Rutgers Commit Hogan Still 'Dominant Player' for Ramapo

Ramapo junior Jimmy Hogan is college bound with his football career, but for the star defensive end there’s work still to be done in his last high school season.

Hogan committed to Rutgers last month, choosing the New Jersey school over offers from UConn and Temple, among others. The defensive end said he was “relieved” to have finished the recruiting process, which included months of speculation from Rutgers watchers as well as multiple visits with the university’s coaching staff.

But in an interview with NJ.com, Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs said that Hogan, a rising senior, will be the only returning starter from the team’s championship run last season, making the player an important asset for the Raiders on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

“He’s our only returning starter on either side of the ball,” he told NJ.com. “So we need him to be a dominant player on the defensive side and bring some leadership to the table. He’s a tremendous pass rusher with great takeoff and speed. So we think he’s gonna be dominant in that respect.”

Rutgers picked up Hogan for his defensive prowess, but Gibbs said that the lineman played on the offensive side last season and may step in as a tight end or offensive tackle in 2013.

And with Hogan’s football career now projecting past his high school graduation, Gibbs added that he looked forward to the Raider’s transition to Scarlet Knight in 2014, where the high school coach believes he will shine in the pass rush.

“We’re excited about it,” Gibbs said in the interview. “We think it’s a good fit for him and he’s gonna have a real good career down there.”