Austin Dean had been committed since May of this year so it was merely a formality for him to make it official Wednesday.
Rutgers has a deep linebacker group, but there are mostly older players who won’t be on the banks much longer. We’ve seen a focus on speed on the perimeter, but in the heart of the defense Greg Schiano always goes for toughness mentally and physically so he went to a player he knew down in Florida with Austin Dean. Dean plays mostly defensive end in high school because he has a quick burst off the line which could come in handy with the variety of linebacker blitzes Rutgers utilizes in their defensive playbook.