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Rutgers class of 2014 DB offeree, Jabrill Peppers

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger )

Paramus (N.J.) Catholic class of 2014 athlete, Jabrill Peppers, is arguably the best player to come out of the state of New Jersey, ever, or at least as far back as anyone in my age bracket would care to remember. The 6-1, 210-pounder will make his collegiate selection Sunday, May 26 between 4:45 and 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU. According to his head coach, Chris Partridge, Peppers' six finalists include Michigan, Rutgers, Penn State, Stanford, LSU and Notre Dame.

Ranked as high as the No. 2 player in the entire country by Rivals.com, Peppers is an explosive play-maker on both sides of the football with top-tier athleticism, and has the ability to change the game on any given snap.

Representatives from the University of Michigan visited Paramus Catholic last week and spent much of the day there, inquiring about the Garden State's top athlete. The Wolverines are thought to take a commanding lead for his services into the weekend, although the star athlete has yet to officially solidify which school he will be selecting, Sunday.

"He doesn't know, just yet," Partridge told NJ.com. "He's still visiting schools this week."

Although Partridge was reluctant to release the list of schools Peppers will be taking a look at during the final days of his recruiting process, there has been speculation that he will make a stop at Rutgers some time this week.

Peppers wanting to remain close to his father, aspirations to work in the music industry as well as the strong respect he has for the Rutgers coaching staff have been mentioned as possible reasons why he is, at least, considering attending his home-state university.

That coupled with speculation that Peppers cancelled an unofficial visit to Penn State, last week -- a team considered to be making a charge, at the time -- have added to the belief that there is something to all the Rutgers rumors.

One thing is for sure: Whichever team lands Peppers -- a unanimous 5-star recruit according to all the major recruiting services -- they will have an extremely valuable commodity on their hands; and not just on the field but off the field, as well.

"Jabrill is an extremely valuable in terms of on and off the field things," said Partridge. "He's a hard worker, he's an unselfish player, he's really smart and he's a good leader. So he has all the intangibles that make you a great player, not just his skills. He's extremely valuable to us in all aspects."

Although Peppers has competed from the "Wildcat" quarterback, wide receiver, safety and cornerback positions in high school, he is most magical with the football in his hands. Nonetheless, Peppers is projected as a shutdown cornerback on the collegiate level.

However, Partridge reminds us that he still has a season of high school football remaining before his legacy at Paramus Catholic is complete.

"He's still got his senior year of high school left so I feel I've got to see him next year," he said. "He's got to have a big year for us and then we can project him after that. But he's an intense football player and the sky is the limit for him. He's just got to continue to work hard and continue to perform.

"But his most immediate goals are to be a captain on our football team, to be a leader, and help us figure out ways to win all our football games, next year."

Stick with NJ.com for post-announcement reactions from Peppers and more.

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