With the regular season set to kick-off this coming weekend, it is past the time to start getting ready for the return of Rutgers football. Rutgers Wire is here to help with your last minute catch-up needs.
The Scarlet Knights will be looking to improve over their record in 2021, as they finished 5-8. Despite finishing with less than the usual required six victories, they were selected as a replacement team for a bowl game last season. They stepped in for Texas A&M in last season’s Gator Bowl, resulting in a losing effort to Wake Forest. Head coach Greg Schiano was happy his team got the opportunity, but they will be looking to improve and earn a bowl game appearance outright this season.
Rutgers has struggled to find its footing during the program’s time in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have not finished a season with a winning record since 2014 – their first season in the conference. In their ninth season in the power five conference, defense is key. This is Schiano’s third season since returning for a second stint with the program and he wants to continue to build the strength of his defensive units.
Let’s break down how the Scarlet Knights look along the defensive line going into the 2022 season.
Part of building the defense is the fresh coaching staff brought in for 2022. Almost every defensive coach who was with the Scarlet Knights in 2021 was replaced in 2022. First year coaches include both cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey both defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak. Safeties coach Drew Lascari is in his fifth year with the program, but his first as the head of the safeties room. Orphey comes to Piscataway from Alabama, where he helped put together the gameplan for the SEC Champion Crimson Tide.
Catch up on Rutgers Wire’s preview series here:
Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Offensive Line
Secondary is an area of strength and one of the groups returning a good amount of experience. The Scarlet Knights are deep at cornerback with returning starters Kessawn Abraham and Max Melton. Plus they will be getting former Temple Owl transfer Christian Braswell after he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
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Abraham had a great year in 2021, seeing 12 starts and time in all 13 games. The senior accumulated 44 tackles – three for loss – and tallied nine pass defenses. He was named to the Pro Football Focus First Team All-Big Ten last year and was named the Rutgers Defensive MVP in 2021. Melton looks every bit the NFL prospect his brother was and should have another strong season to boost his status on draft boards. He led the team last season with three interceptions, running one back for a pick six. Melton finished with 28 tackles – two for loss – along with nine passes defended and a fumble recovery. Braswell may not have played last season, but played strong across just six games in 2020. The senior finished with 21 tackles, an interception, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His experience is a welcome addition and if he can regain that same level of play, should start more games than not.
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The key players at safety also bring some experience in Scarlet and White. Avery Young moved to safety from corner last fall. Joining him at safety will be returning senior Christian Izien and sophomore Desmond Igbinosun who saw good playing time as a true freshman last season.
Young claimed a spot on the All-ECAC Defense last season. He finished second on the team with a whopping 81 tackles. The Coatesville, PA native recorded two of those tackles for a loss and added one interception, two pass defenses, and one forced fumble. Izien is coming off consecutive seasons where he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten. The senior was near the top on the team with 75 tackles, nine for a loss. He did have no picks and only four pass defenses after coming up big in both categories in 2020. Rutgers will need him to put up the results from two years ago if they want to improve on their low-rated defense. Igbinosun saw most of his time in the second half of the season. Across seven contests, the true freshman recorded 14 tackles (two for loss) and a strip sack that happened to come in the Gator Bowl. The former three-star recruit in a physical presence in the secondary, standing at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds.
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Overall, the secondary may have looked good but did not get enough takeaways. As a result, Rutgers was near or at the bottom of the Big Ten in almost all defensive categories. There was a need to overhaul the defensive approach and Schiano made sure to do that. Now, with a new staff in place and a few days before game time – it is time for the players to perform and apply the changes instilled in the defensive unit. Rutgers could see one of their better secondaries in recent memory.
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