Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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By Todderick Hunt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Send me questions on Twitter or via email (thunt@njadvancemedia.com) regarding Rutgers/N.J. high school football recruiting and I'll answer them in a mailbag.

If I don't get to your question here, I'll be sure to respond on Twitter.

We'll do two mailbags -- today and tomorrow -- to answer the latest batch of questions, which contained the latest Rutgers hot-button issue: Possible criminal activity.

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Who are the #CreditCard8 and do you think they will be dismissed from the program? — Kerry Zukus (@KerryZukus) July 17, 2018

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Answer: No charges have been filed, so we will will not mention the names of the players allegedly involved in a credit-card scam that NJ Advance Media reported on Friday.

Linebacker Brendan Devera and safety K.J. Gray have been dismissed from the team for violating team policies, but Rutgers has not connected them to the allegations as the Rutgers University Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office continue the investigation.

Any eventual charges, if coming at all, likely will determine whether players are allowed to remain with the program.

Initially, I didn't think Rutgers could rebound from losing eight contributors, while trying to be competitive in the Big Ten, which was already a daunting task. A lack of depth would have a negative impact. But the six players who have been questioned are a mix of skill.

There is confidence in the Hale Center -- however overly optimistic that might be -- that Rutgers has enough players to compete if others were lost to the scandal, temporarily through suspensions or permanently through dismissal.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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The new NJ.com Top 50 list of FB recruits

Who are N.J.'s top FB recruits regardless of grade?

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How does Brendan DeVera being dismissed from the team affect Tyler DeVera's verbal commitment, if at all? — John Kampfe (@JohnKampfe) July 16, 2018

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Answer: Brendan was released for an alleged violation of team rules and could face criminal charges. His brother, Tyler, remains committed to Rutgers but is waiting to see how events unfold.

The Rutgers coaching staff reached out to Tyler before dismissing Brendan -- to let Tyler know he was still wanted. Coaches believe he is a good fit, and Rutgers is probably his best offer. But that could change. Tyler has improved over the summer and he has a strong relationship with new Bergen Catholic starting quarterback Andrew Boel, and the pair shredded the field with during Rutgers' summer passing camp.

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One more question Todderick. Where the beef on the D-line???? I know they in play for DT Blissett and Burke, but what are the other options if they commit elsewhere???? What DE’s are in play too??? — Will Greggs (@WillGreggs) July 17, 2018

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Answer: Well, there are few guys Rutgers could look to as plan B options if guys like Jason Blissett and Ireland Burke fall through. One guy who comes to mind -- actually, a plan A option on the low -- is Smith Vilbert, a 6-6, 250-pound talented but inexperienced rising defensive end out of St. Joseph (Mont.). He is a player Rutgers quietly offered at the tail end of camp season and right before the dead period, which has helped keep his recruitment at bay. He's also a long-time basketball player, who has flirted with football in the past but always ended back up on the hardwood. But he now realizes his bread is best buttered on the gridiron where size and athleticism like his are a rarity. And Rutgers is the team furthest along in his recruitment, with Kent State also offering recently.

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SJR DE Smith Vilbert (Photo provided by Vilbert, taken by Karyn Ochiuzzo)

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Do you think RU will get another grad transfer for this year? — EP (@EazyP201) July 16, 2018

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Answer: Yes, I do think Rutgers will add a grad transfer, although I have no specific information on who the addition(s) might be. These days, most teams go the graduate transfer route, and if they don't, they probably should. It's basically college football free agency where teams can fill holes on their rosters with mature experienced talent, most of which make good on opportunities to shine in their last hoorah.

But I am intrigued by the Kiy Hester situation, which could potentially add back some depth if he were somehow able to be retained. Hester expressed in May his intentions to graduate transfer to FIU where he'd play out his final season of college eligibility. But with Rutgers in flux with the eight players under investigation, and Hester allegedly still on campus finishing up his degree (the degree required to graduate transfer) could he rejoin the fold? He knows the system, has been productive -- three INTs, two for TDs in 2017 -- and understands what would be expected of him at Rutgers.

It's not like Hester is just some guy. He was extremely smart -- the quarterback of the secondary who routinely helped the other guys line up and be positioned to make plays. And he also has a history of making plays. Hester was a four-star recruit coming out of DePaul who at times flashed that potential at Rutgers, but was held from reaching his full potential due to injuries and what was once a deep safety group when guys like K.J. Gray (dismissed) and Jawuan Harris (MLB Draft) were still around, bunching up the depth at the top of the chart. But those guys are no longer around which has fostered a good situation for Hester to return to, while enabling him to still compete at the highest level of college football. Sources tell me there is interest on both sides with a potential sit-down being contemplated. We will let you know if such a meeting were ever to occur.

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Hester to the 🏠!@RFootball with another pick, and Kiy Hester had reservations for six: pic.twitter.com/YMze49W4k7 — Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 23, 2017

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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.