Bryce Watts breaks down Rutgers commitment

Rutgers landed its second commit to the class of 2017 as Toms River North athlete Bryce Watts offered up his verbal pledge to head coach Chris Ash. Watts received his Rutgers offer during the school’s second junior day on February 20th.

Since then, he picked up a couple more offers, but Rutgers was always his top choice.

“I like the process in all but at the end, Rutgers is where my heart is,” Watts said. “I knew right from when they offered me that was the place I should be. Coach Ash and that whole regime is going to be a perfect fit for me.”

The decision to commit came around the dinner table on Easter Sunday.

“I was sitting eating with my family and I thought about it. I said it’s time to commit. My family was all on board," Watts said. "So my dad said go ahead. He likes Rutgers so he told me to do it.”

That prompted a phone call to Ash.

“He was really excited,” Watts said of Ash. “He welcomed me to the family and was just really excited. I don’t think he was expecting it to come this early. But I wanted to show him I am down for the program and I am all in.”

Watts visited Syracuse this weekend as the Orange coaching staff offered him in recent weeks. However, some high-pressure recruiting tactics by that staff did not work in their favor.

“It was nice up there but they were trying to get me to commit and hovering around me,” Watts said of the Syracuse coaching staff. “They were throwing an ultimatum at me. That is when I said Rutgers is where I belong.”

Ash and company were comfortable letting the process play out for Watts.

“I was ready from when they offered me. I am still shocked from when they offered me,” Watts said of Rutgers. "There was also no pressure from coach Ash.”

Now, the focus shifts as Watts will now become a recruiter for Rutgers.

“Coach Ash was talking about that. We have to keep all the New Jersey talent at home. We have to fence the garden and keep all that key talent. I am going to do my part.”