The Scarlet Knights were not done signing recruits on National Signing Day, closing the early signing period with a massive commitment flip from safety Messiah Tilson from Guilford High School in Illinois. Tilson is a high three-star (89) on Rivals and a four-star on 247Sports (90).
Tilson had originally committed to Kentucky on June 16th, choosing the Wildcats over three Big Ten schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights finished second at the time in his recruitment and were
able to flip him several months later, likely due to Kentucky firing head coach Mark Stoops and hiring Oregon’s offensive coordinator Will Stein in his place.
As a high school senior, Tilson was highly versatile, playing running back, wide receiver, and defensive back. He accounted for 42 yards and four touchdowns on 46 catches through the air and 263 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. But he stood out even more on defense, with 61 total tackles, including one for loss, two pass breakups, and four interceptions, including a pick-six.
He also continues a recent Rutgers trend of recruiting speedsters in the secondary, as he has a personal-best time of 10.61 in the 100-meter dash and 21.60 in the 200-meter dash. That roughly translates to a time of 4.42 in the 40-yard dash. With the Scarlet Knights locking in Brandon “Blurr” Murray, Devonte Anderson, and Jamareis Conyers this cycle, Tilson is the latest addition to the secondary who can provide a burst of speed.
Tilson is the second safety of the recruiting class, following Sebastian Cruz of Florida. He is also the fourth flip and the third-highest recruit in the class, behind four-star wide receiver Dyzier Carter and four-star edge rusher Rinaldo Calloway.
Rutgers now has 22 commits in the 2026 recruiting class, and the class jumped up five spots to 39th nationally on the 247Sports Composite rankings.
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