2024 NFL Draft Pick (Second Round, Arizona Cardinals)
2023 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)
2023 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches & Media)
2022 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)
2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches & Media)
2021 Fourth Team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)
Career: Played in 43 games with 40 starts at cornerback ... collected eight interceptions with 22 pass breakups ... totaled 114 tackles with nine for loss ... blocked four punts ... added four fumble recoveries and a forced fumble ... selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the
second round (pick 43) of the 2024 NFL Draft, the highest RU pick since 2010.
2023 (Junior): Started 12 games at cornerback ... invited to the
NFL Scouting Combine (1/3) and
Reese's Senior Bowl (12/8) ... selected Fourth Team All-Big Ten by
Phil Steele (12/22) ... voted honorable mention All-Big Ten (11/28) by the coaches and media ... led the team with three interceptions ... broke up six passes ... totaled 32 tackles with four for loss and a sack ... added a forced fumble and fumble recovery ... rated the No. 11 cornerback in the Big Ten by
Pro Football Focus ... recorded a tackle-for-loss and pick against Maryland (11/25) ... collected an interception, pass breakup and tackle-for-loss at No. 22 Iowa (11/11) ... added four tackles versus No. 1/3 Ohio State (11/4) ... broke up two passes with a tackle-for-loss on a season-high six stops at Indiana (10/21) ... contributed a sack in the comeback win over Michigan State (10/14) ... forced and recovered a fumble on the same play in the red zone at Wisconsin (10/7) ... added a pass breakup versus Virginia Tech (9/16) and Temple (9/9) ... recorded an interception and pass breakup in the opening win over Northwestern (9/3) ... selected to the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list (8/23) ... picked to the Shrine Bowl 1000 (7/17) ... named Preseason All-Big Ten by
Athlon Sports (third team) (5/23) and
Phil Steele (fourth team) (6/19).
2022 (Sophomore): Started all 12 games at cornerback ... selected Fourth Team All-Big Ten by
Phil Steele (12/16) ... voted honorable mention All-Big Ten (11/29) by the coaches and media ... led the nation with three blocked kicks ... totaled 33 tackles with two for loss ... intercepted two passes with 10 pass breakups ... tied for seventh in the Big Ten in passes defended per game (1.0) ... added a fumble recovery on special teams ... broke up a career-high three passes versus No. 11 Penn State (11/19) ... recorded a pass breakup and three tackles at Michigan State (11/12) ... blocked a punt that led to a touchdown, broke up a pass and recorded five tackles with one for loss against No. 4 Michigan (11/5) ... knocked away a pass with three stops at Minnesota (10/29) ... had a pass breakup in the win over Indiana (10/22) ... blocked a punt and hauled in an interception versus Nebraska (10/7) ... recovered a fumble and broke up a pass at No. 3 Ohio State (10/1) ... blocked a punt and recorded four tackles against Iowa (9/24) ... broke up two passes with 1.5 tackles-for-loss at Temple (9/17) ... recorded an interception in the home opener versus Wagner (9/10) ... named Preseason All-Big Ten (third team) by
Phil Steele (6/16).
2021 (Freshman): Started 10 games at cornerback ... named Fourth Team All-Big Ten by
Phil Steele ... led the team with three interceptions with one pick-six ... totaled 28 tackles with two for loss ... added six pass breakups, a blocked punt and a fumble recovery ... picked up five tackles with a pass breakup in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl versus No. 20 Wake Forest (12/31) ... logged an interception and a tackle-for-loss on three stops in the win at Indiana (11/13) ... picked up four tackles with one for a loss versus Wisconsin (11/6) ... recorded four tackles in the win at Illinois (10/30) ... broke up a pass at Northwestern (10/16) ... broke up a pass with three tackles versus Delaware (9/18) ... registered an interception, fumble recovery, pass breakup, blocked punt and two tackles at Syracuse (9/11) ... returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown, broke up two passes and picked up three tackles in the win over Temple (9/4).
2020 (Freshman): Played in all nine games with six starts at cornerback ... totaled 21 tackles with one for a loss and a fumble recovery ... contributed four stops with one in the backfield in the win at Maryland (12/12) ... recorded four tackles against Penn State (12/5) ... recovered a fumble versus Illinois (11/14) ... earned first start at No. 3 Ohio State (11/7) and picked up four stops ... made collegiate debut in the win at Michigan State (10/24) and notched six tackles.
Prior to Rutgers: Played for head coach Tim Watson at Cedar Creek ... guided the Pirates to a 10-3 record ... caught 60 passes for 785 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for 211 yards and a touchdown as a senior ... helped Cedar Creek to a win over Camden in the NJSIAA Tournament South/Central Jersey Group 2 Final Round ... also advanced to NJSIAA South Group 2 Regional Championship ... named Second Team All-New Jersey by
USA Today Network in 2019 ... named All-South Jersey by the
Philadelphia Inquirer ... selected to the 2019
Jersey Sports Zone All-Zone Team as a wide receiver ... named
Press of Atlantic City First Team All-Star on defense ... First Team All-South Jersey by Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club ... rated No. 25 prospect in New Jersey according to
247Sports.
Personal: Younger brother of former Scarlet Knight and NFL wide receiver Bo Melton ... father, Gary, played wide receiver and running back at Rutgers from 1987-91 ... mother, Vicky, competed on the Rutgers women’s basketball team from 1989-93.
Major: Criminal Justice
