goes down as a NSD signing, his commitment to Rutgers should not come as a surprise. Once we saw that he had decomitted from Michigan State, it seemed to be only a matter of time before he joined the Scarlet Knights.

Although he was signed to MSU as a wide receiver, it would make sense that Blackshear is coming to the Banks as a running back. According to Scout, the 3-star athlete is ranked as the number two running back in the state of Pennsylvania, and the number nine back in the entire East region.

Blackshear is a smaller running back coming in around 5-foot-10 but is shifty and explosive when out in space. While he may not have top-end track speed, his film showed the ability to make defenders miss and run away from opponents when the end zone is in sight. In a college football world where teams are utilizing several running backs each game, Blackshear strikes me as a tremendous change-of-pace back who will keep opposing defenses on their toes.

Considering he could have also played receiver in the Big Ten, it will be exciting to see what Blackshear can do making plays out of the backfield in the passing game. He may never develop into an every down running back, but he will be an absolute weapon on screens and wheel routes.

Freshman Impact Index: The Rutgers backfield will be tough for true freshman to crack in 2017, considering the number of seniors who will be in the mix fighting for carries. This year will be a great opportunity for Blackshear to workout with and learn from a couple of seasoned veterans who know what it takes to be effective running backs at the D1 level. I’m excited to see Blackshear’s skill set in action, but we might be a year away from seeing it.

Check out Raheem’s season highlights here:

Welcome to the Banks, Raheem!

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