Rutgers continues to build its recruiting classes with scholarship players as head coach Greg Schiano has been on a tear. Rutgers currently owns the No.14-ranked recruiting class of 2021 in the nation, according to 247Sports. However, there has also been a push to bring in group of preferred walk-ons as Schiano and his staff have secured close to 20 commitments from players who will be joining the team this summer without a scholarship.

On a recent conference call, Schiano mentioned the importance of bringing in preferred walk-ons.

“I think it is critical. If you remember back to our first go-round here, that was always a huge part of our program. In 11 years, we had seven captains that were walk-ons. So they ended up earning scholarships and becoming captains. That doesn’t happen by accident. If it happens once or twice, that may be by chance. But when it happens seven in 11 years, that is because we really value the walk-on program and the walk-ons themselves.”

During Schiano’s first tenure, players like Michael Burton, Paul James and Kevin Brock made their way into the program via the walk-on route.

“I think anybody that thinks they have a science on the evaluation of football players, especially guys in their teens that are going to develop, I think they are kidding themselves,” Schiano said. “So I think you help your program when you can find like-minded guys that come from a similar belief system that really want to be part of your program at Rutgers. When I say we are looking for Rutgers guys, we are looking for guys that want to be part of what we are building. Guys that are willing to work very, very hard. Guys that are willing to be unselfish, put the team before themselves.

“And when you can identify, in addition to your scholarship players, real quality football players that for several different reasons want to come to Rutgers, whether they are local guys who want to stay home and represent their state and their state university, or whether they are guys from out of town and want an opportunity to get great educations and play big-time Big Ten football, we really work hard at that. Does that take time? Absolutely. But to me, it is time well spent.”

Here is a look at the players who have verbally committed to be preferred walk-ons in the incoming class of 2020 at Rutgers:

ATH Nasir Montgomery (East Orange, N.J.)

RB Michael Cox (Atlanta, Ga.)

OL Beau Lanzidelle (Hun School, N.J.)

LB Dami Awoyinfa (Linden, N.J.)

DT Stanley Dennis (Taft Prep, Conn.)

DB Damon Murray (Hoboken, N.J.)

RB Nyjon Freeman (Hoboken, N.J.)

RB Piotr Partyla (Lyndhurst, N.J.)

OL Lucas Giordano (Seton Hall Prep, N.J.)

DB Joe Lusardi (Summit, N.J.)

OL Harry Ganton (Delbarton, N.J.)

S David Tarallo (St. Mary’s N.J.)

TE Kevin Schaeffer (West Milford, N.J.)

OL Marquis Morris (Transfer FCS William & Mary)

DB Keenan Reid (Transfer – D2 Lincoln)

RB Tahshawn Brunson (Transfer – FCS Stony Brook)

S Andrew Vince (Souderton, Pa.)

WR Frederik Krebs (Metuchen, N.J.)