Rutgers has kicked off its 2025 recruiting class with a commitment at a key position.
Gevonte Ware, a three-star center from North Carolina, picked the Scarlet Knights over Wake Forest and Duquesne, he announced Monday afternoon. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound prospect, who is ranked 185th nationally on the 247Sports Composite, is the first member of Rutgers’ 2025 class.
Ware received an offer from Rutgers in July. He took an official visit to Piscataway in September, attending the football team’s win over Akron at SHI Stadium. Ware also officially visited Wake Forest and Duquesne.
“Rutgers is a good school with big-time basketball,” Ware told 247Sports. “I know the fanbase is good and you’re playing against some of the best competition in all of the other different conferences.”
With Ware in the fold, Rutgers now has five open scholarship slots for the 2025-26 season — assuming the approval of the terms of the House settlement with the NCAA. The amount of scholarships the Scarlet Knights will have to work with will almost certainly change given that five-star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are projected to be top-five picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, as well as the fact that player movement is prevalent in the transfer portal era.
Here is Rutgers’ current projected roster makeup entering the 2025-26 season (labeled by years of eligibility remaining):
1 year – Jeremiah Williams (G), Jordan Derkack (G), Emmanuel Ogbole (C).
2 years – Jamichael Davis (G).
3 years – Dylan Harper (G), Ace Bailey (F), Dylan Grant (F), Bryce Dortch (F), Lathan Sommerville (C).
4 years – Gevonte Ware (C).
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Guards (4): Jeremiah Williams, Jordan Derkack; Jamichael Davis; Dylan Harper.
Wings/Forwards (3): Ace Bailey, Dylan Grant, Bryce Dortch.
Centers (3): Emmanuel Ogbole; Lathan Sommerville; Gevonte Ware.
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Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
