Football recruiting: Presenting the NJ.com Top 50, April 15 update

NJ Advance Media presents the April 15 update of the NJ.com Top 50, a ranking of the top 50 high school football recruits in New Jersey. Although the list encompasses the state's most highly-recruited prospects, grades 9 through 12, it is not specifically a list of the state's top players, as that distinction is better reflected in our all-state and all-group teams ^[1], released in December of each year.

See below for a complete explanation ^[2] of how we derived our selections. And click through the gallery above ^[3] for updated photos of members of the NJ.com Top 50.

Hansard takes over the top spot

Rashan Gary ^[4]'s reign as N.J.'s best has come to an end as he ascends to Michigan this summer on a quest for on and off-the-field domination. Paramus Catholic's all-world defensive end spent his senior year, from wire-to-wire, as the Garden State's consensus top player. But now it's time to pass the torch.

Enter The Hun's (Princeton, N.J.) Fred Hansard ^[5], also a big defensive lineman (6-3, 315) with twitchy athletic ability and a nose for the football. Large-framed defensive linemen who can run, read and react aren't as much in abundance as players at skill positions, placing a premium on the position group. And Harsard has taken advantage of that fact, positioning himself for this top honor following a standout junior year, where he led his team to an 8-0 record and a Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship ^[6].

The Hun's defense allowed only six touchdowns all season. And only twice did the Raiders allow a team to score more than once (Blair, 28-12, and Peddie, 40-13) in a contest.

The first-team All-MAPL selection ^[7] and four-star recruit holds upwards of 30 offers from the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, California-Berkley, Michigan and Miami (Fla.), to name a few. And he's likely to add to that total as dozens of schools are destined to visit Hansard throughout the spring evaluation period.

Hansard had originally planned to make his collegiate announcement, on May 14, his birthday. But he's since called it off ^[8], opening himself up to even more of an onslaught from schools, with no decision in sight.

But with four elite prospects sitting right behind him, it remains to be seen if Hansard can go wire-to-wire throughout his senior year as the state's top player like N.J.'s last superstar defensive lineman.

Breakdown by position

There are seven quarterbacks, four running backs, eight wide receivers, two tight ends, nine offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, eight linebackers and five defensive backs on the list.

FBS breakdown

There are six players on the list currently committed to FBS schools. The Big Ten and American Athletic Conference lead the way as there are two players committed to schools within each conference.

From the collegiate level, Rutgers leads the way with the most selections overall, as two players on the list have committed to the school. Meanwhile, Clemson, Temple, Houston and Navy have one commitment, apiece.

High school breakdown

Don Bosco, St. Peter's Prep and St. Joseph (Mont.) tie for the most selections of any team with four. Paramus Catholic has three selections. Meanwhile, Cedar Creek, Peddie, Bergen Catholic, Timber Creek, Mater Dei and Woodrow Wilson boast two selections, apiece.

Almost one-third of the talent of on the list (14 players) comes for the Big North-United, arguably the top football division in the country.

Class breakdown

The list is composed of 36 juniors, 13 sophomores and one freshman.

Honorable mention

Jr. Edward Isaiah Wingfield, WR, Lawrenceville; Jr. Elijah Barnwell, RB, Piscataway; Jr. Tyler Parsons, CB, Woodrow Wilson; Jr. Jamaal Beaty, OL, St. John Vianney; Jr. J.P. Roane, WR, Deptford Township; Jr. Marcus Valdez, DE, Don Bosco; Jr. Mike Ruane, LB, Rumson Fair-Haven; So. Shayne Simon, S, St. Peter's Prep

Watch list

Jr. Ja'Sir Taylor, ATH, Brick Township; Jr. Evan Lovell, OL, Peddie; So. Jasiah Provillon, WR, Irvington; So. Tajadin Harris, WR, Palmyra; So. Javar Garrett, LB, Peddie; So. Jalen Scott, DT, Lincoln; So. Kyle Dobbins, ATH, St. Augustine; So. Devin Leary, QB, Timber Creek; So. Bartek Rybka, LB, Paramus Catholic; So. George Pearson, QB, St. Joseph (Mont.); Fr. Antonio Alfano, DE, Bergen Catholic

Scroll up for the Top 50 chart.

Methodology

The NJ.com Top 50 rankings take into consideration collegiate potential as reflected in FBS (formerly known as Division 1A) scholarship offers, the number and caliber of interested schools and potential at the highest level of competition.

Updates to the order of the list are made quarterly, each placing weight on different factors most relevant at the time of the update. The first update of the year (this one) occurs a couple months after National Signing Day (around April), and is a preliminary list of the top projected recruits in the state, following the departure of its top seniors.

The second update occurs at the conclusion of the spring evaluation period and is based on the caliber of recruiting attention and offers prospects received, as well as off-season performances — the volume of camps and combines attended and outcome of those events.

The third update occurs at the conclusion of summer, as the high school football season commences. Most of the weight for this list is placed on the players' accomplishments throughout the entire off-season – the offers they received, camp/combine results and the overall improvements they've made leading into the season.

The final update of the year occurs following the football season, where more weight is placed on the individual and team success some of the top prospects in the state have attained on the gridiron.

Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com ^[9]. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt^[10]. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook^[11].