One of the steadiest and most consistent offensive linemen in the Big Ten over the past two years, Mason Lunsford has entered the transfer portal. Lansford was a multi-year starter for Maryland along the interior offensive line.
As a member of the 2019 recruiting class, Lunsford was recruited but not offered by the previous Rutgers football coaching staff. He is 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds with the ability to pull effectively and move well in the open field.
He is able to play offensive tackle or either guard position. He got the majority of his snaps last season at left guard. Lunsford enters the transfer portal with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
In 2021, Lunsford made 13 starts at left guard. In 2022, he was named Honorable Mention in the 2022 PFF College Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
Lunsford played his high school football at Good Counsel (Olney, MD). He was ranked the No. 25 player in the state in the 2019 recruiting class according to 247Sports. He held Power Five offers from Maryland and Virginia as well as programs such as Air Force, Army and UMass.
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Thank You Terp Nation❗️❤️ pic.twitter.com/2Vx90cKDIn
— Mason Lunsford (@lunsford_mason) February 18, 2023
Last season, the majority of left guard snaps at Rutgers fell to J.D. DiRenzo, who made nine starts at the position. DiRenzo came to Rutgers in the transfer portal from FCS program Sacred Heart.
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His lone season at Rutgers was an unquestioned success, being named the MVP on offense and being invited to the Hula Bowl, a prominent postseason all-star game for seniors.
This offseason, Rutgers restructured their coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball, appointing Kirk Ciarrocca as the new coordinator. Part of that reshuffling included the addition of Pat Flaherty as offensive line coach.
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Flaherty’s first NFL job was in 2000 as tight ends coach of the Washington Commanders. In 2004, he became the offensive line coach of the New York Giants where he spent 12 seasons with the franchise and won two Super Bowl titles.
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