Rutgers closed the early signing period with one of its biggest wins of the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Messiah Tilson , a four-star safety from Illinois, signed with the Scarlet Knights this week, the program announced on Friday. He flips his commitment from Kentucky, where he was pledged since June.

Tilson took an official visit to Rutgers in June and seriously considered the Scarlet Knights before committing to the Wildcats. When they fired longtime head coach Mark Stoops following the 2025 season, head coach Greg Schiano took advantage and flipped one of his top targets in the class.

By adding Tilson, Rutgers’ 22-man recruiting class jumps up five spots to 39th nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Tilson is the third-highest ranked commit in the class behind four-star

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