When you’re trying to rebuild a football program like Rutgers, a head coach can’t sit back and let his assistants do all the work.

He can’t just be a closer.

Chris Ash needs to have a Clayton Kershaw mentality to recruiting as opposed to a Mariano Rivera type approach, and since taking the job in Piscataway in December he’s been right there in the middle of everything, regularly communicating with Rutgers’s top targets.

It continued to pay off times two on Tuesday with a verbal from brothers and Holmdel (N.J.) St. John Vianney teammates Micah Clark and Jamaal Beaty. Both gave their commitment to Ash and the coaching staff and both offensive linemen spoke with Ash two to three times a week.

But this article isn't just about what Ash is doing. From top to bottom you can feel the energy from the entire coaching staff on the trail. Watch how fired up they got on social media following a pledge. With Clark and Beaty, they had daily communication with offensive line coach AJ Blazek as the assistants are working overtime to keep the top prospects home.

Clark and Beaty are commits No. 4 and No. 5 for the Scarlet Knights in 2017, and every verbal thus far hails from in-state.

Taking this narrative to another level, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings, Rutgers hasn’t signed a Top10 player in the state since the 2013 recruiting cycle.

Zero, zilch nada.

Top prospects bolted Jersey for Big Ten foes Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, or they left for the ACC and SEC. However looking at this class already, Clark is in the boat as the top-ranked recruit in the state, a Top100 prospect nationally. Receiver Bo Melton, who committed last Friday, is the No. 6 player in the state. 247Sports is a lot higher on Melton than its peers, as we rank him as a four-star recruit, the nation’s No. 19 receiver overall and No. 127 nationally as opposed to the No. 51 receiver and No. 332 overall that the 247Sports Composite has him.

Point blank, the old staff wasn’t getting guys like Clark and Melton, and typically they weren't even in the conversation.

“They seem more willing to get involved with the guys,” Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson said of the new staff. His cornerback Naijee Jones is a verbal to Rutgers. “This year’s coaches clinic was the most attended they’ve ever had at the school. They’re doing something in conjunction with the Football Coaches Association more. They’re getting on the road more and they’re having more coaches clinics in the next month or so.”

Ash has also hired a nice blend of personalities.

“They’re definitely a more energetic younger staff,” Hinson said. “Seems like the guys have a little more to prove. The previous staff was a good group of guys but this staff they’re grinding, working their tails off and their energy is crazy right now.”

The energy at Clark and Beaty’s house is also crazy.

“We’re ecstatic,” Lorraine Beaty said. “I don’t think we can get any happier.”

The new staff quickly earned her trust.

“It’s awesome,” she stated. “Oh my god, it’s an excitement and just being there and when you watch practices and everything its truly amazing. My boys could probably explain it better than I could but I just stand back in awe. I can’t even explain it. It’s good though. It’s a good feeling. All the kids and other teammates are excited about what (Coach Ash) is doing there. I could see it in their faces. The players are really happy. That’s what you need. The excitement is there.”

Beaty is pumped to be staying local for college.

“It’s a great feeling to be committed to Rutgers,” he said. “To be home, to have the New Jersey talent stay home and everybody follow us.”

Both he and his brother are ready to help Ash’s vision for the program come to fruition.

“I like Coach Ash a lot,” Beaty said. “He’s like a father figure to me. They’re trying to recruit in New Jersey. The old staff didn’t really recruit me and I felt they tried to recruit more out of state instead of keeping kids in-state. He’s trying to make sure he gets all the good recruits from New Jersey to say home.”

Perhaps the in-state magic will continue this week for Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights are expecting a big turnout for Saturday's spring game.