PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Aaron Young continues to make progress this week, with the junior running back potentially in line for an expanded role with the offense.
Rutgers (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) will play at Minnesota (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) on Saturday afternoon and, given the look of the Scarlet Knights’ offense last week, there should be a heavy reliance on the running game. Young saw some snaps for Rutgers on Saturday in a win over Indiana, with head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano [/autotag]saying that he envisions the running back’s opportunities will continue to grow.
Young had offseason knee surgery and Saturday’s appearance was his first of the season.
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“I think his role will continue to grow. You know, he just hasn’t been healthy. This is the first week and I dare to say it right? Because now it’s two days in a row,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said on Wednesday.
“When you have a knee surgery like he had, it’s tricky. You know, you can be good enough to do certain things but the day-in and day-out pounding maybe you’re not ready yet. So we’ve been really playing that seesaw game.
“And I’m hopeful that we can see more of them this week because like I think people forget what a good football player he is. He is just an all-around good player. He can catch passes. He can line up a wideout at running back special teams. He’s one of our really better well-versed players.”
Last season, Young played behind Isiah Pacheco, now in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. Young had 205 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 56 carries. He also had 12 receptions for 75 yards with a touchdown.
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