Rutgers 2012 Season Preview: The Runningbacks

Ray Rice was one of the best players in Rutgers history, and he has cast somewhat of a shadow over the position since he left. Heralded incoming running back recruits like De'Antwan Williams and Savon Huggins have had unnecessary extra pressure on them by being declared "The Next Ray Rice," and they have not had that one lead back who is capable of being the bell cow of an offense in the four subsequent years since Rice's departure. As a result, they have had to resort to the wildcat more often than they should, and along with the struggles of the offensive line, that has caused the running game to suffer. Coming into this year, Rutgers has two very capable running backs who will combine to form a formidable duo and become the focal point of the offense. One back may even emerge and become Rutgers' first 1000 yard rusher since Rice.

Savon Huggins struggled somewhat as a freshman, as he had problems holding onto the ball and adjusting to Rutgers' offense and the speed of the college game. Used mostly as a short yardage back, Huggins ran for 5 TDs and 146 yards before going down with a knee injury that cost him 4 games. With a year of experience under his belt, the former 5 star recruit looks to emerge and live up to his billing. Huggins is a big,  powerful runner who is at his best running down hill. He is strong with a burst through the line, and he can break tackles. He has also shown good vision, nice footwork, and the ability to juke defenders. He comes into the year a bit under the radar, but he has the talent to be one of the top backs in the Big East this year.

Jawan Jamison had a solid redshirt freshman campaign a year ago, rushing for 897 yards. As a smaller, slashing type of a back, he is a great fit for the zone blocking scheme that Kyle Flood loves to use. He is patient with good vision, and he makes the necessary cutbacks to find the hole. He does not have top end speed, but he can break off some long runs on the outside. He and Huggins should be the "co-starters" at the position, and they complement each other very well. They both give defenses a different look.

Michael Burton starts at fullback after forcing his way onto the field a year ago despite being a walk-on. He is a physical run blocker, who delivers punishing blocks to clear out the hole. As a former tailback, he is very good at leading the way for the runner, and as he showed in the Pinstripe Bowl, he is able to break off some nice runs as well. He's also a solid pass blocker and can catch the ball out of the backfield.

Paul James is the third tailback and the former walk on has earned himself a scholarship after dazzling and turning heads on the practice field. Desmon People will likely redshirt, looking to contribute as a scat back in the future. Sam Bergen, a former linebacker, backs Burton up.

Schematically, the backs will run behind a zone blocking scheme, meaning they have to find the hole running outside on stretch plays, make a cut, and run through it. You need good vision and footwork for it, and both of Rutgers backs have that. Jamison is a great fit for this scheme, but Huggins is more of a down hill runner and not great going east to west. I think they might run more man blocking than they have in the past to accomodate his skill set.

Both of these tailbacks are very good and should form a strong duo. They will likely split carries, so even if neither of them eclipses the 1000 yard plateau, they should both be very productive. One back may emerge,  and take the lion's share of the carries, but we'll have to see how things play out. They kind of remind me of the duo the Dallas Cowboys had in 2007, with Jamison playing the role of Julius Jones, the slasher, who got to defenses early, while Huggins plays the role of Marion Barber, who wore down defenses late in the game with his physical running style. This is probably the best RB situation Rutgers has had since Rice left.

Rutgers 2012 Season Preview: Linebackers

Linebacker has been a solid, if unspectacular unit for the Scarlet Knights over the years. They've had some nice players and moments, but they've also had some trouble stopping spread offenses. Last off season, Greg Schiano and his coaching staff tried to change things up a little bit by bringing more speed to the position, and this proved to be an ingenious move, as linebacker was probably Rutgers' biggest strength a year ago. They were able to stop most opposing offenses, including the once problematic spread offenses that Pitt, South Florida, Cincinnati and Iowa State featured, finishing 12th nationally in total defense, while the players earned some post season accolades. Rutgers returns a very seasoned group of linebackers that only lost one player to graduation last year, while also adding a couple of true freshman who will see playing time right away. Their biggest strength from 2011 will only be stronger in 2012.

Khaseem Greene returns at weak side linebacker after recording 140 tackles and being named the Big East defensive player of the year last season. Greene's speed and versatility make him one of the best linebackers in the country, and he is on the preseason watch list for the various post season defensive awards. His versatility comes in handy, especially against no huddle offenses, as he can make plays in space, in traffic, and cover tightends and slot receivers. He has a chance to be an All American this year. Backing him up is true freshman Steve Longa, another fast, explosive athlete who should be good in space. Look for him to get some experience this year in hopes of starting in 2013. Hopefully he pays attention to Greene.

Middle linebacker Steve Beauharnais is a very intelligent, instinctual player who acts as the quarterback of the defense, making sure everyone knows what to do and where to line up. He is able to utilize his strength and speed to be an effective defender against the run (77 tackles), the pass (3 interceptions), and as a pass rusher (5 sacks). He and Greene are the rocks and leaders of this defense. Freshman Quanzell Lambert will back him up once he returns from his ankle injury, and he is a big, strong tackler on the inside. Like Longa, he should pay attention to what Beauharnais does with an eye on starting next year.

Jamal Merrell and Kevin Snyder are still vying for the starting spot at strong side linebacker. Merrell, the incumbent, is a speedy, athletic player who was solid a year ago. Snyder was able to make an impact as a true freshman, and he displayed a lot of talent. He has all the tools you look for in a linebacker; strength, speed, size, toughness. I personally think Snyder should start, but regardless of who the coaches pick, both players will get plenty of playing time. Both of these players are very good, don't overlook them.

Quinton Gause somewhat surprisingly did not crack the two deep, but he provides valuable depth at the position. Nick DePaola is listed as the back up at middle linebacker for the Tulane game, but he'll be more of a depth guy than a back up once Lambert gets healthy.

Dave Cohn will coach this unit, and likely try to keep the speed at the position that made it so successful last year. In the particular defensive scheme Rutgers runs, linebackers often blitz, but they are also sometimes responsible for playing man coverage against the backs, tightends, and slot receivers.The ability to play in space is also a must, so the speed really helps.

Linebacker should be one of Rutgers two biggest strengths this year. Greene and Beauharnais are great players who will take on a leadership role with this team. The position is very deep, with Snyder and Merrell both capable starters and the youngsters Longa and Lambert fighting for playing time right away. This unit is probably the backbone of the team, both on the field and off. Expect great play out of them.

2012 National Preview/Week 1 Picks

Nothing too in depth, just my preseason top 25, BCS bowl projections and some picks for week 1.

Top 25:

1. LSU
2. Oregon
3. Southern Cal
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
6. Wisconsin
7. Florida State
8. West Virginia
9. South Carolina
10. Ohio State
11. Arkansas
12. Washington
13. Clemson
14. Boise State
15. Michigan State
16. TCU
17. Georgia
18. Michigan
19. Rutgers
20. Virginia Tech
21. Louisville
22. Nebraska
23. Stanford
24. Florida
25. Texas

Orange Bowl: Rutgers vs Florida State Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs Boise State Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Clemson Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Southern Cal National Championship Game: LSU vs Oregon, with LSU winning it all.

Week 1 Picks:
South Carolina 17 Vanderbilt 10
James Franklin has the 'Dores headed in the right direction, but they don't have the talent to stop the the Marcus Lattimores and Jadeveon Clowneys of the world yet.

UMass 10 Connecticut 24
The Huskies have a big advantage upfront on both sides of the ball.

Washington State 31 BYU 34
Two high scoring offenses will air it out. Mike Leach loses his first game at Wazzu on a last second field goal to his alma mater.

Villanova 3 Temple 24
Villanova sucks. Temple should run all over them.

Boise State 24 Michigan State 21
Two new quarterbacks making their debut against tough defenses. I'll never pick against Chris Peterson when he has this much time to prepare. 

Notre Dame 30 Navy 23
Everett Golson finally gives the Irish a legit duel threat at QB. The Midshipmen will put up a fight as always though.

Northwestern 20 Syracuse 16
Pat Fitzgerald has a knack for winning close games.

Ohio 16 Penn State 13
Penn State will obviously have a ton of emotions coming into this one, and it could be good or bad depending on how they start. Ultimetly I think this one comes down to the fact the Tyler Tettleton is just way better than Matt McGloin.

Southern Miss 17 Nebraska 27
The Blackshirts will stifle the Golden Eagles who have a new coaching staff and QB.

Chatanooga 0 South Florida 45
South Florida always looks good against the cupcakes.

Youngstown State 0 Pittsburgh 31
Pitt's power run game will be too much for the Penguins.

Clemson 34 Auburn 20
I'm bullish on Clemson this year. I like Boyd and Watkins a lot. Their defense is iffy, but I'm bearish on Auburn's offense. I don't see a lot of play makers there.

Michigan 10 Alabama 31
Trying to figure out how Michigan is a top 10 team. Dennard is overrated, and I'm sure Saban will scheme a way to stop him, even with a green defense. Barret Jones should dominate up front, sending Brady Hoke into a tizzy. #barrettjonesforheisman

San Diego State 17 Washington 28
How many teams have a team had a QB get drafted in the top 10 and get BETTER at the position the next year? Keith Price is damn good. The Aztecs could keep it interesting with some Pac 12 transfers in the starting lineup.

Arkansas State 13 Oregon 48
So Gus Malzahn and Chip Kelly meet once again. Too bad one offensive guru has a way more talented roster than the other.

Kentucky 10 Louisville 17
Teddy Bridgewater and a strong D lead the Cards to a win over their Blue Grass rivals.

Sheldon Royster Transfers to Rutgers

Via Brian Dohn and Sam Hellman, safety Sheldon Royster is transferring from South Carolina to Rutgers and he will join the team on Sunday. Royster, who is from Woodbridge, NJ and attended St. Peter's Prep, is coming home and he will join his high school teammates Savon Huggins and Keith Lumpkin on the Scarlet Knights. The former 4 star recruit redshirted last year for the Gamecocks, and I think he will have 3 (it might be 4) years of eligibility remaining, starting next year.

Royster is a fast, physical player who can cover a lot of ground against the pass and deliver a powerful blow as a wrap up tackler. This is a very nice addition to the roster, improving a position that is going to be depleted by graduation after this season. He should at least compete for the starting spot at free safety in 2013.

Rutgers 2012 Season Preview: Quarterbacks

The quarterback position has been unsettled at Rutgers ever since Mike Teel played his last game in 2008. Tom Savage was supposed to be the future of the position after unseating Dom Natale as the starter in '09, but he threw a wrench into that plan when he transferred following the '10 season that saw him get replaced by Chas Dodd. Dodd was thought to be the long term solution by some, but he was not a great fit for the pro style offense the Knights were transitioning back to, and Gary Nova pushed him for playing time in training camp and took over as the starter midseason. The constant reshuffling has caused Rutgers to have a QB controversy three years in a row, with a true freshman getting the majority of playing time in all three seasons. You can't continuously deal with the growing pains, inexperience, and uncertainty at the most important position on the field. You need to just pick one quarterback and stick with him. That's exactly what Kyle Flood is finally doing, as he has stated over and over again he is a one quarterback coach. After a long off season and training camp battle, he has decided on his one QB: Gary Nova.

Gary Nova displayed flashes of brilliance last year, but he probably was not ready to play as a true freshman, and he made some poor decisions that resulted in a lot of  turnovers. He relinquished the starting spot back to Dodd late in the year, but he has worked enough this off-season to win the starting spot back, and I think the coaching staff made the right decision in picking him for this year and the future. Nova is a pro style passer who is a good fit for the system Rutgers runs. He has decent size with a great arm and feel for the pocket. With a bunch of big play receivers at his disposal, he should be able to make the most of his arm strength and beat defenses with the deep ball, especially off of play action. Mobility is another one of his strong suits, and he can make throws on the run off bootlegs and scramble for yards when necessary. The two main things he needs to improve on are accuracy and of course decision making. His accuracy issues on short and intermediate routes may be due to his sometimes wonky mechanics that cause him to "shot put" the ball. This is something that can be improved through coaching, but it takes time. His decision making, theoretically, should improve this year as he has more experience under his belt. If he just takes care of the ball better he will be much improved from last year.

Backing up Nova you have an experienced and capable quarterback in Chas Dodd. He won't blow you away with his skill set, but he knows the offense, knows the personnel, and does a good job distributing the ball to his receivers. He's had his moments (when he was able to scramble away from pass rushers behind a porous line), doing some damage out of spread sets, like he was recruited to do,  but he is not a great fit for Rutgers' new/old philosophy on offense. Dodd is a tough competitor and it's nice having him in the program as a safety net in case something happens to Nova. He's a back up in name only, he could start at some FBS schools.

Red shirt freshman Mike Bimonte will be the third string quarterback, and he has some interesting tools to work with, including a great arm and great size. He is a bit raw though, so hopefully he won't need to see the field this year. True freshman Blake Rankin also brings in an interesting, but different, set of skills. The Big 33 game MVP on the Pennsylvania side is a duel threat quarterback who can really zip the ball in addition to being a great runner. For such a young quarterback he has surprisingly mature pocket presence, as he is able to elude rushers while keeping his eyes down field. He was a very underrated prospect and he's worth keeping an eye on after he redshirts this year.

New QB coach Rob Spence will be able to focus solely on QBs, unlike most QB coaches who usually double as offensive coordinators. He has a mixed track record producing QBs, and he will be given a few talented players who need a great deal of work. The one main thing he's stressed with Nova through out camp is throwing the ball away when nothing is there. Hopefully he's trying to clean up his mechanics too. Rutgers' offense will feature a lot of play action fakes and he needs to work with these guys on their fakes and reading the defense after turning your back to them. It is extremely difficult to do and a bit of a lost art.

I'm cautiously optimistic about Nova this year. With more experience and more coaching, I think he will be pretty good with the nice group of receivers he has to throw to. Hopefully he is able to hold down the job all year. Dodd is a nice back up to have, and he's trustworthy as a game manager type. Bimonte and Rankin offer raw talents that can turn into something in a few years. I think QB play could be the difference between another 8 win season and something better. Nova has the talent, he just needs to refine his game.

Rutgers 2012 Season Preview: The Offensive Line

Offensive line has gone from one of Rutgers' biggest strengths to their biggest weakness over the last few years. During Kyle Flood's first five seasons On the Banks, Rutgers was amongst the best in the nation at protecting the passer and paving the way in the run game with Flood's masterful zone blocking scheme. But things started trending in the wrong direction in 2009, and the problems got much worse the following year when Anthony Davis left for the NFL. In 2010,  Rutgers finished an absolutely embarrassing 111th nationally in rushing* and 120th in sacks allowed. Things improved a little bit last year, but this unit still struggled with consistency. The downfall of  this unit is often chalked up to the transition to a spread offense, but I don't buy that theory. There were some lean recruiting years at the position, and that has come back to bite them. The talent is slowly, but surely improving, and there's reason to be some what optimistic about this group this year, even though there's a long way to go in getting back to the level of play from a few years ago.

Damian Wroblewski is the new offensive line coach, and he has a similar background as Flood, so the zone blocking scheme will remain in place. In this particular scheme, the offensive lineman need to move well and have good footwork. The line fires out with an angled step (of various degree depending on who's teaching it) in the direction the ball carrier is going, and they try to pin defenders inside. This style of play is sometimes mistaken for finesse blocking, but that is far from the truth. You still need to be strong and physical, and you're still trying to drive defenders off the ball, down field. You're just taking a different first step.

Kaleb Johnson headlines the offensive line, and he will flip over to protect the QB's blindside at left tackle after garnering freshman All American honors on the right side a year ago. Johnson is very athletic and physical as a run blocker and he is able to execute the reach blocks on the perimeter that the zone scheme often requires. His athleticism also helps him in pass protection, as he is able to slide and stay in front of the defender. Maryland transfer R.J. Dill bookends Johnson on the right side, and the veteran who started 33 games for the Terps provides some much needed experience and road grading ability to an inexperienced line that has had trouble getting a push in the run game. He plays with a mean streak too, and that's always nice. RS freshman Keith Lumpkin provides and interesting blend of size and athleticism backing up Johnson, while Senior Devon Watkins backs up Dill. Jorge Vicioso adds depth to the position.

Antwan Lowery will be the starter at left guard, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2011 season where he struggled to crack the lineup. He is a very gifted player with good size, but he has not put it together at this point. At right guard, two converted defensive lineman, Andre Civil and Taj Alexander are battling it out for the starting spot. Civil started a bunch of games last year at left tackle and he has the athleticism you are looking for in a zone scheme, but not necessarily the proper size for guard. Alexander is a relative unknown on offense, but the coaching staff seemed to like him a lot in spring ball, as they inserted him into the starting lineup almost right away. David Osei will back up both spots, and he should be able to use his athleticism more here than at center, where he struggled in part because of his lack of size. Chris Fonti provides some size to the roster as a reserve.

Betim Bujari moves over to center after playing 10 games at guard in 2011. Bujari is a very tough, smart player who should be a good fit at his new position. He is a solid blocker with good size and leverage as well, but he may have a bit of an adjustment period learning the responsibilities of the center position. Matt McBride backs him up, having forced himself onto the two deep with a torrid summer camp, and Junior College transfer Dallas Hendrickson is the third stringer, as he has struggled both in the spring and summer, coming back from an ACL injury that cost him all of last year.

Rutgers' heralded 2012 recruiting class featured 5 offensive lineman: JJ Denman, Chris Muller, Derrick Nelson, Ryan Brodie, and Brian Arcidiacono. All five will most likely red shirt this year, but they represent hope for a bright future where Rutgers has one of the better lines in the country again. Muller and Denman were the two biggest gets here, and the mammoth duo from Pennsylvania could bookend the line at the tackle spots in the future. Both players are very strong, tough, and quick. Nelson brings toughness and nastiness as a run dominant blocker, while Brodie and Arcidiacono are very nimble and balanced with good footwork. Offensive line recruiting is really a crap shoot, so you shouldn't count on all five of these guys becoming starters, but there's enough quality depth in this class that these guys could make up the bulk of the line 2-3 years from now.

I'm pretty confident that this unit will continue to improve. Johnson and Dill instill a lot of confidence in me as run blockers and pass blockers, so they should be rock solid at tackle. Bujari should be solid as well, once he gets used to playing center mentally, but the guards are the big question mark. They are inexperinced and/or undersized, but there's depth here, so hopefullty they find the right mix. This unit does not have to be a world beater, they just need to give the backs a chance to do their thing.

*For some reason, the NCAA deducts yards lost in sacks from your rushing total. It makes no sense. The sack yardage really hurt Rutgers' rushing rank in 2010, but their run blocking was still very bad.

Gary Nova Named Starting QB and Other Roster News

-Gary Nova was officially named the starting quarterback today. I think this is clearly the right move for numerous reasons, and I'll have more on this when I get around to writing my QB season preview.

-Jeremy Deering is going to play some safety in addition to wide receiver. This is a very interesting, as Deering is an impact player who the coaching staff has had trouble using on offense for some reason.
Rutgers is very deep at receiver once again, so this is just a creative way of getting him on the field. He does not have a lot of experience on defense, even dating back to high school, but the opportunity will be there for him to become a key reserve right away. His speed, athleticism, and ball skills make him an ideal free safety in this defense, and I would not be surprised if he becomes a starter in 2013, once he learns the nuances of the position.

-RS freshman fullback Paul Canavari and tight end Malcolm Bush are both transferring to FCS programs. Neither player was likely to be a contributer to the 2012 team, but losing these players hurts depth. Tight end in particular is a very thin position for the Scarlet Knights, so if DC Jefferson, Paul Carrezola, or Michael Burton get hurt, things could get troublesome.

-Khaseem Greene, Steve Beauharnais, Tim Wright, and Mason Robinson were named the team's captains. The Scarlet Knights have gone with "weekly" captains the last few years, but Kyle Flood will stick with these four for the year.

Has the Quarterback Battle Already Been Decided?

Rutgers had their first inter-squad scrimmage of the year in front of over 2000 fans on Saturday, and according to those in attendance, Gary Nova separated himself from Chas Dodd in the quarterback competition. I was not there, but based on reports I've gathered that that Gary Nova received almost all of the reps with the first team offense, while Chas Dodd worked with the second team . I have no inside information and I am totally speculating, but this indicates to me that Nova has already been named the starter.

Nova was the presumed front runner for the starting position heading into camp, and if he's getting all the first team reps he is probably the starter. If Chas Dodd is getting all the snaps with the second team, he is probably the back up. This is generally how things go. If there was a true competition, they would be spliting the snaps with both the first and second units. The few snaps Dodd got with the first team may have just been because it's a common procedure for the back up QB to get some reps with the first team. You want him to be familiar with leading the first team offense in case the starter gets hurt, every team does this. Nova took no snaps with the second unit.

Now you may ask "If this is the case, why doesn't Flood just announce that Nova is the starter?" The answer is, he may just be playing games with Tulane's coaching staff, as he has no reason to tip his hand here just yet. The longer he waits to make this announcement, the more the Green Wave (and others) have to spend valuable time breaking down two quarterbacks and making game plans to stop both of them instead of just one.

Once again, this is pure speculation, and I was not there on Saturday, so please correct me if I'm wrong about the snap distribution. We shall see how things shake out the last two weeks of camp, but I think there's fire to go along with the smoke here.

Rock Chalk Quick Notes

-Rutgers has announced a future home and home series with Kansas. The Jayhawks will come to Piscataway in 2015 and the Scarlet Knights will visit Lawrence in 2018. The athletic department teased a BCS opponent being added to the schedule earlier this week, but many fans were left disappointed when they found out it was Kansas. The Jayhawks are not very good right now, but a lot of things can change over a 3-6 year period.

Jersey native Charlie Weis is taking over the program, and they have nowhere to go but up after Turner Gil's disastrous tenure. Weis has not had a lot of success in the college game, at Notre Dame and then as the offensive coordinator at Florida, but he is a solid recruiter and a great offensive mind. He won't have the same amount of pressure as he had at Notre Dame or Florida, so maybe he can take the necessary time to rebuild the program the way he wants to. He should have a decent recruiting base to work with, since Kansas is a junior college haven and Texas is semi-close by. Remember: this program did have some nice season under Mark Mangino not that long ago

Regardless of how Weis does or does not improve the program, Kansas is still a pretty significant upgrade to Rutgers' future schedule. Playing a BCS opponent will pique fans interest more than a MAC team will and gain more respect across the country for Rutgers if they win. Plus, this game is more likely to get on TV than a game against a cupcake. The bottom line is this is a BCS opponent who is willing to come to Piscataway (unlike Oklahoma and Notre Dame), and Rutgers needs to bolster their out of conference schedule if they want to be a contender on the national level. Count me as exited for this series.

-Pre Snap Read  previews and ranks all 124 FBS teams before every season, and they have their Rutgers preview up. PSR has the Knights ranked 29th nationally and first in the Big East and the author is very high on Rutgers' defense and expects the offense to improve some what. This quote really struck me though:

 "There are more than a few teams – I can think of one or two just in the Big East – that wouldn’t mind being in Rutgers’ shoes, even if the program’s continued back-and-forth routine at quarterback needs to be addressed before the Scarlet Knights open the season at Tulane."

Just think about that for some perspective. Even though quarterback is probably Rutgers' biggest question mark, it could be a whole hell of a lot worse. Nova or Dodd are both capable starting QBs and some schools *coughUConncough* don't even have one.

-Double G Sports had a preseason Rutgers football roundtable discussion earlier this week, and I was apart of the panel.  We went over position battles, what true freshman we are expecting the most out of this year and what upper class man we think needs to step it up, amongst other things. Check it out.

-Chris from Smart Football passed along an anecdote about Greg Schiano's philosophy on recovering fumbles from an old coaching clinic. It's pretty funny.

Rutgers 2012 Season Preview: The Defensive Backs

Say what you will about Greg Schiano, but there's no denying he knows his defensive backs. The former Chicago Bears DB coach was able to unearth some diamonds in the rough at the position and turn them into NFL caliber players over the years. Schiano has moved on, but he left a very full cupboard in the defensive backfield for Kyle Flood and Robb Smith, as Rutgers heads into the 2012 season with one of the best secondaries in the nation. The Scarlet Knights return 3 of 4 starters and all but one key reserve to the unit that finished 5th nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2011. They allowed only 8 touchdown passes and intercepted 19, down right dominating after a few early season hiccups. That streak of domination should extend into this year.

At corner back, Logan Ryan and Brandon Jones form the top duo in the Big East and one of the best in the country. Ryan is coming off an All Big East performance in 2011, and he is getting some preseason hype nationally. He is true lock down corner who has the size and strength to play press coverage and the speed to run with receivers down field. Ryan also has tremendous ball skills, finishing 14th nationally in passes defended last year. If he builds off the great success he had a season ago, he will be an All American candidate and a potential first round draft pick. I don't think a lot of fans realize how good he is. Brandon Jones is easily overlooked on this defense, but he is a very good player in his own right. The senior has a nice blend of size and speed, while also possessing the ability to play man coverage. Mason Robinson, Marcus Cooper, and Gareef Glashen will see a lot of time as reserves this season.The 6th year senior Robinson looks to return to the field after missing all of last year with a knee injury. He will be playing defense for the first time in his college career, but the converted RB/WR is the favorite to win the nickle back spot. Cooper has great size and will probably be the primary back up for Ryan and Jones on the outside. The speedster Glashen could contribute in nickel packages as well, primarily covering slot receivers. The youngster Tejay Johnson also provides depth.

At safety, senior Duron Harmon looks to build off his All Big East selection from a year ago. Harmon is a very instinctive player and he covers a lot of ground as the lone deep safety in the defense. He has tremendous ball skills (5 interceptions in 2011) playing "centerfield" in this defense, and he is a very strong pass defender. Sophmore Lorenzo Waters is the lone new starter in the secondary, replacing David Rowe, and he is a very physical player who will often play down in the box to stop the run and blitz. Wayne Warren will back him up and play in dime packages, and when he is on the field he makes his presence known. Last year he recorded 2.5 sacks, an INT, a forced fumble and broke up 3 passes. J.T. Tartacoff will transition from wide receiver and back up Harmon, while run stopper Jonathan Aiken gives depth to the position.

Safety Davon Jacobs and corner Jevon Tyree are part of Rutgers' 24th ranked incoming freshman class, and both players are almost certainly going to red shirt. Jacobs is a fast, rangy athlete with good ball skills, giving him the talent to become a starting free safety in the future. Tyree, who happens to be Mohamed Sanu's cousin, has solid size, fluid hips and good feet, making him a great fit for what Rutgers asks their corners to do.

Jeff Hafley really did a nice job coaching this unit last year (obviously Schiano had a lot of influence on them as well), and Robb Smith looks to keep things the same here as both the position coach and the coordinator. He will keep the same scheme in place, with the corners pressing at the line and being left on an island in man coverage with the free safety over the top and the strong safety down in the box. Smith knows what he is doing and has been in the program for a while, so he should make this transition as smooth as possible.

The defensive backfield will be one of Rutgers' biggest strengths this season. They have top end talent, plenty of experience and quality depth. They will have a very difficult test in September against Arkansas, who features future first round draft pick Tyler Wilson at quarterback, but they probably won't face another high octane passing game after that. They should not miss a beat from last year, even with the new coaching staff, and they should consistently dominate and have a top 10 pass defense once again.

Jamil Pollard Transfers From Penn State to Rutgers

Defensive Tackle Jamil Pollard is transferring from Penn State to Rutgers, according to his high school coach, due to the NCAA sanctions handed down to Penn State. Pollard, who is from West Depford, NJ, was part of the Nittany Lions' 2012 recruiting class, and he will be able to transfer with out any restrictions as part of the NCAA penalties. Pollard was considered a 4 star recruit by all of the recruiting services, but he was a qualifier risk and that scared some schools, including Rutgers, away from recruiting him. He was able to pick up his grades as a senior in high school and did in fact qualify.

Pollard is a really big kid with great strength. He plays with tremendous leverage and is able to hold double teams and move the line of scrimmage backwards. He moves pretty well for his size and is able to change directions very quickly. He bends his knees and is a good tackler, but there are some technique things (like using his hands better) that he will need to work on. He will likely end up on the defensive side of the ball and he fits the classic profile of a nose tackle, but the could play offense as well.

Pollard was a big time talent, so this is a fantastic pick up. He had offers from factory schools like Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida, Iowa, etc, before the academic issues came to light. Rutgers has had some small defensive tackles in the past, but they have brought in some really big guys the last 3 recruiting classes. Rutgers is loaded with freshman and sophomore DTs, so this will give them more talent and depth at a position with a fairly high attrition rate.He should be able to join the Knights for the start of training camp next week.

I think Rutgers may try to take a couple more players from Penn State, but according to my unofficial count, Pollard brings Rutgers to 84 players on scholarship, leaving them only 1 available.

Here's some video of Pollard:

Transfers, Injuries, Non Qualifiers, Oh My!

Yesterday was Big East Media Day in Newport, Rhode Island, and Kyle Flood made quite a few accouterments regarding the roster:

Sophomores Rashad Knight and Fred Overstreet are both leaving the program and will transfer elsewhere. Overstreet, a Florida native, was unlikely to be a contributer at Rutgers since he was buried on the depth chart by a number of linbackers (he's headed to Towson), but Knight is a significant loss. A former 4 star recruit out of Florida, Knight is a hard hitting safety with good ball skills who was listed as the co-back up free safety on the depth chart. He would have likely contributed on special teams this year and the starting strong safety spot was his for the taking in 2013, with Duron Harmon and Wayne Warren both in their last year of eligibility this year. There may be reasons unrelated to football as to why he is transferring.

On the injury front, defensive end David Milewski will miss the entire season after suffering his third ACL tear. The red shirt sophomore showed signs of promise during spring ball, after making the successful conversion from linebacker to defensive end. It's really unfortunate for this kid to suffer another significant injury, but Rutgers has plenty of depth at this position and should absorb this loss.

In other injury news, red shirt sophomore offensive lineman Frank Quartucci has retired from football due to a chronic hip injury. The Hamilton West alum Quartucci was a reserve center/guard and he will remain with the team as a student assistant coach.

2012 signee Delon Stephenson did not qualify academically for Rutgers and will attend Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia with hopes of joining the Scarlet Knights in 2013. Stephenson is a running back and defensive back and was listed as a 3 star athlete by the recruiting services. His brother Daryl is a defensive lineman at Rutgers.

After these bits of news, Rutgers has 83 players on scholarship at the moment, according to my unofficial count.