One of the question marks among many for Rutgers football this spring was the performance of not just the wide receivers but also how their new position coach would adjust to his role.
So far at the midway point of spring, it is a passing grade from head coach Greg Schiano for both the wide receivers and also their coach, Damiere Shaw. A new hire to the staff, Shaw is making an impression with the wide receivers already.
This is Shaw’s third season at Rutgers but first as a position coach, taking over for Tiquan Underwood. Prior to arriving at Rutgers, Shaw was the wide receivers coach at Fordham.
He also spent time on staff at Temple and then Baylor.
“Coach Shaw has done a really good job with these guys. Detailed,” Schiano told reporters on Saturday following his team’s scrimmage.
“Demanding yet very, very connected with the group. So I’m very, very pleased with his professionalism. He is a young coach, carries himself with a maturity beyond his years.”
It is certainly noteworthy praise and a strong assessment of Shaw’s character and work ethic by Schiano. He has already made a significant impression on the recruiting trail, as noted by Pennsylvania three-star wide receiver Yazeed Haynes, a recent Rutgers commit.
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The position underperformed a bit last year as the offense as a whole struggled. But this offseason, six transfers on the offensive side of the ball will be counted on transform an offense that lacked a spark last season.
Two incoming wide receivers via the transfer portal in Sean Ryan (West Virginia) and Taj Harris (Syracuse) are big pieces for Shaw to work with this season. Both players come with significant ‘Power Five’ experience and production.
“The players, I think we’ve added some. They’re going to help,” Schiano said.
“The guys that were here are [now] performing at a higher level. So overall, I think the receiver room is taking steps up and continuing to go in the right direction.”
Harris had 16 catches for 171 yards last season for Syracuse in three games, making him the team’s leading wide receiver during that stretch (Harris entered the transfer portal before the Orange’s fourth game). As for Ryan, he had 25 catches for 399 yards with three touchdowns.
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The receiving yards and touchdowns were career highs for Ryan. His 25 catches were tied for the most in his four seasons in Morgantown.
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