Rutgers football practice

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood will get a close look at Florida prospects during camp hosted by Bethune-Cookman on Sunday.

(Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

Penn State's James Franklin isn't the only coach taking advantage of a loophole in an NCAA rule that allows coaches to work at camps for high school prospects in different parts of the country.

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood and his staff will be guest coaches at a camp held Sunday at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

NCAA rules prevent programs from holding high school camps at out-of-state locations more than 50 miles from campus. But coaching staffs are allowed to work at camps outside of the 50-mile radius that are hosted by other schools.

Flood has a relationship with Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins, who was the wide receivers coach at Rutgers in 2009, so this was a natural collaboration.

"Both of us are out trying to do the same thing, and that's to get as many kids and really good student-athletes in one central location where both of us can recruit them and evaluate them," Jenkins said in a phone interview. "We just found a way to put our heads together and set this thing up and get it done."

It's a mutually beneficial arrangement for the coaching staffs. Bethune Cookman, an FCS program that has gone 37-11 in four seasons under Jenkins, will attract higher caliber players by having a Big Ten coaching staff at the camp. And Rutgers gets a chance to evaluate prospects that may not have the financial means to travel to New Jersey for camps.

"We all have to be honest with this thing, and with the addition of Rutgers being at our camp, that's going to attract some more kids," Jenkins said. "Any coach would know that when you collaborate with a school such as Rutgers, that's a high-profile school, and you put a program such as ours together, that's the winningest program in the state of Florida the past 4-5 years running, you're going to have a better chance at having a great turnout. I think it's a wonderful thing."

Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who hired Flood and Jenkins, established a Florida pipeline by hosting one-day camps for high school prospects in the Sunshine State. After the NCAA imposed the 50-mile rule seven years ago to outlaw that practice, Schiano and Jenkins tried to connect to set up a guest-coaching camp but their schedules never aligned.

Franklin, who took over at Penn State in January after three years at Vanderbilt, has caused a stir by bringing his staff to the heart of SEC country to work at camps hosted by Georgia State and Stetson, which is located 20 miles west of Bethune-Cookman.

"I know James just did a thing at Stetson and I kind of laughed when I looked at it in the paper because this has been done for a long time," Jenkins said. "For the buzz to happen for James, I think he's created it. I just laughed. But it is a good thing and several schools are doing it and it's been going on for a long time. Rutgers has been doing it for a long time, partnering up with some other programs and some high school programs and different things like that. This is just a continuation of something that has been going on for several years now."

Flood recently emphasized the value of evaluating players in person, while hinting at an arrangement like the one he has established at Bethune-Cookman. Rutgers coaches also worked a camp last week hosted by Sam Houston State, a Division 1-AA program located 65 miles north of Houston.

Flood has said he plans to broaden the program's recruiting footprint, and Texas is loaded with high school talent. But the groundwork already has been laid in Florida, as Rutgers has consistently landed players from the area.

During Jenkins' one season at Rutgers, the Fort Lauderdale native's recruiting territory was the fertile East Coast of Florida, ranging from West Palm Beach down to Miami. Sunday's camp will give the Rutgers coaching staff direct contact with players from that area.

"They've had a lot of success in the past recruiting Florida guys, so I can understand why they want to be a part of this thing because the talent level is very high," Jenkins said. "Our location is close enough where it's an attraction for guys that are two, maybe three, hours away. Now you're talking about the West Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale/Miami area, which we all know is a hotbed for talent – some of the best talent in the country."

Jenkins already is planning to expand on this relationship and he hopes to set up multiple Florida camps with Flood next summer.

"I think it's going to be phenomenal," Jenkins said. "We've had a lot of people that have been registering and calling to get information on the camp. I think it's going to be a tremendous turnout. Why would you not come to a camp like this? I think it's a tremendous opportunity for young men to come and get coached by two high-caliber football staffs."