Rothhaar signs with Rutgers University

NORWALK — The day finally arrived. After multiple years of camps and workouts while going through the recruiting process, the time had finally come for Norwalk senior Ben Rothhaar. The four-sport standout was able to look around the Reagan Athletic Complex and see family, friends, coaches and teammates there for his signing day. Rothhaar then inked his name on a letter-of-intent to continue his academics and football career at NCAA Division I Rutgers University in the Big Ten Conference. "It's something you think about for so long," said Rothhaar, who verbally committed to the Scarlet Knights back on July 26. "To finally be here today, it's just both exciting and rewarding. I'm looking forward to that next step." At the start of the school year, Rothhaar had every intention of continuing his chase for 16 varsity letters in high school. On top of football and basketball, Rothhaar also excels in track and field and baseball. But then in the first few weeks of the football season, Rothhaar learned about the opportunity to enroll early at Rutgers. He will start classes toward a major in engineering at the New Brunswick, N.J. school the week of Jan. 20. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound three-star recruit will then be able to start workouts with the football team when they resume following the Knights' pending bowl game. In doing so, however, Rothhaar will miss the second half of his senior year of the basketball season, and all of track and baseball. "It wasn't an easy decision," he said. "I wasn't really aware of it as a possibility at the start of the school year, but once it was presented to me, it was something we started to look into. Ultimately, this is what I really want to do. "If it means sacrificing half of my senior year, then that's what it takes," he added. "I chose Rutgers because I love the coaching staff and what they are doing. Coach (Greg) Schiano is a super down to earth guy, and the teammates, too. I went there on my official visit, and everyone went out of their way and was excited to have me there." Rothhaar grew up watching college football with his father, Mike, and older brother, Jon. But did he think he'd be standing in the position he was in on Wednesday, signing with a Big Ten school? "I can't say I was sure what was going to happen as I got to high school," he said. "But some things kind of came to my attention as I went through high school. "But once my junior year came around, things were starting to come together, and I started having a plan from there." Rothhaar will join a Rutgers program — members of the Big Ten since 2014 — that will compete in its 13th all-time bowl game later this month. The Knights went 7-5 this season, including a 4-5 mark in the Big Ten to finish tied for sixth in the standings. The school is also an academic powerhouse, ranking No. 1 in public national universities by the U.S. News & World Report. It was most recently ranked 40th among all national universities. This past season, Rothhaar caught 25 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns for the Truckers (2-9). He added 65 tackles on defense. In 2023, Rothhaar caught 32 passes for 451 yards with three touchdowns, good for 14.1 yards per catch. He also returned five kickoffs for 132 yards and a TD. On defense, he made 73.5 tackles with an interception from the safety position. As a sophomore in 2022, Rothhaar caught 37 passes for 344 yards with a TD; and returned 14 kickoffs for 357 yards with a TD. On defense, he made 116 tackles and recovered two fumbles. In limited time as a freshman, he caught 13 passes for 127 yards with a TD and made 31 tackles. "Ben has certainly grown a lot and works very hard," Norwalk head football coach Keith Mora said. "He's been committed to the weight room, and when we talk about guys playing at the next level, I believe Ben has the frame and work ethic for it. He's someone who I believe will show up at Rutgers and surprise a lot of people, and he'll be playing there before you know it." Mora coached Rothhaar in each of the past two seasons at Norwalk in 2023 and 2024. He said Rothhaar is the perfect person for his peers to emulate. "The things he does on the field stand out, obviously, but he is a hard-working kid who is easy to root for and always does the right thing," Mora said. "When you're trying to build a program, you want to point at people to emulate, and that's one of the guys you point to. "If other kids can do the things the way he has done them, then we can build something here. He's been a great role model for the team, and what he brings to the game speaks for itself." On the basketball court, Rothhaar has averaged 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds — just under a double-double every game — in 46 games as a sophomore and junior. He entered this season with 478 points and 435 rebounds in 70 career games. In baseball, he hit .295 last spring with two doubles, 19 RBIs and 11 runs scored. In 2023, Rothhaar batted .353 with a double, a triple, nine RBIs, 11 runs scored and 11 stolen bases to earn SBC Lake second team. On the track, Rothhaar has qualified for the Div. I regional meet three times, and has been an SBC Lake Division champion in sprints. As a sophomore, he reached the Div. I state championships in the 400-meter dash. Rothhaar was asked to reflect on his high school experience. "I learned about how to handle some adversity with teammates, but I also was able to focus on having fun," he said. "When I look back on high school football specifically, it was a fun experience."