Hillsborough’s Amankwaa gets offer from Rutgers, verbals to Knights, all within 48 hours

Hillsborough senior WR/CB Tommy Amankwaa used this graphic to announce his verbal to Rutgers. (Source: Twitter)
Football Notebook
by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough standout wide receiver/cornerback Tommy Ammankwaa had numerous Division I football offers as of Friday afternoon. Among the most prominent were two from Power 5 conference schools: Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

But there was one more he appeared to be waiting for, and he got it Saturday before Rutgers’ game against Delaware.

Just after 2:30 Saturday afternoon, less than an hour before kickoff, Amankwaa tweeted the news:

And then, Sunday, he jumped on the opportunity:

In his tweet, Amankwaa said he’s been “praying for this day to come,” and thanked “god (sic), my family, my coaches, my friends and their families, and this community for cheering me on and watching me grow up throughout the years and believing in me.

“I am proud to announce that I will be staying home to further my academic and athletic career at Rutgers University.”

Amankwaa was the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Player of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio, scoring two critical touchdowns and a two-point conversion to tie Phillipsburg in a top ten clash two weeks ago, then sealing the win in overtime with an interception.

READ MORE: Big plays in big spots earn Hillsborough’s Tommy Amankwaa Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Honors

He has 10 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a new wrinkle and sometimes lining up at runningback, where he has 17 carries for 186 yards.

In three years as a starter, he has 72 catches for 1,566 yards and 18 touchdowns, and is poised for a big season with veteran QB Jay Mazuera leading an offense that includes bruising senior Tyler Michinard at runningback.

The Raiders are 3-0 and ranked third in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten.

RU’s recruiting class for 2022 is ranked 19th in the nation and 4th in the Big Ten by 247sports, which doesn’t yet list Amankwaa among 15 commitments. The Knights’ class is ranked 16th in the country by Sports Illustrated.

Hillsborough has sent numerous players to the Division I football ranks over the years, and even on to the NFL. Among the most notable, Ricky Proehl (’86) went to Wake Forest and played 17 years in the league. he went to four Super Bowls and won two, one with the Rams as part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” and another with the Colts.

And, of course, there’s Shaun O’Hara, who started as a walk-on at Rutgers but eventually received a scholarship, then made his way to the Giants, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and won Super Bowl XLII with Big Blue. He’s now a color analyst for NFL Network and ESPN Radio.

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