Tag: Dave Brock

NFL experience on the coaching staff helped land playmaker Dymere Miller at Rutgers

Dymere Miller is hoping to take the next step in his development at Rutgers.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Dymere Miller committed to Rutgers football out of the transfer portal with an eye toward his development. One of the most explosive football players in college football last season, Miller sees the Big Ten level as a chance to prove himself for the NFL.

The addition of Miller is key for Rutgers as they look to build on a season where they finished 7-6 and beat Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Last season at Monmouth, Miller was named an FCS All-American for a season which he finished with 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns. He entered the transfer portal and was offered by UConn, FAU, Pittsburgh and Texas Tech.

Miller said that the coaching at Rutgers factored into his decision to commit. Dave Brock, the Rutgers wide receivers coach, spent five seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons where he coached wide receivers

And there is John Perry, a senior analyst at Rutgers who coached wide receivers and tight ends for seven seasons in the NFL.

For a player like Miller, this type of coaching was exactly what he was looking for in the transfer portal.

“It is a step-up competition, but at the end of the day, I feel as though I’m a football player and I’m a baller so I feel like I can play at any level,” Miller told Rutgers Wire in early April.

“So you know just being a veteran, you know, I’ve been playing college football for a little bit. So just better knowing the game.”

Brock, in particular, was a big selling point for Miller.

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An explosive athlete, Miller was dominant at the FCS level while at Monmouth. But if he wants to take the next step and play in the NFL, then the fine-tuning of his game had to take place.

And it is with these Sunday ambitions that Miller was drawn to Brock and his resume.

“I’ll say like how the details that he gives, like certain routes that you got to run he knows,” Miller said.

“Like certain stuff coming in here like I knew – but I didn’t know it to a ‘T.’ Like, he’s really helping me with that.”

The initial impression on Miller is a positive one from Rutgers.

Kirk Ciarrocca, in his second year as offensive coordinator at Rutgers, was impressed with Miller during the early stages of spring practice.

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The arrival of Miller gives Rutgers a speedy target with game-changing ability at the second level. Miller is better than advertised, Ciarrocca said.

“It’s a little too early to know exactly what he can bring but we really liked his skill set when we watched his film from Monmouth,” Ciarrocca said.

“And in the first two practices, you know, he’s probably… he might be even a little better than I was thinking on the film. I’m just really excited to get a chance to work with him. He is an excellent young man. He’s worked really hard since he’s gotten here and really taken to the program and you can tell the other guys really like him.”

 

Rutgers football legend Mohamed Sanu’s son is just like his dad: ‘Greg Schiano should definitely offer him right now’

Rutgers football legend Mohamed Sanu has a son who plays like his father.

Could Rutgers football fans be yelling out ‘Sanuuuuuuuuu’ again in a few years time?

Mohamed Sanu Jr., the son of former Rutgers football wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, is beginning to make a name for himself. Going by the name ‘MJ,’ the youngest Sanu is eight years old and already playing the 10-year-olds in 7-on-7 football.

And while it is still very, very early in his development (very, very, very early), he already is showing flashes of his father’s playmaking ability.

A former All-Big East selection during his three seasons at Rutgers, Sanu was a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft and spent 10 years in the league. He is best known for his four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons where he had 225 catches for 2,507 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns during that time.

In Atlanta, he played for wide receivers coach [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag], who is now the wide receivers coach at Rutgers. He last played in 2021 with the San Francisco 49ers.

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As for ‘MJ, who plays both wide receiver and safety,’ Mohamed Sanu thinks he has an even bigger upside.

“He is better than me at both,” Mohamed Sanu said of his son.

“He has tremendous ball skills as you see in that video. He has a very high football IQ. He plays everywhere but primarily the X & F position on offense.”

While his son has dreams of following his father into the NFL someday, he may not be set on following his old man’s college path.

The dream school of ‘MJ’? Oregon.

 

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“Greg Schiano should definitely offer him right now. He already has his mind made up so it’s up to him to change it,” Mohamed Sanu said.

“The catch in the video was on third-and-fifteen and we were down 11-10 to get us the first down and put us in position to score the go-ahead touchdown.”

 

Former Rutgers wide receiver, assistant coach Tiquan Underwood heading back to the NFL

Tiquan Underwood is set to leave the college coaching ranks.

Former Rutgers football wide receiver and assistant coach Tiquan Underwood is heading back to the NFL. Underwood is set to join the New England Patriots as an assistant wide receivers coach.

Underwood joined Rutgers as a member of the class of 2025. He was a seventh-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2009 NFL draft.

Linked to the NFL earlier this week, Underwood made it official on Thursday via his social media.

Underwood played six seasons in the NFL before transitioning to coaching. In 2020, he was hired by Rutgers as part of the first coaching staff brought in upon the return of head coach Greg Schiano.

He was a part of Schiano’s staff for two years before leaving before joining Pitt. Now, after serving as a quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2019, he is heading back to the AFC East.

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Following Underwood, Rutgers hired [autotag]Damiere Shaw [/autotag]to become their wide receivers coach (Shaw is currently the running backs coach at Rutgers). [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag], who coached wide receivers in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, currently is the wide receivers coach at Rutgers.

Rutgers offers FCS standout Dymere Miller

Dymere Miller has been offered by Rutgers football.

On Monday, Rutgers football became one of the first programs to offer Dymere Miller, a transfer portal wide receiver from Monmouth.

Miller is a truly special talent at wide receiver who last season, put up some staggering numbers with 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns. In the season opener against FAU, Miller had 10 catches for 78 yards.

He also has been offered by UConn, FAU, Pittsburgh and Texas Tech among others.

 

Rutgers had success in the transfer portal last year with a wide receiver from a Division II program. The portal allowed [autotag]JaQuae Jackson[/autotag], from California University (Pennsylvania) where he was an All-American.

Jackson picked Rutgers in large part due to the presence of [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag] and John Perry on the staff, both of whom were receivers coaches in the NFL. Brock, for instance, coached Julio Jones during his time with the Atlanta Falcons.

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Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and West Virginia had all offered Jackson, but the NFL connections on the Rutgers staff won this recruitment.

Jackson finished the regular season at Rutgers with 22 catches for 361 yards with a touchdown, numbers that will greatly enhance his NFL draft stock in the spring.

JaQuae Jackson came to Rutgers with NFL ambitions

JaQuae Jackson’s Rutgers gamble is paying off.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – JaQuae Jackson joined the Rutgers football program this offseason because he believed that not only could he play at the next level, but that ultimately he could be in the NFL. And it was the connections that Rutgers had at the NFL level that landed Jackson on the banks.

Jackson has been very strong this year, in what will be his first and final year of Power Five football. His speed and ability to separate have distinguished him on this Rutgers roster.

Second on the team with 331 receiving yards and 20 receptions, Jackson leads all Rutgers wide receivers with 16.5 yards per catch. His step up from the Division II level out of the transfer portal has been impressive.

He chose Rutgers over offers from from Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami,  Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and West Virginia as well as Rutgers. That Rutgers won out is an impressive recruiting victory for the program.

But the main draw for Jackson, besides playing in the Big Ten, was the chance to learn from coaches who have experienced the NFL.

Jackson’s wide receivers coach at Rutgers, Dave Brock, was most recently the wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons and has worked with the likes of Julio Jones and Mohamad Sanu. That type of pedigree is rare in college football.

It isn’t often that a school has a position coach who held that same role in the NFL.

“His NFL experience. He coached top guys in the league, the best players in the league,” Jackson told Rutgers Wire about Brock.

“He just focuses on one little detail to make sure you’re doing everything right. Even if you think you’re doing something right, he’s going to correct it if it isn’t. Just his NFL experience allowed me and him to have conversations throughout the recruiting process. I feel like he was the best coach for what I wanted to do.”

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano spent two years as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. John Perry, the assistant wide receivers coach, spent seven years with the Houston Texans as their wide receivers coach.

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Along with Brock, that experience says Jackson, is vital to his development.

***

There are very few players in the Big Ten with speed and elusiveness. Now that he is playing and performing well at this level, it is hard to believe that Jackson didn’t hold a single FBS offer coming out of high school in Pittsburgh.

For much of high school, he hovered in the range of being 6-foot and 150 pounds. Bigger programs liked his film and his speed. But his size – or lack thereof – scared most away. So Jackson ended up at California University of Pennsylvania, a Division II program.

“I’m just getting to where I want to be,” Jackson said.

“You just got to put in the work. Where I come from, opportunities are very limited and not given to us. So I got to just keep working every day and I don’t take this opportunity for granted because a lot of people that want to be in this position aren’t. I’m just working every day.”

Jackson’s decision to enter the transfer portal wasn’t taken lightly, but he knew that with one year of eligibility left, he needed to make the jump to a higher level of competition. He talked with his family and high school coaches about the risks of entering the transfer portal.

And, most interestingly, he talked with his coaches at California. He said the staff was very supportive and understanding of his need to move on and move up to prove himself.

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He had their full support to enter the transfer portal.

“After last year – I always had the vision of competing at the highest level,” Jackson said.

“I knew the chance I had to take, the risk, to go on to the next level so I could get to Sundays but you know, I’m just excited to be here, and I’m focusing on this here.”

It is with these words that Jackson, seated in a folding chair, points emphatically with his index finger to the floor several times. He is emphasizing this moment for him at Rutgers, the here and now.

***

His teammates have seen it as well. Quarterback [autotag]Gavin Wimsatt[/autotag], when asked this week about Jackson, said that his teammate’s work ethic has really stood out.

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Last Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State, Wimsatt and Jackson connected for a third-quarter touchdown.

“He’s a player. It was a great catch by him, a great route as well,” Wimsatt said.

“It’s what he came here for. He has a great story, from DII to the Big Ten. He’s worked so hard this offseason as well into the summer and now he’s making plays.”

Scroll down and check out some images from JaQuae Jackson’s season with Rutgers football!

JaQuae Jackson picked Rutgers football over Texas A&M, Michigan State and Colorado because of his NFL draft dreams

NFL experience helped draw JaQuae Jackson to Rutgers football.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With one year of college eligibility left, JaQuae Jackson knew that he needed to provide a compelling senior year if his NFL dreams were to become a reality. The now Rutgers football wide receiver understood that his time at a Division II program for the past three years meant that he needed film that could attract the interest of NFL teams.

Rutgers, with two members of the staff who were wide receivers coaches in the NFL, became a very enticing landing spot for Jackson.

Rutgers (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) has surprised many around college football with their strong start to the season, which includes two wins over Power Five opponents. But the coaching staff’s biggest win came this offseason when they landed Jackson.

A talented player at Division II Cal in Pennsylvania, Jackson was heavily recruited in the transfer portal. Rutgers won out from a crowded and deep field that included Texas A&M, Michigan State, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh and West Virginia among others.

With speed and a fluidness to his route running, Jackson is by all accounts a technician of the game. Speak with those around the program and he is described as unique, a unicorn even. He comes in with a humble disposition and a strong work ethic, both of which blend well with a program that has a chip on its collective back this year.

He chose Rutgers because of the chance to develop under two coaches with NFL experience in Dave Brock (wide receivers coach) and John Perry (senior analyst).

“Obviously, the proof is in the pudding,” Jackson said on Wednesday.

“You know, the NFL guys that they coached in the league – you know Sanu (Mohamed Sanu) – they just had guys that just came in this weekend, had in meetings…just sit around and just soaking in knowledge from them. Just little stuff like that. I know they could if they could develop them, they could develop me so I just keep going every day.”

Brock was most recently the wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons where he worked with the likes of Sanu, a former Rutgers standout, as well as perennial All-Pro Julio Jones. As for Perry, he recently spent seven years in the NFL with the Houston Texans as their tight ends coach and wide receivers coach.

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And in Jackson, Rutgers has a wide receiver who is capable of breaking big plays.

 

Jackson has done everything asked of him in the offense this season as he is second on the team in receptions (8) and receiving yards (136). He has gone deep, connecting with quarterback Gavin Wimsatt on a deep go-route in a win over Temple.

And he’s gone over the middle, taking hard hits on slants out of the slot.

He has left an impression on head coach Greg Schiano and the staff with his potential and upside to be a contributor in this revamped offense.

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An offseason injury derailed the schedule to get Big Ten ready, but Schiano believes Jackson is set to continue his development and growth in the offense.

“JaQuae is getting better every week. Unfortunately, he had a little injury during training camp that slowed him down. I wish that he had had all those practice repetitions to get in the groove with the offense,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.

“He didn’t start here until the summer, midsummer, because of the portal and his recruitment. It’s not like he was here all spring where he got cumulative repetitions. So then we get to training camp and he’s doing well, and then he has — he’s forced to take a little break because of injury. And then that — you know, I don’t think we’re seeing yet the guy we are going to see in the next four weeks.

“I think he’s going to continue to get better and better which is good, I guess. But I would have liked to have had it earlier.”

Rutgers football: Playing, not practice, made Ian Strong perfect for a position change

Rutgers football is getting a strong freshman performance from Ian Strong.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The old adage, that practice makes perfect didn’t necessarily apply to Ian Strong. For the Rutgers football freshman, an offseason position change from defense to wide receiver just weeks into his college career came in a non-traditional way.

It is hard to believe that a player who in Week 1 made the top play in the SportsCenter Top 10 is still so raw at wide receiver.

In high school, Strong played both ways for St. Anthony’s (Hicksville, N.Y.) as a safety and as a wide receiver. But the two-star recruit was brought to Rutgers as a defensive back, despite showing significant promise as a wide receiver.

The reason for this is simple, says head coach Greg Schiano.

“He played wide receiver in games at St. Anthony’s. He didn’t really practice it,” Schiano said on Wednesday following practice.

“But when you watch them in games you’d say ‘This kid is special’ and we needed to bolster our wide receiver corp. And he is going to be special. He’s got a unique skill set, and he’s a big man. So I look forward to seeing him continue to develop.”

For those who have watched Rutgers football for a long time, it is easy to watch Strong on the field and see in his long strides a player reminiscent of Kenny Britt. Like Strong, Britt came to Rutgers with similar size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) and good length. Strong has a similar catch radius and the ability to turn on the jets in the open field.

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Watch Strong in the open field and it is apparent that not only does he have Big Ten size, but his long strides make him a potential big play threat. When Strong opens up in space, his extension seems to carry him gracefully through each step, a symmetry of power and deft speed that seemingly never sees his gait drop.

Like Strong, Britt began making an impact as a true freshman (29 catches, 440 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2006). Strong is just starting to scratch the surface on his potential as well.

Britt ended up in the NFL as a first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans. Strong’s ceiling remains to be seen, but he is already beginning to show his capabilities.

On the year, Strong has three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he has a really unique frame as a true freshman, one that the coaching duo of [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag] (wide receivers coach) and John Perry (senior analyst) can mold into a potential game-changer for Rutgers at the Big Ten level.

He has already changed one game this season with a touchdown catch in the season opener against Northwestern that saw incredible athleticism and body control. The play went viral and ended up as the top play of the day on SportsCenter.

It put Rutgers up 7-0 and the Scarlet Knights never looked back.

 

All of which makes a very good start to his Rutgers career even more stark when compared to a recruitment that was reserved.

Despite his production in high school, Strong didn’t register a single Power Five offer other than Rutgers.

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Strong earned his offer from Rutgers during a summer camp prior to his senior season at St. Anthony’s. That day, he showcased incredible athleticism, but his versatility is what once again stood out this spring when he arrived at Rutgers.

“They moved me to receiver because that was the best chance for me to get on the field. So I started working with coach Perry and coach Brock, and they got my development to get to be a receiver to play on the field,” Strong said.

“So I’m just going out there and play. I’m going to develop as the years go on. That’s the main thing.”

The process of getting Strong from the backend to wide receiver started during a meeting with Schiano. It also ended there too.

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Strong didn’t need much convincing to switch meeting rooms. He heard from his coach and was on board with very little convincing needed.

“There was a lot of older safeties. And when I went to Schiano’s office and he told me this was the best chance to get on the field – I’m gonna listen to the man – that’s what he told me,” Strong said.

“He encouraged me that I could really see the field this year. So, I put my trust in him.

“It worked.”

 

JaQuae Jackson turned down big programs and came to Rutgers football for moments like Saturday night

JaQuae Jackson had a monster first half for Rutgers football.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — This time last year, JaQuae Jackson was playing for California University of Pennsylvania in Division II. On Saturday night, Jackson led Rutgers in receptions and receiving yards, helping the Big Ten program to their second win of the season.

Jackson finished with four catches for 95 yards as Rutgers pulled away late from Temple in a 36-7 win.

Rutgers had to fend off some strong competition including Texas A&M, Michigan State, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh and West Virginia to land Jackson.

The reason for all the Power Five offers was seen last season for Cal where he had 77 catches for 1,178 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is a good route runner and explosive in the open field.

Jackson picked Rutgers in part because of [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag], hired by Rutgers this offseason as their wide receivers coach. A former assistant coach in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, Brock’s experience helped sell Jackson on Rutgers.

“I can’t say enough about coach Brock,” Jackson said.

“Coach Brock like is really taking my game and excelling my game every single day – help best prepare me just with everything

“Just a littlest detail, like the slightest littlest detail you know, helping me just grow every day as a player. I can’t thank him enough. And coach Perry (John Perry) too, as well as the receivers.”

In part, Jackson came to Rutgers for his final season of eligibility to test himself at the FBS level. On Saturday night under the lights, he certainly stepped up.

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Jackson looked dangerous every time he got the ball. He has created a good connection with quarterback Gavin Wimsat.

“It was a great environment. You notice it’s something I’ve been wanting to do, something I’ve been dreaming of since a kid you know,” Jackson said.

“So I’m just very blessed and humbled just to be here and be in this position.”

Last week in a win over Northwestern, Jackson had one catch for four yards. He certainly stepped up against Temple, including a big 61-yard connection in the second quarter.

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Following the game, head coach Greg Schiano singled out Jackson in his press conference. After taking his final question, which was not about Jackson, he began talking about the wide receiver’s impact.

“JaQuae Jackson, the performance that he had tonight, I’ve seen that coming but you guys have not been able to see that coming because he missed some of camp,” Schiano said.

“But I was really pleased with him. I think that that was something we needed. That was a shot in the arm we needed.”

 

For the new offensive staff at Rutgers, the scrimmages are important for ironing out communication

Rutgers football used Saturday to help iron out small communication issues on the offensive side of the ball.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With several new pieces added to the Rutgers football staff, this past weekend’s scrimmage was another learning experience for the group. It was a chance to put into practice what the staff will need to do come gameday.

And while none of the notable additions to the staff are lacking in experience, it is still an important time for everything to be put together on the communications level.

Rutgers made three big-time hires this offseason on the offensive side of the ball, bringing in [autotag]Kirk Ciarrocca[/autotag] (offensive coordinator), [autotag]Pat Flaherty[/autotag] (offensive line) and [autotag]Dave Brock[/autotag] (wide receivers coach). It is a not insignificant number of changes for one offseason, and for Rutgers it means that there has been an overhaul on offense in not just scheme but also the language used.

Saying that the scrimmages are good for his new staff “A little bit,” head coach Greg Schiano detailed some of the nuances that can be worked out in these settings.

“I mean, those are all experienced guys. So when you work with a bunch of different people over the years, you’ve kind of seen it all,” Schiano said.

“It’s good that we do it though we got the headsets on (and) different things come up. Sometimes a word at one place means a different than the word at this place. So we got to make sure we’re all speaking the same language.”

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The second scrimmage, according to Schiano, was good on both sides of the ball.

“I thought it was great. I thought, you know, we did a lot of different situational football. We got a lot of reps, the guys we’re focused, intentional for over for what wasn’t close to four hours and did a really good job,” Schiano said.

“We hit on a bunch of different stuff. We’ll watch the tape a lot, a lot of things that were not happy with. I was happy with their focus and concentration.”

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Which Rutgers football commit did Dave Brock compare to Julio Jones?

Rutgers football wide receivers coach Dave Brock compares one recruit to Julio Jones.

This offseason was a big one for Rutgers football as they reshaped their coaching staff, making three moves on the offensive side of the ball. Two of the additions are position coaches who coached that position in the NFL.

One of those additions, wide receivers coach Dave Brock, was most recently the wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Brock, a former head coach at Boston College, spent six years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. After two seasons spent as the assistant wide receivers coach, Brock became the running backs coach of the Falcons in 2019.

The next three seasons, Brock was the wide receivers coach for the Falcons, where he got to work with Julio Jones, one of the top wide receivers in the NFL over the past dozen years.

In late July on a recruiting trip to Rutgers, class of 2025 wide receiver Lyrick Samuel was compared by Brock to Jones.

“The time spent with coach Brock was memorable,” Samuel told Rutgers Wire.

“He did compare me to Julio Jones he also provided me with the opportunity to see and learn how to get better.”

A generational talent, Jones was named an All-Pro five times during his NFL career. He has 903 catches for 13,629 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns in his career.

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Samuel is no slouch as a recruit. The Erasmus Hall wide receiver, who is 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, was offered by Rutgers in June, his fourth Power Five offer. He has a current offer list that includes Michigan State, Penn State and Syracuse.

“I believe his and I relationship got off to a great start. Having my film broken down by a former NFL receiver coach was so cool,” Samuel said.

“He pointed out things that I did really well and also things that I did bad (sic). He instructed me on things that I could do to improve. He also told me that he hopes to be able to continue to build a relationship with me.”

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