We don’t know who the Rutger alum high-up at NFL Network is that signed off on this, but the school’s football program got a heck of a rub Wednesday on National Signing Day.
https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1737261481840783719
For the second straight season, NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson entered the “Scarlet Zone” to introduce the Scarlet Knight’s newest signees. As each recruit officially became a Rutgers football player, Hanson would show up to break down their bona fides, skill sets, and key attributes. And of course, he just had to make sure you got “seven hours of commercial-free coverage” as part of the deal.
https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1737451048820965425
https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1737506784775123194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1737506784775123194%7Ctwgr%5E13a69eb37805dd8dd44068c07471f021a6fa6246%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2F2023%2F12%2F20%2Frutgers-scott-hanson-national-signing-day
They saved for the best for last as Hanson wrapped up the day’s announcements while fire alarms blared in the RedZone studios, a nod to when that happened for real in November and Hanson and his broadcasting crew were forced to evacuate the studio while on the air.
https://twitter.com/RFootball/status/1737566215743143984
While you might presume that Hanson does this because he went to Rutger, he is actually a Syracuse grad (of course). So the connection between him and Greg Schiano’s program remains mercurial. Regardless, it makes for a pretty creative and noteworthy way to announce National Signing Day commitments. And if this is going to be a yearly thing, as it appears it will be, it helps send a signal to the next crop of football recruits that one of the people they watch on TV every Sunday might be mentioning them sooner than later.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.