I do a post like this every year, where I try and identify targets Rutgers should pursue in the event they enter the portal. Here's the thread from last year and 2022 for reference:
rutgers.forums.rivals.com
rutgers.forums.rivals.com
I'll pat myself on the back, the first guy I highlighted last year was Dymere Miller and he's our leading WR this season. Let's first go through position by position and assess a need at each position group...
QB
Need: 0.
Rutgers has it's starter for next season in Athan Kaliakmanis and the heir apparent in AJ Surace behind him, with Ajani Sheppard as a depth QB as well.
RB
Need: 0-1.
Kyle Monangai is out of eligibility after this season but there is quality depth behind him with Samuel Brown, Antwan Raymond and Jashon Benjamin, with 4 star true freshman John Forster coming in the 2025 recruiting class. Two reasons why this isn't a 0/10...
1) Samuel Brown has suffered his 2nd season ending injury in the past three seasons, I doubt he's back at 100% by next season
2) The staff recently offered another RB in the 2025 class, so they clearly are interested in adding a RB
WR
Need: 0-1.
Rutgers is also in a very good situation long term at WR, with KJ Duff and Ian Strong clearly being the 1/2 punch of the future. Throw in Famah Toure and Ben Black as guys the staff really likes and you have a very good young core. It would be great to add a veteran pass catcher to round out this group, but it's a luxury item.
TE
Need: 0-1.
Kenny Fletcher had an up and down first season as a starter and unfortunately was lost for the season with an injury. The rest of the group (Logan Blake, Mike Higgins, etc) haven't shown a ton either. Rutgrs would use a TE, but It's not near the top of the need list
OL
Need: 1-3.
Hollin Pierce's graduation will leave a gaping hole on the left side of this offensive line. The rest of the starting OL (Bryan Felter, Gus Zilinskas, Kobe Asamoah, Tyler Needham) all have eligibility remaining. LT is an obvious need and upgrading depth behind starters should be a key.
DL
Need: 2-4.
This is probably the biggest area of need this off-season. Rutgers will be losing the majority of it's two deep from a unit that didn't perform up to expectations in 2024 so far (Aaron Lewis, Kyonte Hamilton, Malcolm Ray, Troy Rainey), but Wesley Bailey could return if he wanted which would be a big boost to this unit next year. Regardless, this is a unit that needs a talent infusion in the portal.
LB
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers will lose Tyreem Powell in the off-season, who has been a standout performer when healthy for 4 seasons at RU. They return Mohamed Toure, but he will be coming off of an ACL injury and the LB play has left a lot to be desired this season.
CB
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers loses it's CB1 and CB2 after this season in Robert Longerbeam and Eric Rogers, with Al-Shadee Salaam and Bo Mascoe likely pencilled in as the likely starters next year as things currently stand. Schiano has shown he has a great eye for DBs and has recruited the position well at the HS ranks. But adding a proven CB to this group would help the young guys along.
S
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers loses it's top three safeties in terms of snap counts after this season in Flip Dixon, Desmond Igbinuson and Shaquon Loyal. No position group gets hit harder this off-season than the safety room. Kaj Sanders is the obvious choice to take one of the safety spots this off-season, but Rutgers could really use a couple more safeties to solidify this unit.
So in terms of needs, Rutgers needs between 6 on the low end and 16 on the high end in terms of transfers this off-season (it will be closer to the low end than the high end I'm sure). Here are some realistic players that make sense for Rutgers to target in the hypothetical scenario that they enter the portal:
Potential Portal Targets (Offense)
RB
David Avit (Villanova)
Listed at 6-0, 220 lbs. True freshman, 3 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, MD.
Avit leads Villanova in rushing yards and TDs this season as a true freshman, with 126 carries for 716 yards and 7 TDs. He added another 3 catches for 35 yards through the air. He became the lead back mid-way through the season, receiving only 24 carries in the first (6/game) and averaging 17 carries/game over the last 6 games. His best game of the season came against Stony Brook, when he totalled 13 carries for 183 yards and 4 TDs. His PFF grade has been excellent, grading at an 85.2 (30th out of 484 qualifying RBs). Avit's brother plays WR for Maryland (Ezekiel Avit).
WR
Josh Derry (Monmouth)
Listed at 5-9, 175 lbs. True sophomore, 2 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Concordia Prep in Towson, MD.
Could Rutgers go back to the well at Monmouth this year for another Hawks WR? Josh Derry has been one of the leading WRs in the FCS this year, averaging almost 100 yards per game on the season (94.4), On the season he has 47 receptions for 754 yards and 4 TDs in 8 games. This is including a 7 catch, 107 yard performance in Monmouth's shocking win at FBS FIU this year and a 7 catch, 227 yard and 2 TD performance against Maine. He missed 2 games this season due to injury. His PFF grade has been phenomenal, posting an 83.1 grade, which ranks 24th out of 1062 qualifying WRs)
TJ Speight (Monmouth)
Listed at 5-11, 170 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Meade HS in Forte Meade, MD.
Yes, another Monmouth Hawk on this list. TJ Speight is another WR who has put up good numbers (47 catches for 625 yards and 6 TDs in 10 games) in this Monmouth offense. He's also graded out on PFF with a 79.5 grade, which is good for 55th out of 1062 qualifying WRs.
Elijah Steward (Lafayette)
Listed at 5-10, 179 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Holy Spirit HS in Galloway, NJ.
Steward has caught 34 balls for 513 yards and 1 TD this season for Lafayette, while only playing in 6 games. He had a 15 catch, 244 yard and 1 TD game against Monmouth this year but missed 4 games due to injury. Despite this, he still leads the team in catches and yards. His PFF grade is extremely good, at a 82.2 which is 32nd out of 1062 qualifying WRs. Steward also led Lafayette in receiving last year in receptions (52), receiving yards (738) and TDs (5).
Jimmy Kibble (Georgetown)
Listed at 6-1, 200 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Loudon County HS in Leesburg, VA.
Kibble leads Georgetown in receptions (41), receiving yards (634) and TDs (3) in just 8 games. His best game of the season came against Columbia, where he put up 10/164. His PFF grade is stellar, at an 83.0 which is 25th out of 1062 qualifying WRs. Kibble also led Georgetown in receiving yards and TDs in 2023, when he put up 33/753/8, with a 22.8 yards per catch average 👀
Max Mosey (Holy Cross)
Listed at 6-1, 200 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Central Dauphin HS in Harrisburg, PA.
Mosey leads Holy Cross in receiving yards in 2024 with 657 in 10 games. His PFF grade is extremely good, at a 82.5 which is 30th out of 1062 qualifying WRs.
TE
Justin Joly (NC State)
Listed at 6-3, 235 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, NY.
Justin Joly was a bit of a white whale last off-season, the HS teammate of Rutgers backup QB was the lone bright spot on UConn's offense, tallying 56 catches for 578 and 2 TDs as a RS SO. This year, he's been an impact receiver for NC State, leading the team in receiving yards (565) and 2nd in TDs (3) and receptions (34). He's averaging a staggering 16.6 yards/catch at TE in the ACC. He's been a standout on PFF in his career, with his 2024 grade at a 71.0 (50th out of 497 qualifying TEs). NC State has had a bit of a disappointing 2024 season, if he enters the portal we should jump all over him.
OL
Ryder Langsdale (Lafayette)
Listed at 6-7, 298 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Ridgewood HS in Ridgewood, NJ.
Finished last season 3rd Team All-American and entered this season 1st Team All-Patriot league. He's another guy I highlighted last year, but never entered the portal. He has started every game the last 3 seasons for Lafayette at left tackle. Last year he graded out at 86.6, which was 6th out of 626 OTs on PFF and this season he's graded out at a 75.5 which is good for 64th out of 635 qualifying OTs.
Ryan Carr (Columbia)
Listed at 6-4, 290 lbs. RS sophomore, 2 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at La Salle College HS in Lansdale, PA.
Carr was the HS teammate of Samuel Brown at La Salle and has taken over the starting role at LT this season for Columbia. He's graded out very well, posting a 75.3 grade (66th out of 635 qualifying OTs). Rarely do Ivy League guys leave school before they graduate, but he's someone to monitor.
JT Cornelius (Monmouth)
Listed at 6-6, 290 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Southern Regional HS in Manahawkin, NJ.
Cornelius is another guy that I've mentioned in the past, he's started the past 3 seasons for Monmouth at RT and LT. This year he's graded out at 73.1, which is good for 92nd out of 635 qualifying OTs.
Kyle Brown (Dartmouth)
Listed at 6-5, 295 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Marcellus HS in Marcellus, NY.
Brown has had a breakout season in 2024, with an incredible PFF grade of 85.5 which ranks 2nd out of 658 qualifying OGs. He's started every game this season at LG, and spent 2023 starting at both RG and LT.
Mike Entwistle (Harvard)
Listed at 6-2, 295 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ.
Entwistle has started each of the last two seasons for Harvard at LG. He's graded out very well on PFF, posting a 74.4 grade (33rd out of 658 qualifying OGs).
Defense coming tomorrow!
2023 SPECULATIVE Portal Targets (11/21 UPDATE: FIRST PORTAL SZN OFFER!)
I did a post like this last year, where I dove into some of the top players from the lower levels (G5/FCS) who have NJ/RU ties of some sort. Here's that thread from last year. Some of the players we identified early last year were: QB Tony Muskett (Monmouth) -> UVA. Just led UVA to a win at #10...
rutgers.forums.rivals.com
Potential Transfer Portal Targets (PURE SPECULATION) (NEW NAMES ADDED)
Just want to reiterate that this is PURELY SPECULATION on my part, but wanted to get together a list of guys that might be worth pursuing if they hit the portal in the offseason. These are guys who may have a tie to the area or to Rutgers and might want to step up a level, come closer to home or...
rutgers.forums.rivals.com
I'll pat myself on the back, the first guy I highlighted last year was Dymere Miller and he's our leading WR this season. Let's first go through position by position and assess a need at each position group...
QB
Need: 0.
Rutgers has it's starter for next season in Athan Kaliakmanis and the heir apparent in AJ Surace behind him, with Ajani Sheppard as a depth QB as well.
RB
Need: 0-1.
Kyle Monangai is out of eligibility after this season but there is quality depth behind him with Samuel Brown, Antwan Raymond and Jashon Benjamin, with 4 star true freshman John Forster coming in the 2025 recruiting class. Two reasons why this isn't a 0/10...
1) Samuel Brown has suffered his 2nd season ending injury in the past three seasons, I doubt he's back at 100% by next season
2) The staff recently offered another RB in the 2025 class, so they clearly are interested in adding a RB
WR
Need: 0-1.
Rutgers is also in a very good situation long term at WR, with KJ Duff and Ian Strong clearly being the 1/2 punch of the future. Throw in Famah Toure and Ben Black as guys the staff really likes and you have a very good young core. It would be great to add a veteran pass catcher to round out this group, but it's a luxury item.
TE
Need: 0-1.
Kenny Fletcher had an up and down first season as a starter and unfortunately was lost for the season with an injury. The rest of the group (Logan Blake, Mike Higgins, etc) haven't shown a ton either. Rutgrs would use a TE, but It's not near the top of the need list
OL
Need: 1-3.
Hollin Pierce's graduation will leave a gaping hole on the left side of this offensive line. The rest of the starting OL (Bryan Felter, Gus Zilinskas, Kobe Asamoah, Tyler Needham) all have eligibility remaining. LT is an obvious need and upgrading depth behind starters should be a key.
DL
Need: 2-4.
This is probably the biggest area of need this off-season. Rutgers will be losing the majority of it's two deep from a unit that didn't perform up to expectations in 2024 so far (Aaron Lewis, Kyonte Hamilton, Malcolm Ray, Troy Rainey), but Wesley Bailey could return if he wanted which would be a big boost to this unit next year. Regardless, this is a unit that needs a talent infusion in the portal.
LB
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers will lose Tyreem Powell in the off-season, who has been a standout performer when healthy for 4 seasons at RU. They return Mohamed Toure, but he will be coming off of an ACL injury and the LB play has left a lot to be desired this season.
CB
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers loses it's CB1 and CB2 after this season in Robert Longerbeam and Eric Rogers, with Al-Shadee Salaam and Bo Mascoe likely pencilled in as the likely starters next year as things currently stand. Schiano has shown he has a great eye for DBs and has recruited the position well at the HS ranks. But adding a proven CB to this group would help the young guys along.
S
Need: 1-2.
Rutgers loses it's top three safeties in terms of snap counts after this season in Flip Dixon, Desmond Igbinuson and Shaquon Loyal. No position group gets hit harder this off-season than the safety room. Kaj Sanders is the obvious choice to take one of the safety spots this off-season, but Rutgers could really use a couple more safeties to solidify this unit.
So in terms of needs, Rutgers needs between 6 on the low end and 16 on the high end in terms of transfers this off-season (it will be closer to the low end than the high end I'm sure). Here are some realistic players that make sense for Rutgers to target in the hypothetical scenario that they enter the portal:
Potential Portal Targets (Offense)
RB
David Avit (Villanova)
Listed at 6-0, 220 lbs. True freshman, 3 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Winston Churchill HS in Potomac, MD.
Avit leads Villanova in rushing yards and TDs this season as a true freshman, with 126 carries for 716 yards and 7 TDs. He added another 3 catches for 35 yards through the air. He became the lead back mid-way through the season, receiving only 24 carries in the first (6/game) and averaging 17 carries/game over the last 6 games. His best game of the season came against Stony Brook, when he totalled 13 carries for 183 yards and 4 TDs. His PFF grade has been excellent, grading at an 85.2 (30th out of 484 qualifying RBs). Avit's brother plays WR for Maryland (Ezekiel Avit).
WR
Josh Derry (Monmouth)
Listed at 5-9, 175 lbs. True sophomore, 2 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Concordia Prep in Towson, MD.
Could Rutgers go back to the well at Monmouth this year for another Hawks WR? Josh Derry has been one of the leading WRs in the FCS this year, averaging almost 100 yards per game on the season (94.4), On the season he has 47 receptions for 754 yards and 4 TDs in 8 games. This is including a 7 catch, 107 yard performance in Monmouth's shocking win at FBS FIU this year and a 7 catch, 227 yard and 2 TD performance against Maine. He missed 2 games this season due to injury. His PFF grade has been phenomenal, posting an 83.1 grade, which ranks 24th out of 1062 qualifying WRs)
TJ Speight (Monmouth)
Listed at 5-11, 170 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Meade HS in Forte Meade, MD.
Yes, another Monmouth Hawk on this list. TJ Speight is another WR who has put up good numbers (47 catches for 625 yards and 6 TDs in 10 games) in this Monmouth offense. He's also graded out on PFF with a 79.5 grade, which is good for 55th out of 1062 qualifying WRs.
Elijah Steward (Lafayette)
Listed at 5-10, 179 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Holy Spirit HS in Galloway, NJ.
Steward has caught 34 balls for 513 yards and 1 TD this season for Lafayette, while only playing in 6 games. He had a 15 catch, 244 yard and 1 TD game against Monmouth this year but missed 4 games due to injury. Despite this, he still leads the team in catches and yards. His PFF grade is extremely good, at a 82.2 which is 32nd out of 1062 qualifying WRs. Steward also led Lafayette in receiving last year in receptions (52), receiving yards (738) and TDs (5).
Jimmy Kibble (Georgetown)
Listed at 6-1, 200 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Loudon County HS in Leesburg, VA.
Kibble leads Georgetown in receptions (41), receiving yards (634) and TDs (3) in just 8 games. His best game of the season came against Columbia, where he put up 10/164. His PFF grade is stellar, at an 83.0 which is 25th out of 1062 qualifying WRs. Kibble also led Georgetown in receiving yards and TDs in 2023, when he put up 33/753/8, with a 22.8 yards per catch average 👀
Max Mosey (Holy Cross)
Listed at 6-1, 200 lbs. True junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Central Dauphin HS in Harrisburg, PA.
Mosey leads Holy Cross in receiving yards in 2024 with 657 in 10 games. His PFF grade is extremely good, at a 82.5 which is 30th out of 1062 qualifying WRs.
TE
Justin Joly (NC State)
Listed at 6-3, 235 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, NY.
Justin Joly was a bit of a white whale last off-season, the HS teammate of Rutgers backup QB was the lone bright spot on UConn's offense, tallying 56 catches for 578 and 2 TDs as a RS SO. This year, he's been an impact receiver for NC State, leading the team in receiving yards (565) and 2nd in TDs (3) and receptions (34). He's averaging a staggering 16.6 yards/catch at TE in the ACC. He's been a standout on PFF in his career, with his 2024 grade at a 71.0 (50th out of 497 qualifying TEs). NC State has had a bit of a disappointing 2024 season, if he enters the portal we should jump all over him.
OL
Ryder Langsdale (Lafayette)
Listed at 6-7, 298 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Ridgewood HS in Ridgewood, NJ.
Finished last season 3rd Team All-American and entered this season 1st Team All-Patriot league. He's another guy I highlighted last year, but never entered the portal. He has started every game the last 3 seasons for Lafayette at left tackle. Last year he graded out at 86.6, which was 6th out of 626 OTs on PFF and this season he's graded out at a 75.5 which is good for 64th out of 635 qualifying OTs.
Ryan Carr (Columbia)
Listed at 6-4, 290 lbs. RS sophomore, 2 years of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at La Salle College HS in Lansdale, PA.
Carr was the HS teammate of Samuel Brown at La Salle and has taken over the starting role at LT this season for Columbia. He's graded out very well, posting a 75.3 grade (66th out of 635 qualifying OTs). Rarely do Ivy League guys leave school before they graduate, but he's someone to monitor.
JT Cornelius (Monmouth)
Listed at 6-6, 290 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Southern Regional HS in Manahawkin, NJ.
Cornelius is another guy that I've mentioned in the past, he's started the past 3 seasons for Monmouth at RT and LT. This year he's graded out at 73.1, which is good for 92nd out of 635 qualifying OTs.
Kyle Brown (Dartmouth)
Listed at 6-5, 295 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Marcellus HS in Marcellus, NY.
Brown has had a breakout season in 2024, with an incredible PFF grade of 85.5 which ranks 2nd out of 658 qualifying OGs. He's started every game this season at LG, and spent 2023 starting at both RG and LT.
Mike Entwistle (Harvard)
Listed at 6-2, 295 lbs. RS junior, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Went to HS at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ.
Entwistle has started each of the last two seasons for Harvard at LG. He's graded out very well on PFF, posting a 74.4 grade (33rd out of 658 qualifying OGs).
Defense coming tomorrow!
