PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Stepping into a difficult role, Jared Keyte has earned a lot of respect around Rutgers football. Acting as the defensive line coach, Keyte certainly faces a complicated situation.
When defensive line coach Marquise Watson developed a health issue prior to the season opener against Northwestern, it was Keyte who stepped up to lead the unit. The affable and gregarious Watson is highly-regarded as a defensive line coach, and he shoulders much of the credit for developing the position group into one of the top in the Big Ten over the past two years.
But Keyte is certainly no slouch and has a strong resume that he brings into the position. And while he isn’t an interim positional coach, he has certainly made an impression in taking on the role for Watson while he continues his recovery.
“Coach Keyte has done a really good job. You know, he’s been a defensive coordinator at the FCS level,” Schiano said on Wednesday following practice.
“He’s a very knowledgeable football coach and he was working kind of in a quality control position with the defensive line. And when coach Watson fell ill, he stepped in and has done a very good job. He’s kept it kept it together.”
This is Keyte’s second stint at Rutgers. In 2015, he was a quality control coach who worked with the linebackers.
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In 2021, Keyte was the special teams coordinator at Maine. Last year, he was the program’s defensive coordinator.
He joined Rutgers in March as a quality control coach.
The defense as a whole is playing well. Defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak and linebackers coach Corey Hetherman were praised by Schiano for chipping in and helping Keyte with his workload.
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“And really, we have some good leadership at the position. I think between all of them, they’ve really made it work,” Schiano said.
“Coach Harasymiak, coach Hetherman – everybody kind of just pitching in and that’s what families do when something happens like that.”