PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Nasiem Brantley has the potential to be a big part of the Rutgers football offense this year, especially as the unit has to transition with so much production lost this offseason.
Having joined Rutgers this offseason via the transfer portal, Brantley is a huge possible fit in a Rutgers offense that lacks experience and depth at the wide receiver position. An FCS All-American at Western Illinois, he had 53 catches for 909 receiving yards with nine touchdowns last season.
In a loss at Minnesota in the second week of the 2022 season, Brantley had 50 yards and a touchdown. No Rutgers player had more than 46 receiving yards in the Scarlet Knights own loss at Minnesota last year.
For wide receivers coach Dave Brock, Brantley’s experience and skillset projects him to be an integral part of the offense this season.
“I think players are players. I think you know, when he gets rolling, I think, you know, the traits that he has, which certainly his size and really, really good hands, and he’s got good movement,” Brock said on Tuesday.
“I think as he gets rolling, I think he’ll be a plug-and-play player, you know, we’ll be able to put them in and put them in one of the outside receiver positions, get them going and then again, like everybody else, kind of find out okay, where’s his strength? You know, what does he do best and then try to formulate a way to make sure that he’s doing those things more often than the things that maybe aren’t what he does at an elite level. But again, very excited about coaching him and working with him just like I am all these guys.”
Rutgers lost Aron Cruickshank, Shameen Jones and Sean Ryan this season – all three players leaving due to graduation. Those were the three leading wide receivers from last year’s team.
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That is a lot of production for any team to lose and replace in one offseason. Considering that Rutgers is still rebuilding its talent and depth at wide receiver and it is clear that the Scarlet Knights will need to get some players to step up this spring if the offense is going to begin clicking.
“I look at it as an opportunity, a kind of a new beginning. I don’t really see it necessarily as a challenge – I wasn’t here,” Brock said.
“You know, we’re going to put ourselves in a position to develop the players that are here and get them in a position to play at a high level so we can win. That’s the challenge. That’s the goal. I think that ultimately will be the result. And that’s what we’re working towards. We don’t live in the past we don’t really look at it – again, those guys are good players and did a good job. But you know, we’re forward-thinking, forward-looking and that’s where my mind is.”
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