Category: Rutgers football

Rutgers football’s Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw on and off the field

Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — There is nothing left for Kyle Monangai to prove, the Rutgers football running back emerging last season as one of the top players in college football. That doesn’t lower the expectations though for Monangai ahead of his final season at Rutgers.

And for running backs coach [autotag]Damiere Shaw[/autotag], perhaps the greatest skill Monangai showed on his way to a record-breaking season at Rutgers was a mental and physical toughness. Those attributes impressed Shaw last year as Monangai looks to build on his breakout season.

Following a season where Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing, and played a huge role in Rutgers making a bowl game, there isn’t much left for the running back to prove. His 1,262 rushing yards are the most yards for a Rutgers running back since the program entered the Big Ten in 2014.

Shaw, in his second year as the Rutgers running backs coach, was impressed with Monangai’s performance last year

“He does a lot of things well, but here’s what I’ll tell you: Kyle was a very, very tough kid.- mentally tough, and the way he carried the ball and maintained his health the entire time – a lot of people can’t do that,” Shaw said on Tuesday.

:So I think the biggest thing for Kyle was his toughness.”

Monangai’s work ethic has been praised by head coach Greg Schiano. Several times last fall Schiano singled out Monangai as being not just the team’s best player but also their hardest worker.

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Monangai’s resilience made him the perfect running back for Rutgers. His character very much align themselves with the core values of a Scarlet Knights team that Schiano repeatedly calls a “developmental program.”

Coming out of high school, Monangai only had two Power Five offers

“He’s obviously brilliant,” Shaw said.

“He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around ever coach but he’s just a tough tough dude. He keeps going.

All-MAC defensive lineman CJ West enters the transfer portal, has connections to Rutgers football

Defensive lineman with Rutgers football ties enters the transfer portal.

CJ West entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, putting another player available with ties to Rutgers.

Last season with Kent State playing for defensive line coach Colin Ferrell, West was a third-team All-MAC selection. Ferrell is now the defensive line coach at Rutgers.

In 2023, West had 40 total tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds.

Rutgers is likely looking for some depth at defensive tackle after losing Rene Konga in the transfer portal on Monday. They added Malcolm Ray (Florida State) during the offseason via the transfer portal and have a player in Zaire Angoy who is expected to take a significant step forward this spring.

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West posted on social media on Tuesday about his entering the transfer portal.

 

In terms of eligibility, West was a redshirt in 2020 as a freshman, appearing in one game. He enters the transfer portal as a graduate with one season of eligibility remaining.

What programs have offered former Rutgers football defensive lineman Rene Konga out of the transfer portal?

Rene Konga counts four programs as having offered him since entering the transfer portal this week.

Rutgers defensive tackle Rene Konga entered the transfer portal on Monday night.

Last year as a junior, Konga posted a career high eight total tackles for Rutgers. He also had a sack and a forced fumble.

He finishes his career at Rutgers with 15 total tackles and two sacks.

So far, Konga counts offers from Cincinnati, UConn, UMass and Western Kentucky since entering the transfer portal on Monday.

A member of the class of 2020, Konga committed to Rutgers over offers that included Boise State, UConn, UMass and Syracuse. A three-star out of Canada, Konga showed steady development during his time at Rutgers.

In the season opener against Northwestern, a 24-7 win, Konga had four total tackles (three solo) to go along with a sack and a forced fumble.

He posted on social media on Monday night, confirming reports from On3 and Advanced Media’s Brian Fonseca about his entering the transfer portal:

 

NFL experience on the coaching staff helped land playmaker Dymere Miller at Rutgers

Dymere Miller is hoping to take the next step in his development at Rutgers.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Dymere Miller committed to Rutgers football out of the transfer portal with an eye toward his development. One of the most explosive football players in college football last season, Miller sees the Big Ten level as a chance to prove himself for the NFL.

The addition of Miller is key for Rutgers as they look to build on a season where they finished 7-6 and beat Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Last season at Monmouth, Miller was named an FCS All-American for a season which he finished with 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns. He entered the transfer portal and was offered by UConn, FAU, Pittsburgh and Texas Tech.

Miller said that the coaching at Rutgers factored into his decision to commit. Dave Brock, the Rutgers wide receivers coach, spent five seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons where he coached wide receivers

And there is John Perry, a senior analyst at Rutgers who coached wide receivers and tight ends for seven seasons in the NFL.

For a player like Miller, this type of coaching was exactly what he was looking for in the transfer portal.

“It is a step-up competition, but at the end of the day, I feel as though I’m a football player and I’m a baller so I feel like I can play at any level,” Miller told Rutgers Wire in early April.

“So you know just being a veteran, you know, I’ve been playing college football for a little bit. So just better knowing the game.”

Brock, in particular, was a big selling point for Miller.

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An explosive athlete, Miller was dominant at the FCS level while at Monmouth. But if he wants to take the next step and play in the NFL, then the fine-tuning of his game had to take place.

And it is with these Sunday ambitions that Miller was drawn to Brock and his resume.

“I’ll say like how the details that he gives, like certain routes that you got to run he knows,” Miller said.

“Like certain stuff coming in here like I knew – but I didn’t know it to a ‘T.’ Like, he’s really helping me with that.”

The initial impression on Miller is a positive one from Rutgers.

Kirk Ciarrocca, in his second year as offensive coordinator at Rutgers, was impressed with Miller during the early stages of spring practice.

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The arrival of Miller gives Rutgers a speedy target with game-changing ability at the second level. Miller is better than advertised, Ciarrocca said.

“It’s a little too early to know exactly what he can bring but we really liked his skill set when we watched his film from Monmouth,” Ciarrocca said.

“And in the first two practices, you know, he’s probably… he might be even a little better than I was thinking on the film. I’m just really excited to get a chance to work with him. He is an excellent young man. He’s worked really hard since he’s gotten here and really taken to the program and you can tell the other guys really like him.”

 

Bo Mascoe knows patience and bowl experience will help him compete for playing time with Rutgers

Bo Mascoe is making strides this offseason for Rutgers football

Bo Mascoe made just one appearance last season for Rutgers football, but his performance in that game is a building block for his development this offseason.

A true freshman last season, Mascoe was ineligible for much of the year, but was finally cleared to play in time for Rutgers to take on Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. He had two tackles to help Rutgers to their first postseason win since 2014.

Mascoe is being projected for a bigger role this year in the defense. The experience in the bowl game against Miami certainly showed his potential and upside.

“It was very exciting to play with the guys,” Mascoe told Rutgers Wire last week.

“I’m just trying to come in this year, get better, work on my craft.

“It was amazing…playing with the guys I was here with, practicing with. I felt good but I’ve definitely got more to work on.”

One of the reasons why Mascoe is going to be able to compete for playing time is the loss of Max Melton from the defense.

A lockdown cornerback, Melton is heading to the NFL draft and is even getting some first-round buzz.

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Last year, Mascoe was able to sit and watch Melton at work. It was a good mentorship opportunity for the freshman defensive back.

“Definitely watching him in a game and he also really taught me in the meetings – he was always on me like an older guy, you know?” Mascoe said.

“Just always teaching me.”

Mascoe was a three-star recruit out of high school with a strong offer list that included Boston College and Iowa State.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Mascoe is a strong, talented player with good discipline. After all, his father is a football coach in Florida.

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Chad Mascoe is an offensive coordinator with Osceola High School (Osceola, Florida).

“Me and my dad – he’s a high school coach. I mean, we don’t really talk too much about football outside of the field,” Bo Mascoe said..

“It’s great, though, that he used to be my coach. I played a little offense (and) he was OC it was kind of fun.”

Growing up in a football family (his brother Chad Mascoe Jr. is a quarterback at Campbell) means that Bo Mascoe knew what he was looking for in a college.

“I picked Rutgers – I loved what they were building here. And I do want to be a part of it,” Bo Mascoe said.

“I love the coaches, the coaches, the people around here. I feel like they are alike, I like culture and things and I feel like I have that here.”

Oh yeah! Rutgers football wide receiver KJ Duff wins the Gregg Sarra Trophy

KJ Duff is named the top offensive player in Long Island high school football last year.

KJ Duff pulled in another postseason honor this week as the Rutgers football wide receiver won a top honor out of Long Island.

On Sunday, Duff was awarded with the Gregg Sarra Trophy, which is awarded to the top offensive and defensive performers on Long Island’s football fields. The trophy is named after Sarra, a longtime (and legendary) journalist who covered Long Island sports for nearly four decades.

Duff was a four-star athlete in the 247 Sports Composite coming out of St. Anthony’s High School (Melville, New York) when he committed to Rutgers football over the summer. He had a strong offer list that included a final two of Miami and North Carolina in addition to offers from Arizona State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Texas A&M among others.

 

In nine games played as a senior, Duff had 55 catches for 929 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

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The 6-foot-5, 200-pound wide receiver enrolled at Rutgers in January. He brings some position flexibility with the ability to also line up as a tight end.

Jared Keyte has a new role with Rutgers football coaching staff

Jared Keyte has a new role on the Rutgers football coaching staff.

Jared Keyte is making a transition this offseason on the coaching, this after filling in last year as the defensive line coach.

Keyte will be the nickels coach this year for Rutgers. Last year, Keyte stepped in when [autotag]Marquise Watson[/autotag] was unable to coach the unit.

As for Keyte, he will remain in a quality control role but will move to the backend. He came to Rutgers after being the defensive coordinator at Maine in 2022. In his four previous seasons at Maine, Keyte was the special teams coordinator.

This is Keyte’s second season back at Rutgers, where he had originally been on staff in 2015.

Keyte earned praise from head coach Greg Schiano last fall for stepping into a difficult spot.

“Coach Keyte has done a really good job. You know, he’s been a defensive coordinator at the FCS level,” Schiano said on Wednesday following practice.

“He’s a very knowledgeable football coach and he was working kind of in a quality control position with the defensive line. And when coach Watson fell ill, he stepped in and has done a very good job. He’s kept it kept it together.”

What is the state of the Rutgers football quarterback competition? Greg Schiano sees ‘a healthy competition’

Rutgers football is having a good, healthy quarterback competition this spring.

For the first time since Rutgers entered the Big Ten in 2014, there is a quarterback competition that features two experienced players who each have deep Power Five starting experience.

The offseason addition of Athan Kalaikmanis, who started every regular season game for Minnesota last year, certainly changes the look and feel of the Rutgers quarterback room. With the incumbent starter, Gavin Wimsatt, back from a year where Rutgers won a bowl game, there is a level of depth and competition that hasn’t existed around this program in quite some time.

Of the four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, Wimsatt and [autotag]Ajanni Sheppard[/autotag] spent last season at Rutgers and with offensive coordinator [autotag]Kirk Ciarrocca[/autotag].

“For two of them, it’s their second year in the system now so you would expect a better understanding from a whole offseason of studying yourself,” head coach Greg Schiano told reporters on Saturday.

“But yeah, there’s a healthy competition in the room. I think it’s deeper so we’ll just let it play out.”

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Rutgers has had inconsistent quarterback play for much of the last decade and the hope this offseason is that Kalaikmanis or Wimsatt will step up and manage the offense effectively.

While Sheppard is promising and A.J. Surace, a three-star quarterback who arrived on campus in January, the quarterback competition is likely to favor the most experienced players.

Wimsatt and Kalaikmanis both have significant starting experience in the Big Ten and that is likely what is needed with this veteran roster.

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“Well, Athan I saw do things in Big Ten games, so I’m not really surprised – I think he’s doing well, but it’s not a surprise,” Schiano said.

“AJ only saw (him) play in high school and yes, he’s pleasantly surprised me. I mean, AJ is a really fine young quarterback prospect. Very excited about him. So like I said, I’m encouraged. Starting up there with Gavin and going all the way through Ajani who was here – it’s a good room, and I think they got a good chemistry in there to coach Ciarrocca does a really good job of kind of blending them together. And yes, there’s a competition. But they you watch them they help each other all the time. I mean, that’s what that’s what family is about.”

What attributes can 2025 recruit Talibi Kaba add to Rutgers football?

Talibi Kaba is a physical linebacker prospect who committed to Rutgers football.

In early February, Rutgers football added a standout prospect in Talibi Kaba to their 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound linebacker is a quick and fluid linebacker who covers a lot of ground and can shine within the Scarlet Knights’ defense.

A linebacker at Hillside (Hillside, New Jersey), Kaba is ranked the No. 5 prospect in New Jersey and the No. 20 ranked linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Kaba received offers from Boston College Duke, Iowa State and Kent State during his recruitment.

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Film Review

The future Scarlet Knight is extremely athletic, covering a ton of ground at the linebacker position. He can change direction quickly and is solid in run support and pass coverage. Kaba plays sideline-to-sideline, chasing down ball carries in the open field.

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He is a two-way starter at the high school level, logging multiple carries at the running back position, and showing off his top speed. With his elite speed, Kaba can play the rover position within Defensive Coordinator Joe Harasymiak’s defensive scheme. Also, he can share time playing at the middle and outside linebacker positions.

As Kaba develops toward the Power Five level, he needs to focus on getting stronger and more physical. If Kaba can counter his speed with strength, he can shine at the collegiate level.

 

A car accident in high school nearly derailed Dymere Miller’s career. Now, the Rutgers football wide receiver is ready to make a statement

Rutgers football added Dymere Miller this offseason in the transfer portal. Now, Miller wants to make a point in the Big Ten. #Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — A car accident in high school nearly cost Dymere Miller his football career. But the Rutgers football wide receiver, who took the road less traveled, now finds himself ready to play in the Big Ten.

Miller, a former FCS All-American at Monmouth, committed to Rutgers out of the transfer portal this offseason. Midway through his high school career, however, Miller was anything but a lock to play college football at any level.

In fact, a return to Coatesville High School (Coatesville, Pennsylvania) seemed like something that might not happen.

It was late fall of Miller’s sophomore year in high school when he was driving home with his mother. A car parked to their right pulled out unexpectedly and tried to make a U-turn.

The other vehicle hit the passenger side where Miller was sitting. Miller suffered a herniated disc from the collision. He was fortunate to walk away from the accident.

Surgery wasn’t required but extensive rehabilitation took place that spring and summer for Miller. He returned to competitive sports the following fall for his junior season, but he was in significant pain in almost every game and practice.

It wasn’t until the fall of his senior season that Miller was finally pain-free. and he began to show his potential on the field. Upon graduating from Coatesville, he pursued a post-graduate year at Salisbury (Salisbury, Connecticut)

If Miller was going to play college football, he would need more than one good season of high school film. It was there that Miller attended a Monmouth camp and got on the radar of college football programs.

“I got an offer and then on top of that, the prep school coach…coach Phelps (head coach Chris Phelps) also helped me get a couple more offers coming out,” Miller told Rutgers WIre.

“I don’t know them all off the top of my head but Monmouth was the perfect fit for me. They had the perfect outlet for me.”

Miller arrives at Rutgers as perhaps the most significant addition to the team that came in via the transfer portal.

Last year at Monmouth, Miller had 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns. In the season opener against FAU, he had 10 catches for 78 yards.

He chose Rutgers, in part, because of the opportunity to play in the Big Ten and at an elite level. Competition is something that Miller wants to experience at the next level.

Miller is level-headed and doesn’t want to look ahead to where things might stand next year and the possibility of being selected in the NFL draft.

The first step, he said, is to go out and perform at Rutgers. That process is something he admits happens day-by-day and moment-by-moment.

“Just the opportunity. Monmouth did everything they could for me at the FCS level. So I just wanted to move up another level to see what I can do on the next stage to help me get to the next level,” Miller said.

“The opportunity at the Big Ten, the Big Ten is one of the biggest conferences in college football. Just the opportunity is what I wanted.”

So far, the early returns on Miller have been positive.

Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca spoke with the media a week ago and mentioned Miller as showing some early flashes of his potential.

“It’s a little too early to know exactly what he can bring but we really liked his skill set when we watched his film from Monmouth,” Ciarrocca said.

“And in the first two practices, you know, he’s probably… he might be even a little better than I was thinking on the film. I’m just really excited to get a chance to work with him. He is an excellent young man. He’s worked really hard since he’s gotten here and really taken to the program and you can tell the other guys really like him.”

Miller is an explosive playmaker, the kind that Rutgers hasn’t had over the past two seasons.

With good pace and a change of direction, Miller’s skillset makes him ideal for either the slot or out wide. That unique ability to make players miss in the open field is a big reason why UConn, FAU, Pittsburgh and Texas Tech offered him out of the transfer portal.

Very much thankful for his time at Monmouth, Miller’s eyes are now focused on this next step in his career.

“It is a step-up competition,” Miller said.

“But at the end of the day, I feel as though – like, I’m a football player and I’m a baller and I believe I can play at any level.”