Rutgers football lands Pennsylvania 3-star Gavin Sidwar

Three-star quarterback Gavin Sidwar committed to Rutgers football on Monday, becoming the Big Ten program’s first commitment in the class of 2026.

Sidwar is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback prospect at La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania). He holds offers from Duke, Indiana, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.

Already a multi-year starter, last year, Sidwar was 186-for-285 with 2,439 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.

Rivals ranks him as a three-star and the No. 34 quarterback recruit in the nation in the 2026 class.

He cited a strong relationship with head coach Greg Schiano and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca.

“It just felt right. I knew the last time I visited with my parents that I wanted to commit to Rutgers. Then I went to the Rutgers 7-on-7 and they were great to my mom and me. Relationships matter and I had the best relationships with the Rutgers staff,” Sidwar told USA TODAY High School Sports.

“I’ve started at La Salle since my freshman year. I’ve been on the radar for a while and visited many places. I learned it’s important to find the right fit and not chase logos. The more I got to know coach Schiano and coach Ciarrocca, the more I knew Rutgers was my spot.”

Sidwar said that other programs may reach out but that “I’m locked in” in terms of his future with Rutgers.

After multiple visits to the program this year, Sidwar felt a comfort level and didn’t want to lose out on being a part of the class.

“I knew how I felt about Rutgers and didn’t want to risk losing that spot to anyone else. My dad would ask me, ‘What offer right now you don’t have would make you hesitate on Rutgers?’ and I couldn’t come up with a school,” Sidwar said.

“Then he agreed I should lock it in. I wanted to play in the Big Ten. Rutgers checks all my boxes.”