2021 Early Signing Period: Max Patterson Signs With Rutgers Football

Max Patterson had been committed since March of this year so it was merely a formality for him to make it official Wednesday.

Rutgers got their second wide receiver in as many classes with Patterson after Robert Longerbeam joined the team for this past season. Max is a different type of player than Robert, more of the slotback type in the Raheem Blackshear / Aaron Young type mold. He is a good route runner for his age, while also being smooth in getting around the corner, able to get yards like a running back once he gets to the second level. He is a little bigger than Young, but his catching technique could use a little more refinement. The short offer list doesn’t bother me because smaller wide receivers are usually the last position group to be offered by Power Five schools and 2020 has been a non-traditional year where if a player has been committed elsewhere, other teams have been less likely to spend their limited time chasing him. Patterson could end up on either side of the ball, but will likely begin as a perimeter threat on offense.

247 Sports Composite Ranking: 3-star; 31st in Virginia; 159th WR nationally

High School Position: WR / CB (5’11”, 165 lbs.)

Projected college position: WR

High School: Yorktown

Hometown: Arlington, VA

Most notable other offers: UMass, Kent State

The Rutgers wide receivers took a bigger leap than anyone expected in 2020 with Offensive Coordinator Sean Gleeson’s playcalling and Tiquan Underwood’s tutelage as the position coach. For the first time in five seasons, Rutgers looked like a modern college offense, even with players who struggled under the previous coaching staff. Expect that to continue, though the group was rather top heavy this season as only a few players could really make plays, get yards after the catch, and move the sticks this year. As always with this position group, snaps are there for anyone who can flash, but for the first time in a while there is a path to success at Rutgers catching the football.

Floor: Julian Hayes

Most likely: Mason Robinson

Potential: Quron Pratt

Check out his highlights below:

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