Rutgers commit Jonathan Taylor hearing from new schools since The Opening

The same day Salem (N.J.) running back Jonathan Taylor committed to Rutgers, he also proved to the world how unique of an athlete he is, while competing at the Opening N.J. Regional.

Taylor attained the fifth-best SPARQ score out of 500 athletes at the event (110.43) after generating a 4.42-second laser-timed 40-yard dash, a 4.3-second 20-yard shuttle, a 34.4-inch vertical leap and 35-foot power ball throw, all while measuring 5-11, 208 pounds.

"The funny thing was, before we got out the car that day, I said, 'You're gonna run a 4.4 today,'" said Salem head coach Montrey Wright. "And he looked at me and said, 'We'll see.' And he ran the 4.4 on laser. And he was like, 'That was crazy because you said I was gonna do it.' And he ended up doing it. So we laughed about it. It was pretty cool. He was impressed with his time.

"But Jonathan has been working all winter. He put on 10 pounds. He went from 205 to 216, so he's been working pretty hard and training for situations like that."

Needless to say, Taylor's exploits have led to extra attention being paid his way. However, Wright doesn't believe Taylor's Rutgers commitment will be affected.

"He just got an offer yesterday from Virginia Tech," said Wright. "That's the first ACC offer and that's the first one he got since The Opening. He's got University of Virginia, Nebraska recruiting hard since the event and Notre Dame is poking around, too.

"But he's all in with Rutgers. He loves Rutgers."

A three-star recruit, Taylor also holds offers from Boston College, Temple and a number of Ivy League schools.

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

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.