Tag: Greg Schiano

Former college quarterback Drew Lascari brings a unique perspective as Rutgers football’s safeties coach

Drew Lascari sees his safeties through the eyes of the quarterback.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Lessons learned as a former quarterback now guide Drew Lascari on the defensive side of the ball. Lascari, set to enter his third season as the safeties coach at Rutgers, has a unique perspective that he brings to his position.

It is a perspective formed from years of seeing the safety as the enemy. And now at Rutgers, Lascari’s time as a high school and college quarterback is paying dividends for his position group.

Lascari has been at Rutgers since 2018 where he started as special teams quality control. In 2019, he was elevated to quarterbacks coach following the in-season dismissal of then-head coach Chris Ash and the subsequent shakeup of the team’s coaching staff.

But since the return of head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] in 2020, Lascari has been on the defensive side of the ball. First, he spent two years as a defensive assistant and now is in his third season as the safeties coach.

“What’s wild now is this is going to be my fifth season now on the defensive side of the ball. It feels like it just happened yesterday,” Lascari said on Thursday.

“But I think for me, there was certainly some a bit of a learning curve for me initially, just because I spent most of my career on the other side of the ball up to that point. But I do think that my background on offense does give me a unique opportunity to see things a little bit differently, to teach things a little bit differently. And I’m grateful for my experience on offense because I think it does make me a much better DB coach.”

Lascari was a former standout in Morris County at Pequannock High School (Pompton Plains, New Jersey) who went on to play his college football at SUNY Cortland. He coached in high school in New Jersey and Florida at the start of his career before joining Ash’s staff in 2018.

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It is an unconventional coaching path for Lascari, who started his college career on special teams at Rutgers before settling in on the offensive side of the ball in 2018 (eight games as the quarterbacks coach).

Now, the former college quarterback is coaching safeties.

“He teaches us a lot about offensive terminology, run scheme and stuff,” Flip Dixon said on Thursday.

“It’s very helpful.”

Following his commitment, four-star Raymond Andrews says ‘I don’t think everybody is meant to play at Rutgers’

Raymond Andrews bearks down his commitment to Rutgers football.

Antwan Raymond not only gave a commitment to Rutgers football this week, he also signed with the program and enrolled. It was quite the trifecta for Rutgers, to not only land one of the top players from Florida but also to get him on campus in a month’s time.

Raymond picked Rutgers from a final six that included Miami, Mississippi State, South Carolina, South Florida and West Virginia. He is a four-star recruit according to Rivals.

In committing to Rutgers on Wednesday, Raymond also re-classified to the class of 2024. He will be on campus at Rutgers in a little over a month.

In early April, Raymond took an unofficial visit to Rutgers. On that trip, he began to seriously think about making a home for himself with the Big Ten program and head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

“I think it was the right fit because of the culture around. I don’t think everybody is meant to play at Rutgers,” Raymond told Rutgers Wire.

“I think a select few (can) because of the culture. They’re a very hardworking program; they are a more morally driven program and they share my morals. Those characteristics played a role because I think overall, I think it matches. matches my characteristics.”

Last year during what will now be his final season of high school football at Clearwater International Academy (Clearwater, Florida), Raymond had 1,884 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.

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He had an impressive 8.1 yards per carry against a competitive schedule.

Rutgers has a deep and talented running backs room but Raymond said he believes there is a pathway to playing time and being able to factor into the rotation at running back.

“They don’t want me to redshirt, they think I have what it takes to come in and play out there,” Raymond said.

“And I think I think so as well. I’m definitely planning on playing as much as I can. I’m going to work super hard to play as early as possible. Coach Schiano wanted me to come right out because he thought that was the best for me to have college credits as early as possible. He didn’t think that I needed another year of high school and I thought that as well. I thought they thought I was ready so we’re on the same page.”

There has been a lot of transition for Raymond over the past year. From Canada, this past season was the first – and also ended up being the last – of his high school career in the United States. But it proved notable in his recruitment.

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With a very strong season at Clearwater, Raymond became one of the top running back recruits in the nation. The step up in competition was just what he needed.

“I come from Montreal, Canada. We are very good but nothing even close to Florida,” Raymond said.

“We played top schools in Florida and also the top programs in the country so I think just competing at the highest level – it definitely built up my game. And I felt like I had one of the top coaches coaches in the country coach Jesse (head coach Jesse Chinchar) mentoring me and helping me throughout the whole season. So I think my my game has grown.

“This is very big to me. Everything’s going to change and everything has changed in just a few months.

“But I think that God has a plan for me and I’m very excited for what’s going to be next. Also, I think I think I’m ready for it. I think mentally, and physically I’m ready for it. And I just chose to believe in myself and my abilities. And I think I’m ready for college football.”

From among two dozen offers, Jyon Simon breaks down his Rutgers football commitment

Rutgers football’s latest commit, Jyon Simon, discusses his decision to commit to the Scarlet Knights.

Jyon Simon committed to Rutgers football on Thursday, making it two big Florida commitments for the Scarlet Knights this week.

A three-star recruit, from Raines High School (Jacksonville, Florida), Simon gives Rutgers a true threat in the interior of the defensive line. He picked the Big Ten program over eight offers.

The other teams in the mix for Simon were Texas, Tennessee, USC (University of Southern California), Pittsburgh, Jacksonville State. NC State and Colorado.

Simon took an unofficial visit to Rutgers, which led to a phone call to head coach Greg Schiano after he left campus.

“So actually after I went on my visit with Rutgers, it was just ‘Man, I got to be there.’ I just felt at home,” Simon told Rutgers Wire.

“So I was like, ‘Why not shut it down?’ So I called coach Schiano and asked him if I could commit but still go on visits to other schools. He told me how he felt about it. So that was it – it was just a done deal after that.”

Simon is committed fully, telling Rutgers Wire “Yes, sir. 100 percent.”

“With all 10 of my toes, I’m standing on them. I really like what coach Schiano is building over there with the coaches that he’s brought in, with the players that he’s brought in and just his knowledge of the game,” Simon said.

“Just the atmosphere…it was a lot of things that pulled me towards this. So first and foremost, the academics. The academic program is amazing – not only in the northeast but in the nation. The player and coaches’ relationship – I love how the coaches interact with their players. They teach the game fundamentally. Their weight room program is amazing. Coach Schiano is different from the rest of the head coaches – his knowledge of the game is amazing and that’s somebody I can trust.”

The team culture is another thing that stuck out to Simon on the visit.

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Heading into his fifth season at Rutgers, Schiano has re-built Rutgers on and off the field. This includes bringing back the CHOP mantra as well as F.A.M.I.L.Y.

“And that motto: Forget About Me, I Love You – just because if everybody on the team does that and they stay locked in, well then we’re going places,” Simon said.

“So I just love that motto and what coach Schiano is brining to the program.”

Rutgers football’s Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw on and off the field

Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai has impressed running backs coach Damiere Shaw.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — There is nothing left for Kyle Monangai to prove, the Rutgers football running back emerging last season as one of the top players in college football. That doesn’t lower the expectations though for Monangai ahead of his final season at Rutgers.

And for running backs coach [autotag]Damiere Shaw[/autotag], perhaps the greatest skill Monangai showed on his way to a record-breaking season at Rutgers was a mental and physical toughness. Those attributes impressed Shaw last year as Monangai looks to build on his breakout season.

Following a season where Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing, and played a huge role in Rutgers making a bowl game, there isn’t much left for the running back to prove. His 1,262 rushing yards are the most yards for a Rutgers running back since the program entered the Big Ten in 2014.

Shaw, in his second year as the Rutgers running backs coach, was impressed with Monangai’s performance last year

“He does a lot of things well, but here’s what I’ll tell you: Kyle was a very, very tough kid.- mentally tough, and the way he carried the ball and maintained his health the entire time – a lot of people can’t do that,” Shaw said on Tuesday.

:So I think the biggest thing for Kyle was his toughness.”

Monangai’s work ethic has been praised by head coach Greg Schiano. Several times last fall Schiano singled out Monangai as being not just the team’s best player but also their hardest worker.

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Monangai’s resilience made him the perfect running back for Rutgers. His character very much align themselves with the core values of a Scarlet Knights team that Schiano repeatedly calls a “developmental program.”

Coming out of high school, Monangai only had two Power Five offers

“He’s obviously brilliant,” Shaw said.

“He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around ever coach but he’s just a tough tough dude. He keeps going.

Jayden Loftin talks about his recent Rutgers football offer, upcoming Tennesse visit

Jayden Loftin discusses his recruitment, recent Rutgers football offer.

Jayden Loftin was offered by Rutgers football over the weekend, putting the Big Ten program very much in the mix one of New Jersey’s top players.

Rutgers is now in the mix for Loftin he says. And it is a busy time in his schedule, with a visit to the Tennessee Volunteers on tap for this weekend.

He is a 6-foot-4 and 235-pound edge rusher from Somerville (Somerville, New Jersey) and is part of the class of 2025.

He is the No. 42 edge rusher in the nation and the No. 20 overall rospect in New Jersey in this current class according to 247Sports. Over the weekend, Loftin took an unofficial visit to Rutgers.

It was on that visit that head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] offered Loftin.

“It felt real good to have an offer from the hometown team,” Loftin told Rutgers Wire.

“They are building something special there.”

Loftin took a dive into the particulars of the offer from Schiano and his reaction to the program officially getting involved in his recruitment.

“Coach Schiano really emphasized what the program stood for and what he wanted for the program in years to come,” Loftin said.

“I like the F.T.C. (mantra) because that is something my family has really drilled into me since I was little so it was very relatable.

“They are in my top 10 for sure, I enjoyed the visit.”

As for an official visit, Loftin said he is booked with his four official visits “so we didn’t discuss anything about an official visit.”

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His four visits are:

  • West Virginia (May 31-June 2)
  • Tennessee (June 7-9)
  • Minnesota (June 14-16)
  • Penn State (June 21-23)

This upcoming weekend, Loftin has an unofficial visit to Tennessee.

“I’ve never been but the coaching staff has been in frequent contact and I’ve enjoyed talking them,” Loftin said.

What is the state of the Rutgers football quarterback competition? Greg Schiano sees ‘a healthy competition’

Rutgers football is having a good, healthy quarterback competition this spring.

For the first time since Rutgers entered the Big Ten in 2014, there is a quarterback competition that features two experienced players who each have deep Power Five starting experience.

The offseason addition of Athan Kalaikmanis, who started every regular season game for Minnesota last year, certainly changes the look and feel of the Rutgers quarterback room. With the incumbent starter, Gavin Wimsatt, back from a year where Rutgers won a bowl game, there is a level of depth and competition that hasn’t existed around this program in quite some time.

Of the four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, Wimsatt and [autotag]Ajanni Sheppard[/autotag] spent last season at Rutgers and with offensive coordinator [autotag]Kirk Ciarrocca[/autotag].

“For two of them, it’s their second year in the system now so you would expect a better understanding from a whole offseason of studying yourself,” head coach Greg Schiano told reporters on Saturday.

“But yeah, there’s a healthy competition in the room. I think it’s deeper so we’ll just let it play out.”

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Rutgers has had inconsistent quarterback play for much of the last decade and the hope this offseason is that Kalaikmanis or Wimsatt will step up and manage the offense effectively.

While Sheppard is promising and A.J. Surace, a three-star quarterback who arrived on campus in January, the quarterback competition is likely to favor the most experienced players.

Wimsatt and Kalaikmanis both have significant starting experience in the Big Ten and that is likely what is needed with this veteran roster.

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“Well, Athan I saw do things in Big Ten games, so I’m not really surprised – I think he’s doing well, but it’s not a surprise,” Schiano said.

“AJ only saw (him) play in high school and yes, he’s pleasantly surprised me. I mean, AJ is a really fine young quarterback prospect. Very excited about him. So like I said, I’m encouraged. Starting up there with Gavin and going all the way through Ajani who was here – it’s a good room, and I think they got a good chemistry in there to coach Ciarrocca does a really good job of kind of blending them together. And yes, there’s a competition. But they you watch them they help each other all the time. I mean, that’s what that’s what family is about.”

Rutgers football is the third offer for Layton von Brandt

Layton von Brandt was offered by Rutgers football on Thursday.

A Thursday visit to Rutgers football netted an offer for Layton von Brandt. It was the third overall offer for von Brandt and the first from a Big Ten program.

The Rutgers offer represents a second Power Five offer in von Brandt’s recruitment.

A class of 2027 recruit, von Brandt plays for Appoquinimink (West Middletown, Delaware). Last season, the Jaguars went 6-5 and lost to Sussex Central 28-7 in the state playoffs.

He holds previous offers from Charlotte and Syracuse. The offer from the Orange came in late February.

He checks in at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds.

Although he plays both sides of the line, the offer from Rutgers is for von Brandt as an offensive lineman.

On Thursday, von Brandt posted about the Rutgers offer on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). He tagged Rutgers football head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] on the social media post:

 

The offer came while on a visit to Rutgers for a spring unofficial visit.

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His brother is Ryan von Brandt, who is now a 6-foot-8 tight end at VMI. In high school, Ryan von Brandt was a quarterback.

On Thursday, Rutgers hosted a number of top recruits for a spring practice. Among the group in attendance were three-star edge Haleem Muhammad and Jayden Loftin, a three-star edge rusher from nearby Somerville, New Jersey.

 

 

Class of 2026 edge rusher Zion Elee talks recent Rutgers football

Maryland edge Zion Elee talks Rutgers football offer.

In late March, Zion Lee was offered by Rutgers football, adding another Power Five program into a crowded recruitment.

A class of 2026 prospect, Elee plans to visit Rutgers football sometime this month.

Elee is an edge rusher from Joppatowne (Joppa, Maryland). He checks in at 6-foot-5, 225-pound who has a strong offer list that includes Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin among others.

His offer from Rutgers came on a call with head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

“I was excited to receive an offer straight from a head coach. That’s how you know it ain’t a game,” Elee told Rutgers Wire.

“The program is great in my opinion with a nice, building defense and they also bring put a lot of players in the league.”

In late March, Elee took an unofficial visit to Maryland.

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Following the offer from Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights are doing well with Elee in his recruitment.

 

“It’s up there in my top schools for now,” Elee said. “But I haven’t made an official top five, opportunities still rolling in.”

Renick Dorilas says his relationship with Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano was influential

Renick Dorilas talks about how Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano impacted his recruitment.

A relationship with head coach Greg Schiano helped Renick Dorilas commit to Rutgers football. One of New Jersey’s top players, Dorilas gave his verbal to Rutgers over the weekend.

Dorilas is a three-star defensive back who transferred to play his senior season at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey). He is now the fourth player to commit to Rutgers football in the 2025 class and the third from New Jersey.

Rivals ranks Dorilas as a top-10 recruit in New Jersey with an offer list that included Boston College, Duke, Minnesota, Penn State, Tennessee and West Virginia among others.

With Schiano, the relationship that Dorilas has forged was something that factored into his commitment.

“Coach Schiano is a really good guy,” Dorilas told Rutgers Wire this week.

“Every time me and coach Schiano talk, it is always a good conversation and it is always something new to learn from him.

“But what stood out the most is what he preaches actually happens and I feel like I can trust him to make me the best defensive back possible.”

When he arrives at Rutgers, Dorilas already knows where he will line up.

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“They want me to play corner,” Dorilas said.

“Real hands on, be able to use my length and go get the ball.”

An elite level athlete, Dorilas has good speed and agility to partner with his coverage ability. His natural instincts are seen in his ability to break up plays.

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His length led to the nickname ‘Stretch.” The name came from when he was just starting to play football.

“One of my first ever coaches gave me the name,” Dorilas said. “I used to be taller than everyone on my team.”

Class of 2026 offensive tackle Marlen Bright is offered by Rutgers football

Rutgers football sent out an offer this weekend to Marlen Bright.

Rutgers football officially joined what is an already crowded recruitment for New Jersey offensive lineman Marlen Bright.

A class of 2026 offensive lineman from DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey), Bright pulled in an official Rutgers offer on Saturday while taking a visit for a spring practice. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound offensive tackle already holds offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Penn State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin

Saturday’s spring practice saw some of the best recruits in the region in attendance at Rutgers.

Bright is projected to be one of the top offensive tackles in the nation this fall and then moving into his senior season. He is explosive at left tackle, getting out of his stance effortlessly and engaging with power and physicality.

He doesn’t disengage till the whistle, finishing off his blocks.

As he enters his junior season, he certainly has some very strong building blocks to his game.

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On Saturday following his official visit, Bright tweeted about the offer. The social media post tagged Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano as well as his father, Depaul’s account on X and Latish Kinsler.

 

A former college standout at Cincinnati, Kinsler is now an NIL adviser and mentor for some of the top prospects in the region.