Salem running back Jonathan Taylor high on Rutgers after visit, vows to return for Saturday's scrimmage

Salem (N.J.) running back Jonathan Taylor, a 5-10, 205-pound junior running back, visited Rutgers Tuesday, accompanied by his head coach Montrey Wright and assistant coach Lamont Johnson.

They arrived on campus at 7 p.m. (ET) and remained on campus until later that evening.

"We left around 9, 9:30 (p.m. ET) because we stayed after, hung around with the coaches and stuff like that," said Taylor, who then walked us through the visit.

"As soon as we came in there, the intensity was high," he said. "The practice was like lightning fast. We talked to the coach at the end. He said the conditioning is inside of the practice. That's why they practice so fast, so they can condition without having to run gassers and things like that.

"I thought they were gonna be in full equipment but they weren't. They had on spiders, almost like mini-shoulder pads with their jerseys and helmets. And I talked to the running backs coach. He caught up with me and asked how I was doing. He asked me about my life. A lot of the coaches started asking me about my background, who's my family, any brothers or sisters. It was a great family atmosphere. Like, they were worried about my personal well-being. It wasn't just, 'How is football going?' It was more of, 'Are you sleeping good? How is your relationship with your father, your mother?' It was great."

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In fact, things went well enough that Taylor vows to return to campus Saturday, for Rutgers' second intrasquad scrimmage of training camp.

"They invited us back up there on Saturday," he said. "They are supposed to be scrimmaging each other. So I believe me and my coach are going back up there."

Taylor interacted with multiple coaches while on campus.

"I really spoke with coach (Phil) Galiano," said Taylor. "That's the one that came to the school. And coach (Kyle) Flood, I had a little talk with coach Flood and then the running backs coach.

"They told me a lot of good things about Rutgers," Taylor continued. "They said we really wanna have you here. One of the coaches (director of recruiting E.J. Barthel) actually called me a freak, and that was the first time I ever heard that. I said, 'What did you say?' He said, 'A freak. Nobody ever called you a freak? It means you're a freak on the field, man.' He said, 'I think you're a freak on the field.' So they really really want me to commit to Rutgers."

Taylor also bonded with two brothers who are currently Scarlet Knights, also from South Jersey.

"I had seen a former player from last year, Ronnie James, that we played against," said Taylor. "I talked to him. I said, 'Man, you are really blowing up.' He said, 'Yeah man, they've got a really serious college weightlifting program.' I mean, this dude, compared to what he was, he blew up."

Paul James, Rutgers' senior starting running back, also provided perspective.

"I wasn't playing high school football when his bother was there. But, you know, I interacted with him since he was my position," said Taylor. "And he said the drills you do really helps your footwork. It helps you in your vision. He said the coach wants everything precise. He doesn't want a shoe out of line."

But, how does Taylor feel about the Scarlet Knights?

"It's a great school," he said. "It's like a place you can feel like family but not actually being family. I felt like I was family already by the way they were treating me."

In addition to Rutgers, Taylor is also fond of Harvard.

"So far, Rutgers is definitely one of my favorites," he said. "But when I went up to the camp at Harvard, we had talked with the coach and everything. They gave us a tour.  It seems like a pretty great school, a great place for education. That was pretty great, too."

Taylor claims a 3.44 grade point average and hopes to become an engineer.

"I want to major in the field of engineering," he said. "Like, I love space so I was gonna look into like aerospace engineering and things of that nature."

Stanford could also come calling in the near future, due to Taylor's combination of athleticism and academic prowess.

"My coach just told me that Stanford has been really contacting him about me and they really wanted to meet me," said Taylor. "And we were trying to set that up. So if things go well there, that could be leading to another offer."

But what's most important in Taylor's quest for a school?

"Basically, I really want to look for somewhere where I can brand my name, people know I went to that school. 'Oh yeah, Jonathan Taylor, he went to this school. He was a really great player for that program.'" he said. "I also want a place where I can get a great education. So, say something happens and you can't continue your football career. You still have a great plan to fall back on, you know."

However, a decision is a ways down the road, according to Taylor.

"Not at the moment," he said. "I still have this year and another year. But Rutgers will definitely be at the top of my radar."

Taylor earned his Rutgers offer following a standout performance at Rutgers Knight Skills Camp, this summer.

Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@nj.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

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