It was arguably the farthest a Rutgers coach has traveled to make an in-home visit in the history of the program.

Wednesday night, Rutgers head coach Chris Ash boarded a flight -- flanked by director of recruiting communications Omar Hales -- to Sweden to visit the latest addition to Rutgers' 2018 recruiting class.

"The visit was great," Swedish defensive end and Rutgers commit Robin Jutwreten told NJ.com. "Spending some time with Coach Ash and Coach Hales here in Sweden with my family was a great experience. It was also great being able to show them the places where I grew up."

In early January, Rutgers secured a pledge from Jutwreten, a close friend of Rutgers sophomore offensive lineman Sam Vretman, highlighting the trend of Swedes migrating to the United State to play American football.

But it's not often you see a head coach travel 3,942 miles to show a prospect just how important he is to a program.

So thankful for the home visit in Sweden by Head Coach Ash and Coach Hales! I had an amazing day and can’t wait to officially be a part of Rutgers football 🛡⚔️🛡@CoachChrisAsh @Omeezi_ @PPIRecruits #TheHunt @RFootball pic.twitter.com/zjKeyEpQqo — Robin jutwreten (@jutwreten) February 1, 2018

The direct flight took all of eight hours, with Ash landing around 6 a.m. Thursday morning, allowing the staff to truly focus on Jutwreten -- the center piece to the trip -- as well as experience some Swedish cuisine.

"We had a great day," said Jutwreten. "We first meet up at my apartment and I got to show them where I live. After spending some time in my apartment, my mom and sister joined us as we headed out to visit my dad and the place I grew up. Dad lives in the countryside in what used to be a farm.

"There we had some Swedish fika which basically is a cup of coffee and some cakes or pastries. We got to sit down and talk for a while which was really nice. After a tour of my hometown Marsta we ended the day at my mom's place. My brother and his wife joined us for dinner and we had a great time enjoying some Swedish meatballs."

The trip also allowed for Ash to take a closer look at the emerging football scene the country has embraced. The staff could look to form a pipeline to the country, and its knack for producing large, competitive athletes.

A 6-4, 235-pounder, Jutwreten projects as a defensive end or tight end on the banks. He played for the Arlanda Jets in Sweden where he's refined his craft up to this point. He is long, rangy and claims to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range, generating the raw athleticism programs seek in edge defenders.

Conversely, Jutwreten took an official visit to Rutgers the weekend of Jan. 20, where he was the one on the long flight, flanked by his parents. But it appears it was well worth the opportunity to learn more about the school he had picked, check out the city and truly solidify his pledge to the Scarlet Knights.

A three-star recruit, Jutwreten picked Rutgers over an offer from Purdue. He had also garnered interest from Cincinnati, UConn, Colorado, UMass, Penn State and Temple, some of which would likely have offered if Jutwreten hadn't shut down his recruitment when he did.

According to 247Sports.com, Jutwreten is the No. 1 player in Sweden's 2018 class, the world's 91-st ranked weak-side defensive end and 1,688-ranked player overall. He is one of two unsigned Rutgers committed recruits, expected to sign his Rutgers letter of intent on Feb. 7, and arrive on campus during the summer.

Whether he will make an immediate impact remains to be seen but he is most likely a strong candidate for a red-shirt as he further acclimates himself to the game, life in a foreign country and continues to develop.

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