2026 Top 100 Rutgers commit Wydeek Collier to reclassify, join program immediately
One of the brightest pieces of Rutgers Football‘s future is getting his college career started early.
Defensive end Wydeek Collier, the Scarlet Knights’ highest-rated commit in the 2026 class, will reclassify and join the program immediately, with training camp set to kick off in the upcoming week, he announced.
Ranked 92nd nationally in the latest Rivals300, Collier committed to the Scarlet Knights in January and has held strong despite gaining plenty of positive national attention since then. Now, he heads to school early, and Rutgers gets the benefit of directly developing him immediately.
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Collier’s recruitment
He originally committed to the program as an athlete, playing both sides of the ball at Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia. The Scarlet Knights saw his potential at defensive end and have kept in consistent close contact since his commitment, particularly running backs coach Damiere Shaw and defensive ends coach Julian Campenni.
“They talked to me about how they were going to use me, but the main thing is to continue to put on weight and do my part,” Collier told TKR at New Jersey’s UA Next Camp in May. “They said as long as I do my part, they’re going to continue to do theirs.”
He announced the following day he would be attending a new school for the 2025 season.
Collier has a fascinating build as a pass rusher, currently listed at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. At the UA Next Camp in Ramsey, he put together some impressive measurables, including a 4.58 40-yard dash. His explosion off the line of scrimmage, combined with his 83-inch wingspan, gives Collier a sky-high ceiling as long as he continues to add muscle to his frame.
Collier’s future outlook
Collier was one of the biggest risers in the updated Rivals rankings, going from unranked to inside the top 100. Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Steve Wiltfong said the following on Collier.
“Wydeek is a terrific high upside pass rusher with the traits to be one of the most disruptive players in college football. We are in the reclassifying era where schools try to get kids locked in early and kids aim to get paid earlier. Hopefully we start seeing these reclassifications prove to be successful on the next level. Collier has a lot of talent. He will obviously now be in a college strength and nutrition program. Hopefully the missed senior season doesn’t impact him down the road.”
The Pennsylvania native represents a newer trend among defensive ends, prioritizing length, athleticism, and bend, rather than just targeting bigger defensive linemen. A similar mold can be seen in former Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr., who became a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft with the Atlanta Falcons.
While Pearce is an extremely high-end outcome to compare to, the build is there. Pearce listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds at the NFL Draft Combine, a potential target for Collier to reach.
Either way, the highly-touted recruit’s development at the college level will start a year earlier than expected, a boon for the Scarlet Knights and the coaching staff.
