Florida DL Henry Hughes commits to Rutgers football

Rutgers football added a fourteenth verbal commitment to its 2021 recruiting class on Friday, as defensive end Henry Hughes pledged to the program.

The 6’5”, 228 pound prospect from Tampa, Florida only has one season of high school varsity experience after focusing on basketball as a sophomore. However, his junior season showed he has great potential on the grid iron. Power five programs noticed, as Hughes holds offers Iowa State, Syracuse, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana.

Defensive line coach Jim Panagos was his lead recruiter and ultimately landed the first Florida recruit in the 2021 class for Rutgers. Panagos and head coach Greg Schiano both have a long history in recruiting the Sunshine state.

Hughes is an athletic prospect who also plays basketball and track & field. He is raw, but his length and versatility gives him a chance to develop into a disruptive force at multiple positions for the Rutgers defense. He also is a strong student, as Todderick Hunt reported he has a 4.7 GPA.

As of now, the 14 member 2021 recruiting class is listed 21st nationally and 8th in the Big Ten per the 247 composite rankings. Hughes is the sixth member of the class from out of state. Here are his junior season highlights.