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It is a quarterback. It is a tight end. It is an H-back…It is Johnny Langan on the field for Rutgers football’s offense.
The junior, listed on the team’s roster as a quarterback, has been used in three different roles already this season on the offense. His versatility was on display in Rutgers 61-14 win over Temple in their season opener this past Saturday.
As a quarterback, Langan was 1-of-2 for seven passing yards. He also had five rushing attempts for 19 yards and two touchdowns. Oh, and he had one catch for 19 yards as a tight end. Numbers that underline his versatility.
Head coach Greg Schiano likes the versatility that Langan is bringing to his offense.
“I think what you saw with Johnny is he played more traditional offenses as a tight end or an H-back, and you know that’s something that we had talked about. And the more he can do that – he’s a really good athlete as well as being, you know a good football player. So there’s so much that he can do,” Schiano told reporters in his weekly press conference.
“You know the one pass he catches going down towards the goal line…So we’re going keep working him in there, along with our other tight end and it gives us the opportunity to go more multiple tight end sets which we’d like to do.”
There’s also the fact that Langan’s insertion into games can make things confusing for opposing defenses. Seeing how he can play three different positions including quarterback, the fact that he can get the ball in his hands multiple ways makes him difficult to defend.
And when he steps on the field, it can create confusion among defenses not knowing how Langan is going to line up or potentially be utilized. This makes him not just a weapon but also an intriguing decoy.
The player being lovingly called ‘Johnny Football’ by Scarlet Knights fans is a headache for opposing defensive coordinators.
“And then, the nice thing is he’s in there and you’re running a regular offense and all of a sudden he’s behind the center and we’re running the – you know the ‘Johnny package.’ So, I like that I think that’s going to be something that grows each week as Johnny gets more and more comfortable I think he’ll be just a better and better positional player as well as that, whatever you want to call that ‘Johnny package’ quarterback,” Schiano said.
“And so yeah I’m looking forward to that growing and he’s a tough guy to bring down 200..close to [240] pounds. And he’s an athlete, he’s, you know he’s not a lumbering guy so looking forward to seeing him really grow.”