PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Lost in the lead-up to the Pinstripe Bowl last year is that Kenny Fletcher transitioned from the defensive side of the ball to now being on offense.
For one of the highest-ranked recruits brought in by Rutgers over the past five years, the decision to switch position came down to wanting to help the team win.
Fletcher came to Rutgers as part of the 2023 recruiting class where he was ranked as a four-star defensive end. He showed flashes at the position, making 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks over the past two years.
But following the regular season finale against Maryland, Fletcher was asked by head coach Greg Schiano about the possibility of moving positions.
“I played wide receiver in high school, so that was cool. As soon as he brought up tight end, I know I could do the job,” Fletcher told Rutgers Wire last week.
“It really wasn’t hard for me after he told me that was our best chance of winning. After he told me that, it was great.”
Stacked at the defensive end position, Fletcher has a clear pathway to playing time if he continues his development this offseason. With the graduation of [autotag]Johnny Langan[/autotag], who had been with the program since the Reagan administration, as well as transfer portal tight end Shawn Bowman, there is the need for tight ends on the roster.
At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Fletcher has good size to play tight end at the Big Ten level. He also has speed and agility that translate well to the position.
“It definitely factored in, playing time and things like that,” Fletcher said.
“That really wasn’t the main focus for me. The culture that we’ve built in this program, it just makes everyone want to win, no matter what.”
The selflessness of Fletcher to pursue this new position points to not just the culture around Rutgers football, but also the selflessness of the player.
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The transition is going along well, Fletcher said, with the biggest part of the learning curve coming in the tight ends room. Learning the playbook is a big part of his development this offseason.
While the on the field presents daily challenges – “it’s not easy because we’ve got some dogs on this team” – Fletcher’s learning of the playbook and the language on offense is helped by the presence of [autotag]Scott Vallone[/autotag].
In his first year as the tight ends coach, Vallone played defensive line at Rutgers and then with three NFL teams.
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Given that Fletcher is transitioning from defensive line to tight ends, Vallone’s own experience on the other side of the ball can help this process.
“It helps me that I was a defensive end. Certain movements from the defensive end I can recognize quicker and things like that,” Fletcher said.
“As far as coach Vallone, he’s a really good guy, he helps me understand things better, even if he uses defensive terminology to help me in the moment.”
