Rutgers lands Dylan Harper, No. 2 player in 2024, adding to top-5 recruiting class

Five-star guard Dylan Harper has committed to Rutgers, he announced on social media Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Harper is the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and Rutgers’ highest-rated recruit in program history.
• Harper is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr.
• Harper is the Scarlet Knights’ fifth commitment in the class, including No. 3 prospect Airious Bailey. Rutgers’ class now ranks third nationally behind only Duke and Kentucky.
• At the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, Harper averaged 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Dylan Harper has committed to Rutgers

He averaged 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals per game at the Peach Jam

Rutgers now has 5 commitments in 2024:
5⭐️Ace Bailey
4⭐️Lathan Sommerville
3⭐️Bryce Dortch
3⭐️Dylan Grant @TheAthleticCBB @NYRhoops pic.twitter.com/YhWEF1RjQI

— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) December 6, 2023

Scouting report

In a class of uncertainty, Harper is one of the nation’s most productive, consistent and effective players. He’s the kind of player who elevates his team, wins challenging matchups and displays both maturity and determination to win.

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Harper, a genuine combo guard at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, proves equally effective on and off the ball. Displaying versatility at the FIBA Men’s U19 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, he showcased his skills as both a primary creator and a secondary player, averaging 9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. This becomes crucial as he partners with Bailey, a potential NBA first-round pick, in the best recruiting class in Rutgers history.

Harper is a solid athlete but dominates his opponents with his mind, he never gets sped up and consistently makes the right reads in pick-and-roll situations. Harper does two things that set him above most guards in his class: rebound (7.1 rebounds per game during the EYBL regular season) and stuff the stat sheet.

In an intense game at the Peach Jam with college coaches and scouts from wall to wall, he put on one of the best performances of the day with 27 points (10-of-18 shooting), five rebounds, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks across 32 minutes. His standout quality was his composure. Meanstreets threw various defenses and traps at him, but he remained unfazed, adeptly analyzing each situation and making the correct play, whether as a scorer or facilitator.

What’s next for Rutgers?

Like most teams across the country, the Scarlet Knights should be done in the 2024 recruiting cycle, so they will pivot to 2025, 2026 and the transfer portal.

For 2025, Rutgers hosted top-20 junior Trey McKenney in October and four-star Brandon Stores Jr. in September. In late November, Stores said he was hearing the most from Rutgers, Providence and Penn State.

The race to the finish line for these two prospects will be intense. The outcome hinges significantly on Rutgers’ performance this season and the composition of the roster heading into the next year and the year after.

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Rutgers has no commits in the 2025 class but it is heavily recruiting McKenney’s AAU teammate, five-star Daris Acuff, as well as five-star Meleek Thomas and four-stars Darius Adams, Nigel James Jr., Niko Bundalo and Tyler Jackson. They also recently offered four-star Shelton Henderson from Houston.

Required reading

(Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)

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