**Hit the video above for the full SNY unveiling show.
NEW YORK — Can new Nike football uniforms help impact recruiting at Rutgers?
Head coach Kyle Flood and the players believe they can.
“I think it will be easy for recruits to recognize us,” Rutgers senior defensive tackle Scott Vallone told SNY.tv at the SNY studios when the uniforms were unveiled. “It will be a distinct look that incorporates a Scarlet Knight and battle ‘scars.’ I think it will be something that people will be able to identify us with and that will be a very positive thing for recruiting.”
The new uniforms were unveiled for the players Monday at the Hale Center and junior wide receiver Mark Harrison said the players got fired up when they saw them.
“It was so loud in there, I’m still getting my hearing back right now,” Harrison said. “It was exciting.”
The Nike Pro Combat System of Dress technology features red (home), white (road) and black uniforms, with the black ones set to debut in the Black Out Game Oct. 6 against UConn. All three incorporate the “Block R” logo.
Vallone debuted the red, Harrison the white and Khaseem Greene the black.
“Gotta go with the white, I’m wearing the white,” Harrison said. “My favorite is the white right now.”
Still, the black ones look pretty intimidating, like some kind of Star Wars Stormtrooper coming your way on defense.
“Khas looks real good in the black, especially playing defense out there,” Harrison said. “Looking at him, he’ s a mean player.”
Rutgers currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big East for 2012, according to Scout.com, but the hope is that the new unis boost recruiting even further going forward.
“These are the little things that a lot of teams look forward to and a lot of teams don’t have and I feel privileged,” Harrison said. “And it’s going to help our recruiting process for the years to come up. When they see these uniforms they’re going to look at, ‘Oh, I want to be a Knight.’ I feel great about it and I feel like it’s a great opportunity to showcase our talent and get out there put Rutgers on the map.”
Said Flood: “I think it’s important the same way facilities are important. You want to know that there’s an investment from your University in the football program. We know the importance of football at Rutgers University and certainly having the top quality, the best uniforms that you can have, that’s just another way to tell the recruits that, ‘Hey, when you come to Rutgers, not only are you going to get a great education, not only are you going to be a part of a great University, you’re also going to be a part of first-class football organization at all times.”
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