Rutgers football is making waves in North Carolina. With the recent commitment of Grimsley tight end DJ Howerton, the Scarlet Knights have now landed three of the state’s top 40 prospects in the Class of 2026 — more commits than North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest or Duke can claim from the Old North State.
Howerton’s commitment, announced Tuesday after a weekend official visit, adds to an impressive North Carolina haul that already includes 6-8, 310-pound offensive tackle Tyrell Simpson (North Brunswick) and 325-pound offensive lineman Donovan Johnson (Pine Forest). All three players are three-star recruits with high ceilings and double-digit Division I offers.
Rutgers now has more 2026 commits from North Carolina (3) than from its home state of New Jersey (2). The Scarlet Knights have made North Carolina a clear priority — not just this cycle, but across recent years. The current roster features six NC natives, including WR Ben Black (Mallard Creek), DB Isaiah Crumpler (D.H. Conley) and LB Isaiah Deloatch (Durham Hillside). That list continues to grow thanks in large part to tight ends coach Scott Vallone, who has cultivated recruiting ties across the state.
“My thoughts on the program are all positive based on what the coach was telling me,” Howerton told 247Sports on his commitment to the Scarlet Knights. “They said I would fit perfectly for what they do with their tight end.”
That early trust and fit helped Rutgers secure Howerton’s pledge before his scheduled official visits to NC State, Florida State and Utah. It marked a critical win for the Scarlet Knights, who made his decision easy during his first official visit weekend.
Meanwhile, Simpson — a towering 6-8 lineman still coming into his own — has skyrocketed as a late-blooming prospect. Originally a defensive lineman, Simpson was encouraged by Virginia Tech coaches at a camp last summer to switch to the offensive side, per reporting by HighSchoolOT. He responded with a strong junior season and gained offers from Florida, Kentucky, Liberty and multiple in-state schools. Rutgers became his pick in late May after building a strong relationship with the staff.
Simpson’s physical tools are jaw-dropping.
“Tyrell has ridiculous flexibility,” North Brunswick coach Bryan Davis told HighSchoolOT. “He can put his palms flat on the ground, straight-legged at 6-foot-8… If he gets into the right setting, I think they’ll make the most of it.”
The Scarlet Knights didn’t stop there.
In March, Fayetteville’s Donovan Johnson joined the class after his own first visit to campus. A two-way lineman and track athlete, Johnson has excelled on both sides of the ball for Pine Forest and drew offers from Duke, Wake Forest, Pitt, Kentucky and West Virginia. He says that Rutgers is recruiting him to play on the offensive line.
“The family, the atmosphere, how genuine the people were, and the facilities were all just amazing,” Johnson told The Knight Report after his commitment. “They preached to me about the culture of the program, the history of Coach Schiano, and the hard work you have to put in to be a Scarlet Knight.”
For Rutgers, it all adds up to a significant recruiting foothold in North Carolina — and a clear signal that the Scarlet Knights plan to stay.
Thank you to everyone who believed in me, as a player and a young man. After a great conversation with Coach Schiano & Vallone I am BLESSED to announce my commitment to Rutgers University #GoScarletKnights #AGTG pic.twitter.com/GSdHMvWZQ2 — Donovan Johnson (@DonJohnson2026) March 11, 2025
📊DJ Howerton | Rutgers commit
🧩 Position: Tight end
📍 Hometown: Greensboro
🎓 High School: Grimsley Whirlies
🧢 High School Coach: Darryl Brown
📏 Height/Weight: 6-4, 220
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Howerton is a three-star prospect, the No. 32 player from North Carolina and the No. 44 tight end nationally.
🎯 Offers/Interest: Howerton committed to the Scarlet Knights after visiting the New Jersey campus over the weekend, his first official. He had visits lined up later this month for NC State, Florida State and Utah but does not intend to keep them, per 247Sports reorting. His offer sheet included 19 schools in all,
Including Wake Forest, Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, Campbell and North Carolina A&T in-state. Florida also was heavily involved.
🎥 View DJ Howerton Hudl highlights HERE
💪 Career Rewind: Howerton played a pivotal role in Grimsley’s 16-0 state championship in 2024. He caught seven touchdown passes.
📊Tyrell Simpson | Rutgers commit
🧩 Position: Offensive tackle
📍 Hometown: Leland
🎓 High School: North Brunswick Scorpions
🧢 High School Coach: Bryan Davis
📏 Height/Weight: 6-8, 310
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Simpson is a three-star prospect, the No. 34 player in North Carolina and the No. 72 offensive tackle in the nation.
🎯 Offers/Interest: Received his first offer last summer after camping at Virginia Tech. He also has been offered by Florida and Kentucky from the SEC, as well as Appalachian State and North Carolina A&T in-state, Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Marshall and Old Dominion. 247Sports reported that Kentucky, Liberty and Virginia Tech made his final four.
🎥 View Tyrell Simpson’s Hudl highlights HERE
💪 Career Rewind: Simpson has played on the defensive line since before high school, but has shifted his focus to offensive line duties with great success. His stock could take off this fall as he continues to grow into the position as an offensive tackle.
📊Donovan Johnson | Rutgers commit
🧩 Position: OL
📍 Hometown: Fayetteville
🎓 High School: Pine Forest Trojans
🧢 High School Coach: Kevin Inman
📏 Height/Weight: 6-4, 325
📚 GPA: 3.2
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Johnson is a three-star prospect, the No. 35 player in North Carolina and the No. 106 defensive lineman in the nation.
🎯 Offers/Interest: Offers started flowing in for Johnson over the winter. Rutgers extended their offer in February, while more than a dozen schools in all offered the Fayetteville standout – Duke, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Appalachian State and Campbell among the in-state schools; Kentucky, Pittsburgh and West Virginia among the others.
🎥 View Donovan Johnson’s Hudl highlights HERE
💪 Career Rewind: Johnson has played offensive tackle and defensive line for Pine Forest, while also throwing the shot and discus for the Trojans’ track team. He’s an all-conference and all-state performer, recording 13 pancake blocks last season on offense, with 55 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss and two sacks on defense. He caused two fumbles and recovered another.
🏈 See where other 2026 North Carolina prospects have committed to play college football, in-state and out-of-state: View our 2026 commitment tracker HERE.
