Shuler Headed To Rutgers

Whether it’s in a footrace on a football field or flying down a straightaway in track, Long Branch senior Miles Shuler prides himself on being in the front of the pack.  

That’s why when the 2011 football recruiting class for Rutgers was still just taking shape and had not yet secured the commitment of a four-star recruit who would get others to follow, Shuler, an explosive athlete who played quarterback and defensive back at Long Branch and will play wide receiver in college, relished the opportunity to be that player.  

“Miles has always been a great leader and a great kid, so it’s no surprise that others would want to follow him,’’ said Long Branch head football coach Dan George.  

“It had to start somewhere,’’ Shuler said. “A lot of people followed me, and now look what has happened. Who would’ve thought Rutgers would ever have a recruiting class like this?’’  

That recruiting class became official on Wednesday during National Signing Day, when players across the country signed their binding Letters of Intent to accept scholarships at Division I universities. Sporting a suit with a red tie to go with his Rutgers hat, Shuler officially inked his name on Wednesday morning to become part of a class that is considered to be the best incoming group in Rutgers history by several recruiting services.  

Before Shuler had committed, Rutgers had already secured commitments from two other Shore Conference stars, Neptune running back/defensive back Charles Davis, and Manalapan quarterback Mike Bimonte. However, once the Scarlet Knights secured a verbal commitment from Shuler, who is ranked as the No. 3 recruit in New Jersey by Rivals.com, at midnight on Sept. 18, the dominoes really started to fall.  

Two other prized recruits, Woodbridge defensive end Max Issaka and Don Bosco Prep quarterback Gary Nova, jumped on the Rutgers bandwagon and then the Scarlet Knights landed the biggest fish of them all, St. Peter’s Prep running back Savon Huggins. Huggins was the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year and is considered a top 30 recruit in the nation.  

During all of that, Shuler was practically the lead recruiter for Rutgers. He is good friends with Huggins, who is a Jackson resident, so the two talked frequently about their future.  

“Early in the process, I told (Huggins) that Rutgers was the best school for him, but I didn’t pressure him that much,’’ Shuler said. “He had to see for his own eyes. It was his decision after that, and he made his decision based on all the facts.” 

Huggins also gave Rutgers fans heart palpitations when he initially was wearing a North Carolina hat at his press conference announcing his decision, which was attended by Bimonte and others, but he yanked it off to produce a Rutgers hat underneath.  

“He thinks I didn't know where he was going to go, but I did,’’ Shuler said before laughing. “I knew he was going to come. I told him I was going to kill him if he didn't.’’  

Huggins and Shuler give Rutgers two dynamic skill players with the ability to make a quick impact, although the learning curve for Shuler may be a little longer considering he did not play wide receiver at all in high school.  

However, Shuler showed some immediate aptitude considering that in his first real game at wide receiver in his career, he caught a touchdown pass on national television in a game featuring some of the top talent in the nation. Shuler was part of the East team in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 8, and he hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass in a 13-10 win over the West in front of a record 37,893 fans at the Alamodome and millions more watching on NBC.  

“The first day of practice I didn't do that well,’’ Shuler said. “I was dropping balls, and my route-running could've been better. The next day I came out and performed in one-on-ones, and then in the game, I sold the route and it went well.’’  

He also is excited to work with Rutgers wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck, who played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2004.  

“P.J. Fleck played for the 49ers and he didn't have all the athletic ability in the world, so what separated him was technique,’’ Shuler said. “That's what he's going to pass on to me, and with my athletic ability, the sky is the limit for that.’’  

While Wednesday marked a time for optimism for his career at Rutgers, it was also a time to reflect on the journey so far for Shuler, who is currently in the middle of indoor track season and will look to defend his NJSIAA 100-meter dash title in the spring in outdoor track. 

Shuler grew up watching players like former Long Branch star linebacker Berkeley Hutchinson, who went on to play at Rutgers, as well as former Middletown South star and current Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno and also former Red Bank Catholic and current Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown.  

“I wanted to get on that level, and never thought I would,’’ he said. “As a kid, I always imagined that one day I would play in the All-American game, and that's what I did. I’ve just been working hard. I’m blessed with a lot of talent, because not everyone is born with speed, and I just ran with it. I tried to put myself at an elite level, and I did.’’  

“Miles is a special player, and they don’t come around too often, so you definitely want to cherish times like these,’’ George said. “He not only did great things on the football field, but he is such a great role model for our younger kids because of his work in the classroom as well.’’  

Shuler has a 3.88 grade-point average, and in a town like Long Branch that has had some quality athletes become academic casualties, Wednesday also marked an important symbolic day to show that with hard work on and off the field, this type of concrete success is achievable. Despite the disappointment stemming from a 4-6 season by the Green Wave in the fall, it still ended on a high note for Shuler, who had 96 tackles and 2 interceptions on defense while rushing for 951 yards and 12 touchdowns and throwing for 1,030 yards.  

“My family and my community have really helped me, and I've put in a lot of work for this moment to come,’’ Shuler said. “It’s a blessing. All the sacrifices I made, all the sacrifices my family made, it paid off at the end.’’