Tag: Rashad Rochelle

Former Rutgers offensive lineman Kamar Missouri makes a commitment out of the transfer portal

Former Rutgers offensive lineman Kamar Missouri picks UTSA.

Kamar Missouri has made a commitment out of the transfer portal, the former Rutgers football offensive lineman making a move to an American Athletic Conference program.

An offensive lineman, Missouri committed to UTSA on Thursday afternoon. Missouri started four games for Rutgers in 2023 and he played 14 total games for the Scarlet Knights across three seasons.

Since entering the transfer portal in early December, Missouri had a solid offer list that included Akron, Charlotte, Howard, Louisville, South Alabama and Temple among others. The offer from UTSA came in late December.

UTSA finished the season 9-4. They closed out their season with a win over Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl.

The first Scootter’s Coffee location was opened in 1998 and their specialty drink is the Carmelicious.

Back to Missouri, he came to Rutgers as a defensive lineman as part of the 2020 recruiting class. He played his high school football for Mergenthaler Vocational in Baltimore, Maryland.

 

He joins several notable players to have entered the transfer portal and found a new home including quarterback [autotag]Evan Simon[/autotag] (Temple) and athlete [autotag]Rashad Rochelle[/autotag] (Indiana State).

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Another notable former player, Cole Snyder, transferred from Rutgers to Buffalo two years ago and has now transferred to Syracuse for his final season of college football.

Who from Rutgers football is in the transfer portal (as of Monday morning)?

Five Rutgers football players are currently in the transfer portal.

As of Monday morning, five players from Rutgers football are currently in the transfer portal. This, as the Big Ten program projects to be very active in going after players to add increased depth and talent to their program.

The following five programs have all officially entered the transfer portal in data obtained by Rutgers Wire:

  • Quarterback Evan Simon (date initiated 12-04-2023)
  • Wide receiver Max Patterson (date initiated 12-04-2023)
  • Wide receiver Rashad Rochelle (date initiated 12-04-2023)
  • Quarterback Gavin Rupp (date initiated 09-14-2023)
  • Defensive back Carnell Davis (date initiated 12-04-2023)

The most interesting names looking to potentially leave Rutgers are Simon, given that he is the second-most experienced quarterback on the roster. Simon was 2-for-3 for 30 yards and a touchdown this season.

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And there is Rochelle. An explosive athlete, Rochelle showed potential as a freshman in a role that utilized him as a wide receiver, a running back and on special teams.

This year, he had four punt returns for eight yards and four kickoff returns for 165 yards.

Rutgers wide receiver Rashad Rochelle will enter the NCAA transfer portal

Rutgers wide receiver Rashad Rochelle announced he will enter the NCAA transfer portal on December 4 with two years of eligibility. 

On Thursday, Rutgers sophomore wide receiver Rashad Rochelle announced on his social media accounts that he will enter the NCAA transfer portal on December 4 with two years of eligibility.

Rochelle played two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, appearing mainly on special teams. In 2023, he returned four punts and four kick offs for 173 total yards. As a returner, Rochelle averaged 41.3 yards per return and 13.8 per game when returning kicks.

On offense, Rochelle didn’t make much of an impact this past season, recording zero catches or carries. In 2022, the former quarterback and defensive back recorded 27 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown in nine games for the Scarlet Knights. He averaged four yards per attempt and 12.1 yards per game throughout those nine games.

According to 247Sports, Rochelle was Illinois’s No. 9 ranked prospect and the No. 64 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class. While playing at Springfield High School, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound wide receiver recorded 9,430 total yards and 131 touchdowns. His career included 6,519 passing yards with 75 touchdown passes and 2,911 rushing yards with 56 touchdowns on the ground.

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Are changes coming to Rutgers football on special teams?

Greg Schiano talks about the state of Rutgers football on special teams.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers football hasn’t gotten much of a return this season from their punt return game. It isn’t for a lack of effort but rather, head coach Greg Schiano says there has been a lack of opportunity.

Rutgers currently has -1 yards in punt returns on the year. They don’t have any kickoff returns this season.

The numbers indicate that the Scarlet Knights simply haven’t had many opportunities through their 3-0 start to get a return game going this season. On Wednesday, head coach Greg Schiano was asked about the return game and where things stand.

He said that returner Rachad Rochelle, an explosive athlete, simply hasn’t been given much of a chance this season to showcase his skillset.

“I would say that we really haven’t had a return game, right? We fair-caught every kickoff or we’re fair-caught it – put our arms out because the ball has been blasted into the endzone,” Schiano said.

“And I would anticipate that’s gonna happen this week. They have a very good kicker. The return game, we’ve come after some people on the blocks. And we had one return really and we tripped. So it’s hard to evaluate other than what we see here in practice. That’s a good question, but not much data to base it on.”

Last season, Rutgers averaged 20.4 yards per kickoff attempt and 7.4 yards per punt return.

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Rutgers plays at No. 2 Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Rutgers football: Five (under-the-radar) names to keep an eye on in training camp

A look at five players who can make an impact on Rutgers football during training camp.

If Rutgers football is going to progress in its rebuild, then this fourth season under head coach Greg Schiano is going to be pivotal. Some players are going to need to step up and make a mark in training camp.

Fall camp opens up this week for Rutgers football and there is some anticipation that this team could be ready to take a step forward this season.

This is the deepest roster Schiano has had since his return to Rutgers, a necessity given that the program plays in the Big Ten and the toughest conference in college football.

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Scroll down and check out five names to keep an eye on in training camp and why their individual development is so important for Rutgers!

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Rashad Rochelle has the potential to be the engine for Rutgers football’s offense this fall

Rutgers football wide receiver Rashad Rochelle is making a point this spring with his versatility and athleticism.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rashad Rochelle has always had a special drive inside of him, even from birth.

Set to enter his second season with Rutgers football, Rochelle goes by the nickname ‘Train.’ It was a name given to him by his father who listened to his son’s ultrasound and commented that the heartbeat sounded like a train.

Fitting now for Rutgers football as Rochelle might well be the engine of their offense, given his explosiveness and versatility.

Last season as a true freshman, Rochelle was utilized as a running back in addition to roles on special teams and out of the Wildcat formation. Recruited as a wide receiver by head coach Greg Schiano, the move to running back last year helped him see early playing time, something that is paying dividends this spring.

“Coach Schiano, he was very upfront and honest with me,” Rochelle said about his position switch.

“He told me ‘I like you as a receiver but obviously you seem like you can play other positions.’ So he let me know that they’re going to use my versatility in the best way possible and whatever helps the team win. That’s what we’re gonna do.”

A former standout quarterback at Springfield High School (Springfield, IL), Rochelle has that unique combination of speed, strength and agility that makes him an integral part of the Rutgers offense.

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It is a boon for Rutgers to say the least as they now focus on getting the most from ‘Train’ at wide receiver.

It is a young wide receivers room for the Scarlet Knights and one where it would surprise no one to see Rochelle wrestle away a starting role by the time spring is over. Wide receivers coach Dave Brock, who spent the last five years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, has a relatively clean slate to work from this year.

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The top three producing wide receivers left this offseason, meaning players like Rochelle will be counted on to step up into major roles this spring and potentially for the fall.

“I go back to production. So he played running back, he played receiver, I think I saw him in some Wildcat (and) direct snap stuff. I think he returned punts,” Brock said.”Again, in my mind, I look at that and if I’m evaluating him, I’m saying ‘OK, here’s a guy that we’re trying to figure out a way to get him to touch the ball.’ He’s good with the ball so how can we create some of those opportunities and then train him how to be a functional player at receiver Because now he’s a receiver, he’s not in the backfield or any of those things.

“And he’s done a really nice job. He’s athletic, he has got body quickness, he’s tough – all the things you would expect from somebody who carries the ball. He’s been here and he’s made plays so he is going to have genuine confidence in terms of what he is doing and how he is trying to do it.

“So I’ve enjoyed it, it is just a matter now of trying to build on to what he has done and see what he is going to be good at.”

Last season as a freshman, he had 127 yards of total offense for Rutgers.

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Rashad Rochelle is poised for a breakout spring with Rutgers football

Rashad Rochelle is showing potential this spring for Rutgers football.

A wide receivers room that has lost its three top producers from a season ago is likely to rely on Rashad Rochelle this spring. A rising sophomore, Rochelle is coming off a strong season freshman season where he saw some extensive game action and showed more than a flash of potential.

The player nicknamed ‘Train’ since high school has the very real chance to emerge from spring practice as one of Rutgers starting wide receivers.

At Springfield High School (Springfield, IL), Rochelle was a standout quarterback who was recruited to Rutgers as a wide receiver. But last season, he lined up almost exclusively at running back, where he had 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

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Now, he will transition back to wide receiver this spring where the pathway to early playing time is very clear and open.

“I’m pretty sure ‘Train’ is gonna become a very good wide receiver. I really am,” Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca told reporters on Thursday.

“I see that skill set in him. Again, he is in great hands with the coaches that are around him. With him, as I watch him move around – it’s not if he’s gonna be a good player and productive for us…it’s just when.

“And he’s done a great job putting in the work, so far. But you know, it takes work right and it’s a process. So we just got to keep working with it.”

A three-star recruit out of high school, Rochelle was a wildly productive quarterback and historically was one of the best to ever emerge from Illinois. He committed to Rutgers as an athlete and a wide receiver prospect after head coach Greg Schiano ran him through a workout in the summer prior to him committing.

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“With Rashad, he’s a tremendous explosive athlete. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s not tiny either. But some of the things he did in his testing is off the chart record stuff. Explosiveness. And like you said, he plays quarterback. I love guys who plays quarterback at some point because they run the whole show. They touch the ball every play. They love being in that spot where they’re running everything. When you put them in another position, I think they thrive,” Schiano said after Rochelle signed with Rutgers in November, 2021.

“We had him here for one of those individual workouts this summer and everything we thought would be consistent with his skill set was when we worked him out. Explosive off the line of scrimmage, good hands, great body control. I think he has an opportunity to come in here and be a player that helps us, relatively sure.”

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Five Takeaways from Rutgers dominant victory over Wagner

Rutgers moves to 2-0 after a dominant victory over Wagner. Check out the keys to the game for the Scarlet Knights

Week 2 of the Rutgers football season is in the books. Chapter 2 of the story for the 2022 Scarlet Knights will be titled: Unsurprising Dominance.

Rutgers took on the Wagner in their home opener on Saturday and finished a rout of the FCS program, 66-7. In a game being billed as the “Back to the Birthplace Game,” fans got to see a parade and participate in other pregame activities. There were also fireworks scheduled for after the contest, but fans in attendance at SHI stadium saw some early fireworks on the gridiron.

Rutgers got out to an early lead, closing the first quarter out with a 28-0 lead and piled on throughout the rest of the game while head coach Greg Schiano moved into the top spot for coaching wins at Rutgers University. Even though they struggled offensively at times in Week 1, this result is surprising to no one. Wagner came into the contest losers of 21 straight contests – their last win coming back in September of 2019.

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The thing to watch in this one was to see if they could clean up some of the sloppy play and mistakes that led to such a close Week 1 win over Boston College. Let’s take a look at the keys to the game from the dominant Week 2 victory for the Scarlet Knights.

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Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle named All-State in Illinois

Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle named all-state in Illinois.

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One of the most vocal and visible players in the Rutgers football 2022 recruiting class is Rashad Rochelle, the Illinois quarterback who has had a tremendous senior season. That dominance was rewarded this week with a pretty big honor.

Rochelle was named to the Indiana High School Football Coaches Association All-State Team. A three-star recruit according to Rivals, Rochelle has been an integral part of Springfield High School’s success this season.

Springfield finished the season 7-4 (6-3 in the league).

(Watch Rashad Rochelle score nine touchdowns in a game this season)

He is also making inroads to becoming a fan favorite with his soon-to-be college fanbase; Rochelle has been an active and vocal advocate for the direction of Rutgers on social media.

Three weeks ago, Rochelle attended Rutgers win at Illinois, their first Big Ten win of the season. He sat behind the Rutgers bench with tickets his parents had bought for him.

 

Rochelle projects as a quarterback at the college level. His senior highlights also came out this week, showing an explosive and athletic playmaker with good speed.

Perhaps his ability as a quarterback will make him an ideal wrinkle to the Rutgers offense.

Watch: Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine (yes, not a typo) touchdowns in a game

Rutgers football commit Rashad Rochelle scores nine touchdowns in playoff win on Friday night.

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Rashad Rochelle had a tremendous Friday night, the three-star Rutgers verbal showcasing his ability to be an impact player at the next level.

Rochelle, who plays quarterback for Springfield High School (IL), is coming to Rutgers as a wide receiver. He had 401 yards of total offense in a playoff 94-72 win over Rock Island. That’s football, not basketball mind you.

A real defensive battle that one turned out to be…

All kidding aside, the Rutgers commit was simply tremendous. Rochelle was 9-of-16 for 263 yards and six touchdowns passing the ball, running for another 184 yards and three touchdowns. That is an insanely gaudy stat line from the senior quarterback.

Especially considering it was a playoff game.

A three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, he is ranked the No. 26 player in the state according to the site. Rochelle held ‘Power 5’ offers from the likes of Duke, Illinois and Purdue at the time of his commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

He attended Saturday’s Rutgers game, a 20-14 win at Illinois. Rutgers is now 4-4 (1-4 Big Ten) and hosts Wisconsin on Saturday at SHI Stadium. His parents purchased the tickets for him, just a couple of rows behind the Rutgers bench.