Fat Cat Top Five
Top Five RU Offensive Commits
5.) Nick Krimin
4.) Taysir Mack
3.) Trey Sneed
2.) Anthony Russo
1.) Isaiah Wright
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Five RU true freshmen will play this season
Dead Period Ends
Monday will mark the end of the latest dead period, which means prospects can once again visit college campuses. However, July is historically a slower time for recruiting as many coaches are permitted to take some vacation before the grind of the season begins.
The Russo Report
Today marks the last day for 7-on-7 competition for Anthony Russo’s Lunar Beast squad at The Opening after dropping four straight games yesterday. There were a pair of close ones, which Lunar Beast lost 2-0 and 13-7. The next loss marks the end for Russo’s squad, so in order to stay alive, the team will have to keep winning. Russo is sharing QB reps with two other quarterbacks, Shae Patterson (Rivals No.2 ranked overall prospect) and Dillon Sterling-Cole (4-star Rivals250), which can make it more difficult to get into a rhythm. The quarterbacks are playing a half of football each, which consists of a 25-minute running clock. There is also a lot of top-notch athletes out there as skill players routinely celebrate big plays with back flips. Regardless of his final rating at The Opening, Russo has opened a lot of eyes as one of the top QB prospects in the Northeast.
Class of 2017 Recruiting
With limited spots remaining in the class of 2016, we turn our attention to the recruiting class of 2017. Here is an early glimpse of the top 10 prospects in the Garden State. These prospects are listed in no particular order
Our Early NJ Top 10 (in no order)
ATH Markquese Bell – Bridgeton
There may not be a better athlete in this class in New Jersey. The state champion high jumper is very long, tall and runs like a deer. While he is raw at wide receiver, his faults (mainly route running) can be corrected as he barely played the position in a program that doesn’t throw the football much. He could be a special safety, with the range to cover a lot of ground and the willingness to come up and make plays in the run game towards the line of scrimmage while diagnosing plays quickly. He’s one of the few prospects that we can comfortably say will have a home in the top 10 when the official rankings come out.
DT Fred Hansard – The Hun School
Hansard just overpowers offensive lineman as an immense presence in the trenches. Massive is the first word to describe Hansard. Then you see him move and you feel sorry for the offensive lineman in the Prep League. Having started his career at Camden Catholic before transferring, there were some that felt Hansard didn’t have the athleticism for defense and may be a better interior OL prospect. But Hansard’s athleticism at his size is elite. He’ll need to add more weapons to his arsenal when it comes to rushing the passer but Hansard is very coachable and is willing to do whatever it takes to improve. It will be hard to see Hansard devuting any other place than No.1 in our rankings.
DE Mike Tverdov – Union
Tverdov is very explosive with an extremely fast get-off. You wouldn’t know he is 225 pounds by looking at his frame, but Tverdov has the potential to be an elite edge rusher. His energy and advanced technique, which he has refined working with his brother Pete and the Pro Edge team of former Rutgers linemen Saleem McDonald and J’Vonne Parker, stand out the most at this point. He is also just as much of a threat in the run game. Expect to hear a lot more about Tverdov this fall. He also plays with a very high motor and has the speed that creates mismatches against whoever lines up across from him.
TE/DE Devin Miller – Metuchen
It is surprising that Miller has not garnered more early offers as he already has excellent size as well as the versatility to play either tight end or defensive end. His pass catching ability and athleticism could land him a future on the offensive side of the football. Coming from a family of D1 recruits, Miller has all the tools to be successful. Making Miller an early priority could help Rutgers a great deal in his recruitment as it is likely to be just a matter of time before his offer list expands.
OL Noah DeHond – The Peddie School
The Rochester, N.Y. native reclassified to the class of 2017 as he was very young for the 2016 class and also lost a year with a torn ACL. DeHond is quickly emerging into a national recruit as Peddie is expected to begin pumping out a lot more D1 recruits in the future. DeHond is a legit 6-foot-7 and possess advanced technique, especially in pass protection. The game we have circled on our calendar to see DeHond live is when Peddie hosts NYC’s Poly Prep featuring Rutgers commits OL Justin Morgan and LB Elias Reynolds and 2017 5-star OL Isaiah Wilson. Rutgers’ Rochester ties could help here as it would be wise for the staff to start becoming familiar faces art The Peddie School.
DB Elvis Hines – Paul VI
The rangy corner plays bigger than his size and is extremely athletic. Rutgers has yet to offer Hines, who was part of a Next Level Greats team that won the latest RU Passing Camp. With a father who spent some time in the NFL, it’s no wonder that Hines has been standing out since he arrived to the Haddonfield school. We’re not sure about where he stands academically because in regards to his skillset, he should have more offers. Some schools were worried about his size but he has grown to a legit 5-foot-10 and he has the speed and fluidity most schools look for at corner. While a lot of colleges are looking for longer, and taller players at the position, Hines more than makes up for this with his other attributes.
OL Micah Clark – St. John Vianney
The secret has been out for a while as Clark has offers from national powerhouses including Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan. Standing at 6-foot-5, Clark is not burdened by much excess weight that might slow him down. Rutgers has been recruiting Clark, but not as heavily as one might think. Clark didn’t attend any camps this year but in looking at his film, you see an ideal right tackle who running backs envision running behind while also having the athleticism to play either tackle position.
LB Drew Singleton – Paramus Catholic
Singleton has taken advantage of the exposure offered at Paramus Catholic as many college coaches have gotten in on him early. However, he would likely receive a lot of attention no matter where he played his high school football. He is both quick and strong, playing well in coverage while also being able to take on blocks and stop the run. While most high school linebackers tend to be much more advanced in the run game with a ton of work needed in coverage, Singleton showed at our Rivals Camp that he is comfortable running with running backs. He looks to be the complete package as one of the top two or three prospects in the NJ's class of 2017.
C Cesar Ruiz – Camden
Ruiz’s high early ranking was helped by being part of a Camden program that features multiple power five recruits in the class of 2016. While it is rare to find true center prospects, Ruiz is packed with a lot of promise. Rutgers has become a bit stagnant recruiting South Jersey, but that has not halted their pursuit of Ruiz. Although he has an early four-star ranking, our evaluations have him just making the cut for the top 10. The 6-foot-3, 290 pounder possess the athleticism and smarts to play the position at the FBS level, so there won’t be too much of a learning curve when it comes to actually snapping the football. We saw Ruiz live last fall against Bishop Eustace and then again at the Rivals Camp. He’ll need to get stronger and maintain consistency with his shotgun snaps
DL Owen Bowels – Cedar Creek
Bowels is another member of a deep DL group in New Jersey’s class of 2017. Bowels is explosive off the snap, and does a great job of using his hands to keep linemen off his body. He has made great physical gains off the field, currently weighing close to 270 pounds and he’ll likely enroll at the college of his choice at close to 300 pounds as an interior DL. His head coach, Tim Watson, said that Bowels’ intellect and work ethic are second to none. We will evaluate him again vs Cedar Grove this fall.
Six More NJ 2017 Prospects on the Top 10 Bubble
DT Corey Bolds – Paramus Catholic
Bolds was overshadowed during last year’s recruiting process, playing next to Rashan Gary and Eastern Michigan signee Kwanii Figueroa, but he is no slouch by any means. Bolds played last season at 260 pounds and showed an ability to maintain the edge in the run game to force plays inside. He also displayed solid use of his hands to get after the quarterback and great change of direction in space when chasing ball carriers. He lined up all over for the Paladins last fall, but will likely find a home as a 3-technique in college.
ATH Elijah Barnwell – Piscataway
The younger Barnwell may not have a pure position yet, but there is no denying that he is pretty good football player. He considered by most as a RB prospect, excelling between the tackles with the vision to make the necessary cuts when he sees them. He’s not a burner but he did run track this season in an effort to get faster and finish off runs where he was caught from behind last year. He has really reshaped his body over the last year. If he gained an inch or two, he could see some schools start to consider him as a LB prospect. He also looked more comfortable in coverage when we saw him during the Pylon 7-on-7.
OL Ben Petrula – St. Peter’s Prep
Petrula made major strides from his freshman year to last fall, mainly lining up at left guard for SPP. Petrula is huge at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, and built like the classic OL that head coach Rich Hansen is used to having at the Jersey City school. He has the ideal size and length to play the tackle position so we’re curious to see if he’ll play outside this fall. He has the strength to move defensive tackles in the interior, but many wonder if he has the athleticism to stay outside full time, so that’s what we’ll be watching closely.
DT Dalyn Wade-Perry – Pope John
DWP gained a lot of weight from last season after a leg injury which has affected his movement and flexibility. He is another massive prospect who will likely play the nose in college. He has really long arms that allow him to control interior linemen. DWP suffered an injury that put him out of the first Rutgers Big Man Camp but he came back to show the coaches that he could finish the event. He showed a glimpse of the highly recruited prospect we saw on film last fall, but needs to improve on using his hands while continuing to weight in order to regain his form from last year.
RB Jonathan Taylor – Salem
A bit of a hidden gem in South Jersey, Taylor can do a little bit of everything. He possesses very good size at 6-foot, 205 pounds to go along with a good deal of athleticism. It may take college coaches a little longer to get in on Taylor as he doesn’t hail from a heavily recruited area of South Jersey. He was among the top performers at Rutgers’ most recent skills camp and has grown quite a bit since last season. Taylor does not face the toughest competition and should dominate this season.
OL Carter Warren – Passaic Tech
Warren looked like a potential Big Ten OL as he earned his offer in front of the Rutgers staff at the first Big Man Camp while working closely with his relative, current Rutgers left tackle Keith Lumpkin. Warren hasn’t played a lot of football for the Bulldogs, but he is expected to be a team leader for the North 1 Group 5 sectional finalists. Warren possesses the athleticism to stay in front of athletic pass rush specialists and the nastiness to make life difficult for D-linemen in the run game.
5 Prospects to remember in the NJ Class of 2018
Here is a quick look at five prospects going into their sophomore year, which have already caught our eye as players to watch down the line.
WR Justin Shorter – South Brunswick
At, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he supposedly ran an electric 4.5 40-yard dash at Rutgers this summer. He has the potential to be the biggest recruit out of the Middlesex County schoo,l but playing in an offense with limited touches may hinder his recruitment a bit.
QB Artur Sitkowski – Old Bridge
He hasn’t started a varsity game yet, but the Rutgers and Maryland offeree has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in his respective class when it is all said and done.
QB Allan Walters – Paramus Catholic
Another one of the 2018 quarterback studs in New Jersey, Walters has been waiting for the moment to lead the Paramus Catholic program. Walters possess great accuracy and makes the tough throws look easy.
DB Shamere Collins – St. Augustine Prep
He has been having a strong offseason playing with the Next Level Greats program after a strong season leading the resurgence of the Hermit program. A lot of schools are on the cusp of offering the safety prospect.
WR Jackson Parham – Hillsborough
Parham looked like he belonged in limited varsity action last season for the Raiders. Already a legit 6-foot-3, he possesses excellent ball skills at his age.
Eye on Rutgers
Rutgers will look to return to a bowl game this season and an early favorable schedule should help in that regard. With four winnable games to start the season (Norfolk State, Washington State, Penn State, Kansas), an undefeated month of September will go a long way towards returning to the post season. There are some things to look for in training camp that could signify a solid start for the Scarlet Knights. Some of those things are as follows:
Competitive Quarterback Play – The quarterback could turn out to be the great equalizer this season as some clutch throws could mean the difference between wins and losses. The offense will need to rely on whomever is christened the starter through the month of September. A slow training camp is likely to signify some growing pains through the month of September. However, productive play from both Hayden Rettig and Chris Laviano could make for a fast start. Strong competition will make each player better and also boost their confidence heading into the season. If a starter is named strictly by default, Washington State and Penn State could be very troublesome games.
Shortage of Injuries – There is not a whole lot of depth to go around at certain positions. However, the possibility of going 4-0 in September would give RU a nice cushion in case injuries start popping up through the middle of the season. Keeping guys healthy is very important through the month of August at a wide variety of positions. There are not too many spots outside of running back that are stacked too deeply with proven players. Sometimes, it is just a matter of luck making it through August without any significant injuries. If luck is on RU’s side in that department, it could pay dividends through September.
Solid Trench Play – A good mix of back and forth between the offensive and defensive lines will be a good indicator that Rutgers has beefed up its presence in the middle. The offensive line will be breaking in three new starters so some new players will need to get acclimated in a hurry. Meanwhile, the defensive line will have to upgrade its physical play if RU is to stand a chance in the Big Ten. There is more size on the defensive line and that has to be put to use, especially to help out a young secondary. If either side of the line gets pushed around too much in training camp, it is not a good sign for the fall.
Top Five RU Offensive Commits
5.) Nick Krimin
4.) Taysir Mack
3.) Trey Sneed
2.) Anthony Russo
1.) Isaiah Wright
Bobby’s Crystal Ball
Five RU true freshmen will play this season
Dead Period Ends
Monday will mark the end of the latest dead period, which means prospects can once again visit college campuses. However, July is historically a slower time for recruiting as many coaches are permitted to take some vacation before the grind of the season begins.
The Russo Report
Today marks the last day for 7-on-7 competition for Anthony Russo’s Lunar Beast squad at The Opening after dropping four straight games yesterday. There were a pair of close ones, which Lunar Beast lost 2-0 and 13-7. The next loss marks the end for Russo’s squad, so in order to stay alive, the team will have to keep winning. Russo is sharing QB reps with two other quarterbacks, Shae Patterson (Rivals No.2 ranked overall prospect) and Dillon Sterling-Cole (4-star Rivals250), which can make it more difficult to get into a rhythm. The quarterbacks are playing a half of football each, which consists of a 25-minute running clock. There is also a lot of top-notch athletes out there as skill players routinely celebrate big plays with back flips. Regardless of his final rating at The Opening, Russo has opened a lot of eyes as one of the top QB prospects in the Northeast.
Class of 2017 Recruiting
With limited spots remaining in the class of 2016, we turn our attention to the recruiting class of 2017. Here is an early glimpse of the top 10 prospects in the Garden State. These prospects are listed in no particular order
Our Early NJ Top 10 (in no order)
ATH Markquese Bell – Bridgeton
There may not be a better athlete in this class in New Jersey. The state champion high jumper is very long, tall and runs like a deer. While he is raw at wide receiver, his faults (mainly route running) can be corrected as he barely played the position in a program that doesn’t throw the football much. He could be a special safety, with the range to cover a lot of ground and the willingness to come up and make plays in the run game towards the line of scrimmage while diagnosing plays quickly. He’s one of the few prospects that we can comfortably say will have a home in the top 10 when the official rankings come out.
DT Fred Hansard – The Hun School
Hansard just overpowers offensive lineman as an immense presence in the trenches. Massive is the first word to describe Hansard. Then you see him move and you feel sorry for the offensive lineman in the Prep League. Having started his career at Camden Catholic before transferring, there were some that felt Hansard didn’t have the athleticism for defense and may be a better interior OL prospect. But Hansard’s athleticism at his size is elite. He’ll need to add more weapons to his arsenal when it comes to rushing the passer but Hansard is very coachable and is willing to do whatever it takes to improve. It will be hard to see Hansard devuting any other place than No.1 in our rankings.
DE Mike Tverdov – Union
Tverdov is very explosive with an extremely fast get-off. You wouldn’t know he is 225 pounds by looking at his frame, but Tverdov has the potential to be an elite edge rusher. His energy and advanced technique, which he has refined working with his brother Pete and the Pro Edge team of former Rutgers linemen Saleem McDonald and J’Vonne Parker, stand out the most at this point. He is also just as much of a threat in the run game. Expect to hear a lot more about Tverdov this fall. He also plays with a very high motor and has the speed that creates mismatches against whoever lines up across from him.
TE/DE Devin Miller – Metuchen
It is surprising that Miller has not garnered more early offers as he already has excellent size as well as the versatility to play either tight end or defensive end. His pass catching ability and athleticism could land him a future on the offensive side of the football. Coming from a family of D1 recruits, Miller has all the tools to be successful. Making Miller an early priority could help Rutgers a great deal in his recruitment as it is likely to be just a matter of time before his offer list expands.
OL Noah DeHond – The Peddie School
The Rochester, N.Y. native reclassified to the class of 2017 as he was very young for the 2016 class and also lost a year with a torn ACL. DeHond is quickly emerging into a national recruit as Peddie is expected to begin pumping out a lot more D1 recruits in the future. DeHond is a legit 6-foot-7 and possess advanced technique, especially in pass protection. The game we have circled on our calendar to see DeHond live is when Peddie hosts NYC’s Poly Prep featuring Rutgers commits OL Justin Morgan and LB Elias Reynolds and 2017 5-star OL Isaiah Wilson. Rutgers’ Rochester ties could help here as it would be wise for the staff to start becoming familiar faces art The Peddie School.
DB Elvis Hines – Paul VI
The rangy corner plays bigger than his size and is extremely athletic. Rutgers has yet to offer Hines, who was part of a Next Level Greats team that won the latest RU Passing Camp. With a father who spent some time in the NFL, it’s no wonder that Hines has been standing out since he arrived to the Haddonfield school. We’re not sure about where he stands academically because in regards to his skillset, he should have more offers. Some schools were worried about his size but he has grown to a legit 5-foot-10 and he has the speed and fluidity most schools look for at corner. While a lot of colleges are looking for longer, and taller players at the position, Hines more than makes up for this with his other attributes.
OL Micah Clark – St. John Vianney
The secret has been out for a while as Clark has offers from national powerhouses including Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan. Standing at 6-foot-5, Clark is not burdened by much excess weight that might slow him down. Rutgers has been recruiting Clark, but not as heavily as one might think. Clark didn’t attend any camps this year but in looking at his film, you see an ideal right tackle who running backs envision running behind while also having the athleticism to play either tackle position.
LB Drew Singleton – Paramus Catholic
Singleton has taken advantage of the exposure offered at Paramus Catholic as many college coaches have gotten in on him early. However, he would likely receive a lot of attention no matter where he played his high school football. He is both quick and strong, playing well in coverage while also being able to take on blocks and stop the run. While most high school linebackers tend to be much more advanced in the run game with a ton of work needed in coverage, Singleton showed at our Rivals Camp that he is comfortable running with running backs. He looks to be the complete package as one of the top two or three prospects in the NJ's class of 2017.
C Cesar Ruiz – Camden
Ruiz’s high early ranking was helped by being part of a Camden program that features multiple power five recruits in the class of 2016. While it is rare to find true center prospects, Ruiz is packed with a lot of promise. Rutgers has become a bit stagnant recruiting South Jersey, but that has not halted their pursuit of Ruiz. Although he has an early four-star ranking, our evaluations have him just making the cut for the top 10. The 6-foot-3, 290 pounder possess the athleticism and smarts to play the position at the FBS level, so there won’t be too much of a learning curve when it comes to actually snapping the football. We saw Ruiz live last fall against Bishop Eustace and then again at the Rivals Camp. He’ll need to get stronger and maintain consistency with his shotgun snaps
DL Owen Bowels – Cedar Creek
Bowels is another member of a deep DL group in New Jersey’s class of 2017. Bowels is explosive off the snap, and does a great job of using his hands to keep linemen off his body. He has made great physical gains off the field, currently weighing close to 270 pounds and he’ll likely enroll at the college of his choice at close to 300 pounds as an interior DL. His head coach, Tim Watson, said that Bowels’ intellect and work ethic are second to none. We will evaluate him again vs Cedar Grove this fall.
Six More NJ 2017 Prospects on the Top 10 Bubble
DT Corey Bolds – Paramus Catholic
Bolds was overshadowed during last year’s recruiting process, playing next to Rashan Gary and Eastern Michigan signee Kwanii Figueroa, but he is no slouch by any means. Bolds played last season at 260 pounds and showed an ability to maintain the edge in the run game to force plays inside. He also displayed solid use of his hands to get after the quarterback and great change of direction in space when chasing ball carriers. He lined up all over for the Paladins last fall, but will likely find a home as a 3-technique in college.
ATH Elijah Barnwell – Piscataway
The younger Barnwell may not have a pure position yet, but there is no denying that he is pretty good football player. He considered by most as a RB prospect, excelling between the tackles with the vision to make the necessary cuts when he sees them. He’s not a burner but he did run track this season in an effort to get faster and finish off runs where he was caught from behind last year. He has really reshaped his body over the last year. If he gained an inch or two, he could see some schools start to consider him as a LB prospect. He also looked more comfortable in coverage when we saw him during the Pylon 7-on-7.
OL Ben Petrula – St. Peter’s Prep
Petrula made major strides from his freshman year to last fall, mainly lining up at left guard for SPP. Petrula is huge at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, and built like the classic OL that head coach Rich Hansen is used to having at the Jersey City school. He has the ideal size and length to play the tackle position so we’re curious to see if he’ll play outside this fall. He has the strength to move defensive tackles in the interior, but many wonder if he has the athleticism to stay outside full time, so that’s what we’ll be watching closely.
DT Dalyn Wade-Perry – Pope John
DWP gained a lot of weight from last season after a leg injury which has affected his movement and flexibility. He is another massive prospect who will likely play the nose in college. He has really long arms that allow him to control interior linemen. DWP suffered an injury that put him out of the first Rutgers Big Man Camp but he came back to show the coaches that he could finish the event. He showed a glimpse of the highly recruited prospect we saw on film last fall, but needs to improve on using his hands while continuing to weight in order to regain his form from last year.
RB Jonathan Taylor – Salem
A bit of a hidden gem in South Jersey, Taylor can do a little bit of everything. He possesses very good size at 6-foot, 205 pounds to go along with a good deal of athleticism. It may take college coaches a little longer to get in on Taylor as he doesn’t hail from a heavily recruited area of South Jersey. He was among the top performers at Rutgers’ most recent skills camp and has grown quite a bit since last season. Taylor does not face the toughest competition and should dominate this season.
OL Carter Warren – Passaic Tech
Warren looked like a potential Big Ten OL as he earned his offer in front of the Rutgers staff at the first Big Man Camp while working closely with his relative, current Rutgers left tackle Keith Lumpkin. Warren hasn’t played a lot of football for the Bulldogs, but he is expected to be a team leader for the North 1 Group 5 sectional finalists. Warren possesses the athleticism to stay in front of athletic pass rush specialists and the nastiness to make life difficult for D-linemen in the run game.
5 Prospects to remember in the NJ Class of 2018
Here is a quick look at five prospects going into their sophomore year, which have already caught our eye as players to watch down the line.
WR Justin Shorter – South Brunswick
At, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he supposedly ran an electric 4.5 40-yard dash at Rutgers this summer. He has the potential to be the biggest recruit out of the Middlesex County schoo,l but playing in an offense with limited touches may hinder his recruitment a bit.
QB Artur Sitkowski – Old Bridge
He hasn’t started a varsity game yet, but the Rutgers and Maryland offeree has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in his respective class when it is all said and done.
QB Allan Walters – Paramus Catholic
Another one of the 2018 quarterback studs in New Jersey, Walters has been waiting for the moment to lead the Paramus Catholic program. Walters possess great accuracy and makes the tough throws look easy.
DB Shamere Collins – St. Augustine Prep
He has been having a strong offseason playing with the Next Level Greats program after a strong season leading the resurgence of the Hermit program. A lot of schools are on the cusp of offering the safety prospect.
WR Jackson Parham – Hillsborough
Parham looked like he belonged in limited varsity action last season for the Raiders. Already a legit 6-foot-3, he possesses excellent ball skills at his age.
Eye on Rutgers
Rutgers will look to return to a bowl game this season and an early favorable schedule should help in that regard. With four winnable games to start the season (Norfolk State, Washington State, Penn State, Kansas), an undefeated month of September will go a long way towards returning to the post season. There are some things to look for in training camp that could signify a solid start for the Scarlet Knights. Some of those things are as follows:
Competitive Quarterback Play – The quarterback could turn out to be the great equalizer this season as some clutch throws could mean the difference between wins and losses. The offense will need to rely on whomever is christened the starter through the month of September. A slow training camp is likely to signify some growing pains through the month of September. However, productive play from both Hayden Rettig and Chris Laviano could make for a fast start. Strong competition will make each player better and also boost their confidence heading into the season. If a starter is named strictly by default, Washington State and Penn State could be very troublesome games.
Shortage of Injuries – There is not a whole lot of depth to go around at certain positions. However, the possibility of going 4-0 in September would give RU a nice cushion in case injuries start popping up through the middle of the season. Keeping guys healthy is very important through the month of August at a wide variety of positions. There are not too many spots outside of running back that are stacked too deeply with proven players. Sometimes, it is just a matter of luck making it through August without any significant injuries. If luck is on RU’s side in that department, it could pay dividends through September.
Solid Trench Play – A good mix of back and forth between the offensive and defensive lines will be a good indicator that Rutgers has beefed up its presence in the middle. The offensive line will be breaking in three new starters so some new players will need to get acclimated in a hurry. Meanwhile, the defensive line will have to upgrade its physical play if RU is to stand a chance in the Big Ten. There is more size on the defensive line and that has to be put to use, especially to help out a young secondary. If either side of the line gets pushed around too much in training camp, it is not a good sign for the fall.
