Rutgers kept rolling toward its first Top 25 recruiting haul when they landed Paulsboro’s Gerald Hodges, regarded as one of South Jersey’s top stars in the Class of 2009. The 6-3, 210-pounder with 4.5 speed played quarterback and safety, and could play safety or become a weakside linebacker at RU.

Hodges _ who chose RU over Penn State, West Virginia, Iowa, Maryland and Syracuse _ was projected as the third-best weakside linebacker in the country by scout.com, and is the Scarlet Knights’ sixth four-star recruit according to that service.

They also have nine three-star recruits in their 16-player class, which is two-thirds full with Signing Day not until Feb. 4.

“Every time I looked at different schools, Rutgers always popped in my head,” Hodges told the Philadelphia Inquirer, which first reported the story. He had 65 tackles and seven interceptions last year as a junior, ranking as a three-star prospect and the country’s No. 19 safety according to rivals.com.