Photo courtesy of Hunt

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Northwest Community College (Senatobia, Miss.) wide receiver Monterio Hunt (6-1, 190) has signed his Big Ten financial aid letter and will join his Rutgers teammates on campus within a week.

Hunt committed to Rutgers during the early signing period, when the staff officially extended his offer. But it all began with an in-school meeting with Rutgers wide receivers coach Lester Erb.

“First, Coach Erb had stopped by the school and told me to come up on an official visit," he said. "So I was, like, 'I’m going to go ahead to New Jersey' because that was my first time ever going up there or being recruited by a big school like that,” he said. “Once I did that, I started making plans for my official. And once I arrived there, I had a good time with the coaches and recruits. They told me they were going to get back with me. And signing day was that Wednesday, and they gave me a call and told me they were offering me a scholarship.

“I wasn’t going to waste any time because a lot of schools’ scholarships had already gone out. I committed because I thought it was a good experience for me to go up there. And it’s a blessing and an honor to be recruited by a Big Ten school and also have another opportunity to play ball.”

Before sending Hunt his financial aid letter, Rutgers needed to be re-sent his official transcript. The original transcripts sent to Rutgers didn’t show Hunt had graduated, which has since been corrected.

The delay provided Hunt the time to talk things over with his family, coaches, and ensure he’s making the right decision. He also wanted his grandmother, who was sick at the time of his pledge, to attend his signing ceremony. And, luckily, she is now healthy, and the ceremony was held at her home.

Now, it’s time to get to work for Hunt, whose papers have been faxed, and who's scheduled to move in Saturday.

“They are just ready to get me up there so I can meet the other receivers," he said. "They struggled last year but they had a young offense. So I feel like by me coming up there, I can contribute to what the game plan is, try to fit in and be a good teammate and player to help get the team get back on the right track.”

Hunt hopes to do so with his play-making ability.

“I’m a play-maker,” he said. “I’m not the fastest receiver, but if you throw a ball my way, there’s a 95 percent chance I’m going to catch it and make something happen.”

Hunt started his college career at Marshall, before taking the JUCO path. He attributes leaving Marshall to being homesick, but says he’s more mature and prepared to leave Mississippi the second time around. Plus, he claims there are two players on the team from his area, although he couldn’t quite remember their names.

“I’ll be way more comfortable at Rutgers,” he said. “When I was at Marshall, I was the only Mississippi kid there. A lot of the players at Marshall are from the same area – from Florida – and I think that’s why they all fit together so well. But when I went on my official (visit) to Rutgers, there was another player there from Meridian, from down here where I’m from. And there was also someone there from Memphis, which is only an hour from me.

“So I feel like all of us being together, and me having someone else there, It’s really going to put me in a better position to get comfortable and used to being away from home. I’m really excited about it.”

Hunt was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 19-ranked player in Mississippi coming out of Walnut (Miss.) Attendance Center in 2017.

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Photo courtesy of Hunt

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Strong pedigree

Hunt's uncle, Michael Haddix, played running back at Mississippi State and for eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles. His grandfather, Larry Gillard, played defensive tackle at Mississippi State, then for the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.

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Shame on Mississippi State

Hunt broke his right fibula the first game of his high school junior year, which negatively affected his recruitment. At the time, he was a Mississippi State commit. He was eager to get back on the field as a senior, knowing he might have had to red-shirt as a freshman. He returned 100 percent for his final high school campaign and had a strong year, but was still dropped by head coach Dan Mullen just prior to signing day.

“When I got hurt, they pulled my scholarship. And I guess they probably found somebody else. Coach (Dan) Mullen had called me maybe a month before signing day and I was just trying to find somewhere to go really fast,” Hunt said. “I went to Marshall which was fine, but I wish I would’ve gone the JUCO route first. People don’t think much of JUCO, but I’d recommend it to anyone. There’s nothing wrong with it. You just have to pick the right school, and it’s also going to get you ready for the next level.”

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Rutgers WR signee Monterio Hunt (Photo courtesy of RFootball)

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Presenting the All-N.J. College Football team

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Immediate contribution needed

Hunt understands his learning curve must be accelerated as he’ll be expected to produce immediately, coming to the team out of junior college.

“Coach Ash isn’t looking for any JUCO players to sit out, basically saying come in ready to work because it’s time to get something rolling,” Hunt said.

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Ready for the challenge

“One of the reasons why I’m enrolling early is I want to get into the playbook and get everything down pat, so I’ll be ready to go in the fall,” he said

Hunt will have three years to play two when he arrives at Rutgers this week.

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