It is no secret that Rutgers needs to generate more of a pass rush at the DE position and now with Julian Pinnix-Odrick gone, the staff will have to look elsewhere for some help. Regardless of what happens with Kemoko Turay, there is still a need for pass rushers at the position.
In an effort to help out in that department, incoming freshman Mike Tverdov has mapped out a plan for after signing day. He told me “I am going back to training this week and after signing day, I am going to go down to Rutgers and lift,” he said. “I am going to stay at my school half the day and change my schedule. Then, four or five days a week, I am going to drive down to the Hale Center and lift with the weight room interns. NCAA rules won’t let me be trained by coach [Kenny] Parker and his assistants. But I am going to do some drills and stuff like that.”
With that thought in mind, the staff is trying to sell DE recruits on the notion of early playing time. If Brendan Bordner winds up committing next week, his early enrollment would help and there would be a chance he and Tverdov could both see the field next season.
As far as DE recruits, Rutgers has some targets it is holding off on bringing tocampus until January for official visits, depending upon what happens with Bordner and a couple other recruits higher on their board. There are contingency plans in place as Rutgers is recruiting a fair amount of D-ends to help out for next season.
Keep in mind that the staff knew it needed help coming into this past season, which is why it brought in BC grad transfer Malachi Moore. Unfortunately, Moore had to stop playing because of medical issues. If there is a grad transfer who would fit that role, I could see the staff trying to go that route as a way of helping what really is a position of need.
Here is my latest article with Tverdov.
In an effort to help out in that department, incoming freshman Mike Tverdov has mapped out a plan for after signing day. He told me “I am going back to training this week and after signing day, I am going to go down to Rutgers and lift,” he said. “I am going to stay at my school half the day and change my schedule. Then, four or five days a week, I am going to drive down to the Hale Center and lift with the weight room interns. NCAA rules won’t let me be trained by coach [Kenny] Parker and his assistants. But I am going to do some drills and stuff like that.”
With that thought in mind, the staff is trying to sell DE recruits on the notion of early playing time. If Brendan Bordner winds up committing next week, his early enrollment would help and there would be a chance he and Tverdov could both see the field next season.
As far as DE recruits, Rutgers has some targets it is holding off on bringing tocampus until January for official visits, depending upon what happens with Bordner and a couple other recruits higher on their board. There are contingency plans in place as Rutgers is recruiting a fair amount of D-ends to help out for next season.
Keep in mind that the staff knew it needed help coming into this past season, which is why it brought in BC grad transfer Malachi Moore. Unfortunately, Moore had to stop playing because of medical issues. If there is a grad transfer who would fit that role, I could see the staff trying to go that route as a way of helping what really is a position of need.
Here is my latest article with Tverdov.
