Brooks: Rutgers now tied with UT

Brooks, a running back/linebacker from Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, Md., told the News Sentinel last week that Tennessee was his leader ahead of Illinois and Rutgers. But he said his trip to Rutgers has moved the Scarlet Knights into a tie with the Vols.

"It comes down to where I feel most comfortable," he said, "and I feel most comfortable at Tennessee and Rutgers both evenly. Tennessee is going to be a winning program all the time, and then Rutgers is an up-and-coming program, which I would love to be a part of being something new and special."

UT has long been at the top of Brooks’ list of schools. The Vols have offered him early playing time as a short-yardage back, and he believes UT’s level of play will soon rise.

"They’re one of the top programs and getting one of the top recruiting classes in the nation right now," he said.

Another sell for the Vols is defensive tackle Donald Langley, who enrolled at UT earlier this month. Brooks and Langley were teammates at Seneca Valley.

Brooks said Langley has been pushing him to sign with the Vols.

"I’d love to play with big Donald," Brooks said. "We’ve been growing up together since middle school.

"That’s not going to be the biggest thing. That’s going to be a plus if I go to Tennessee, but that’s not going to kill me if I don’t."

Rutgers offers Brooks a versatile role in its offense. He said he would help fill the position left open by departing senior Brian Leonard, who served as a receiving and running threat from the fullback position.

Brooks said Rutgers’ coaches told him he could have a more expanded role than Leonard, who led the team with 38 receptions last season.

"They said I would probably carry the ball a lot more than he did and catch more passes because they see that I’m more athletic than him," Brooks said.

Distance will not be a factor in Brooks’ decision, which he said he hopes to make by next week. National Signing Day is on Feb. 7.

"I’m just going to sit down and talk it out with my family," he said. "I’ll see what they think and then give them my input. We’re just going to clash everything together and see where I end up."