It was long before Rutgers offered receiver Jamar Taylor that he began thinking it could be his college home. It was a visit while he was a sophomore.

What followed were a series of visits, an offer, relationship building, and trust so by the time he was on campus Wednesday, the decision was easy.

Taylor, a big-framed receiver from Wilmington (Del.) Salesianum whom the Scarlet Knights compared with current standout KJ Duff during the recruiting process, committed to the Scarlet Knights during the visit and announced it Wednesday night.

“I think the offensive scheme compliments my size and my skill set,” the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Taylor said. “The way they pass the ball to their bigger receivers, and get them down the field and into the open field, I see myself playing in an offense like that.”

Taylor hit it off immediately with Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano and receivers coach Dave Brock, and his trust and belief in them grew well beyond what he experienced with other programs.

“The relationship I built with coach Schiano, coach Brock, it was just easy,” Taylor said. “I had thoughts about committing since a year-and-a-half ago. It just felt like home. That is where I wanted to be. Being there and talking to the coaches, more and more with the time I spent there, it made me want to pull the trigger and just commit.”

Brock’s ability to develop receivers was a key aspect as well.

“He’s coached guys that are my size and my caliber. He knows how to develop them,” Taylor said. “It makes sense for me. He’s really straightforward. He is always going to say what he believes so that’s the type of coach I love. I want my coach to tell me what’s really going on.”

As Taylor went through the recruiting process, some schools spoke with Taylor about possibly growing into a tight end. Rutgers was steadfast in its desire to play him at receiver.

“They like a guy with my size, my speed and with my skill set,” he said. “I’m just a receiver and that is kind of comforting that is what they see me as and that is what I am going to play.”

As a junior, Taylor caught 42 passes for 535 yards and seven touchdowns. He also competes in the high jump and long jump in track and field, and he has personal bests of 6-8 in the high jump and 23-3 1/2 in the long jump.

Here is what you need to know:

WHAT JAMAR TAYLOR SAYS ABOUT RUTGERS

“I like the coaching, the structure of the program, the discipline,” Taylor said. “It is very similar to how I was raised by my dad. I like the education. I am going to be in business and finance so it’s real good being close to New York.”

WHO ELSE WAS IN THE MIX?

Taylor was a key target for Rutgers since last spring, and the Scarlet Knights were his leader for a while. Other programs offered, including Georgia, Virginia Tech and Nebraska, but it was Rutgers and South Florida pushing the hardest. Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina, NC State, Minnesota and Wake Forest were among the other programs to offer but the relationships Taylor built at Rutgers combined with the handful of visits he made to campus positioned the Scarlet Knights well to land him.

WHERE JAMAR TAYLOR RANKS AS A RECRUIT

Taylor has a 247Sports grade of 88, which makes him a high three-star prospect. He is the nation’s No. 85 receiver and Delaware’s No. 3 player. In the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Taylor is the No. 2 player in Delaware, and the No. 71 receiver and No. 600 overall prospect in the 2027 class.

HOW JAMAR TAYLOR FITS WITH RUTGERS

Taylor was one of the top receivers on Brock’s board. The big-framed Taylor is the first receiver in the class, and the seventh member of it. He joins West Orange (N.J.) High tight end Sydney Padilla and Bronx (N.Y.) Cardinal Hayes tight end Saleh Atariwa as pass catchers in the class. The commitment moves Rutgers’ class up from No. 48 in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings. Rutgers’ class is No. 13 in the Big Ten.