On Wednesday afternoon, Rutgers basketball landed a commitment from five-star guard Dylan Harper. Two weeks prior, Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey signed with Rutgers.
Bailey is a five-star forward third-highest ranked recruit in the nation. In pretty quick succession, Rutgers has firmed up Bailey and Harper, giving them one of the top recruiting classes in the nation and the best-ever signing class in program history.
The final five for Harper included Duke, Auburn, Kansas, and Indiana in addition to Rutgers. ESPN ranks Harper as the second-best player in the nation.
Harper’s commitment on Wednesday marks the highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to Rutgers basketball. A 6-foot-5 guard for Don Bosco Prep, Harper had an impressive offseason where he performed well with the United States national team at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Don Bosco (N.J.) Prep guard Dylan Harper — the No. 2 prospect in the ESPN Class of 2024 — is committing to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, he tells ESPN. Harper is making public that decision at the @Fanatics offices in New York shortly. pic.twitter.com/lJxtxmcFtQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 6, 2023
As a junior at Don Bosco, he averaged 23.4 points per game.
The signing of Harper and Bailey gives Rutgers one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.
With the addition of Harper, Rutgers moved up eight spots in the national recruiting rankings according to 24Sports. The Scarlet Knights now have the third-best recruiting class in the nation.
The previous distinction for the highest-ranked recruit ever signed by Rutgers? The aforementioned Bailey, who held the distinction for two weeks.