Let's hope this Jersey kid is like or better than the last one we had from those parts....
We had a very solid safety on our 2001 team, James Lewis. We had a very solid LB on our 1989 team, Richard Newbill. Both were Jersey kids. Besides, Howard Clark, a Jersey kid, stepped in as a starter on our 2001 team, as did another Jersey kid, whose name I can't remember, who stepped in as a starter in that 2002 Rose Bowl at OG.
So, at least four NJ kids started on our last two NC teams, at least in the championship game. We've had other studs from NJ, including Danny Stubbs, Gregg Rakoczy (I think a 2nd round pick), and Greg Mark, one of the most inspiring and deadly DLs we ever had at UM. Undersized street fighter who moved inside at DT in '87, and had 16 sacks I think as a DE in '89. JJ once said, if he wanted one guy to take with him into a dark alley, it would Greg Mark.
Don't know who that last guy is that you're talking about. Jersey football is great. Golden and D'Onofrio were both college football studs and they were from Jersey. You might not believe it now, but they were. D'Onofrio was one of the premier LB recruits in the country out of HS. I remember.
EDIT: Ed Wilkins was the OL who was a reserve on the 2001 team. We had a very good starting lineup and he had to sit beside some very good players. My recollection is that he might have played a lot in the 2002 Rose Bowl or even started because of injuries, but I'm not sure. I don't remember who the last NJ player is that you're talking about, but we've had great success over the years with the state.
I recall an article in the 1980's about the best areas for HS football, and Jersey was one of the hotbeds, along with Texas (Houston specifically), south Florida, Chicago, and others. We used to get some very solid talent out of Chicago, incidentally, like Russ Maryland, and a starting OL on the 1983 NC team, Alvin Ward. I love the fact they are recruiting NJ. I'd love to see them break back into Louisiana and Texas, in a big way.