Tag: Tyreem Powell

Kyle Monangai & Tyreem Powell named preseason All-Big Ten by Lindys’s Sports

Two from Rutgers football were named to the Lindy’s preseason All-Big Ten.

After winning their first bowl game in a decade, expectations are high for Rutgers football entering the 2024 campaign. Two players who will be relied on heavily are Kyle Monangai and Tyreem Powell, both of whom got big honors this week.

On Tuesday the Rutgers football duo were named by Lindy’s Sports as preseason All-Big Ten selections.

For Monangai, the honor comes as no surprise, considering what he did last year. In 13 games, the talented running back recorded a career-high 1262 rushing yards while finding the end zone eight times. Due to his play, Monangai became one of the best running backs in the conference and a vital piece of Rutgers offense.

As Monangai tries to build on his career year, Powell will be looking to make life difficult for opposing offenses. During the 2023 campaign, he recorded two sacks and 25 solo tackles. The veteran linebacker also forced the first fumble of his career.

Kyle Monangai & Tyreem Powell have been named @Lindyssportsmag Preseason All-Big Ten selections.@kylemonangai | @TyreemPowell pic.twitter.com/8iGmFPMNWS

โ€” Rutgers Football (@RFootball) June 4, 2024

While the talented duo plays different sides of the ball, they make life difficult for opponents. Powell has shown the ability to apply pressure, while Monangai has frustrated opponents with his speed and ability to break tackles.

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Although the season is still weeks away, it is not hard to envision Monangai and Powell being one of the best players at their position in conference. They have been productive players in the past and are now veteran leaders. As long as they build on their success from last year, Rutgers will be in good hands.

Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai says there is more to prove in 2024

Kyle Monangai talks about his return to Rutgers football.

Off a season where he was among the best running backs in college football, Rutgers‘ Kyle Monangai believes that there is more to be done this upcoming season.

And, that last year’s season isn’t the ceiling for his time with the Rutgers football program.

In 2023, Monangai had a breakout season where led the Big Ten in rushing with1,262 rushing yards. The total was the most for a Rutgers football running back since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014. So to hear Monangai say there is more work to be done is certainly noteworthy.

In talking with linebacker Tyreem Powell and defensive back Robert Longerbeam on the ‘Reem & Beam‘ unplugged podcast this week, Monangai admitted that last year was special.

But, the All-Big Ten running back can do even more this fall.

An especially intriguing decision to return given that Monangai was All-Big Ten and would have been a likely NFL draft this past spring.

“I had a good season – but I had a good season, in my opinion. I don’t know, other people tell me differently. I think I had a good season,” Monangai said on the podcast.

“From where I want to get to and what I want to do at the next level and to get myself the best chance to play at the next level, I want to have a great season. Yea, I did some things. The rushing title was major.

“I had one player of the week and all that. But that’s just stepping stones to reach that next level for me. I just have higher standards for myself. I think one more year running back with you all – having you all back on the defensive side.

“I think we can do good things for the team and then for myself, it’s only going to raise my stock.

“It was a multi-benefential to coming back, being able to play with you all again. Being able to have a better chance of doing what I always dreamed of as a kid.”

Monangai joins Powell and Longerbeam in returning to Rutgers in 2023.

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Things are looking up for Rutgers, following a 7-6 season that was capped off with a Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami. Monangai was named the game’s MVP.

What one Rutgers football defensive player impressed the most this spring?

Robert Longerbeam praises a true freshman for impressing during spring practice.

One true freshman stood out to Robert Longerbeam during spring practice for Rutgers football. It was a player that the Rutgers defensive back said has lived up to the hype.

Longerbeam, a junior defensive back at Rutgers, made his comments on the ‘Reem and Beam Unplugged‘ podcast. The podcast features Longerbeam and fellow Rutgers teammate [autotag]Tyreem Powell[/autotag], a senior linebacker.

Last season, Longerbeam emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten. He had 42 total tackles along with an interception and eight passes defended.

As part of their wide-ranging discussion in the most recent episode, the defensive duo discussed what players stood out the most from spring practice. Powell highlighted several of the young linebackers he has seen step up over the past four months.

Longerbeam said one player, a true freshman who enrolled at Rutgers in January, has made an impression.

“Who I’m really impressed with? [autotag]Kaj Sanders[/autotag] bro,” Longerbeam said on the podcast.

“He is a freshman bro, the plays he’s been making – he’s been out there balling. I see why it was such a big deal to get him. He’s been making plays.”

Sanders was a four-star recruit who committed to Rutgers as part of the 2024 recruiting class. A safety prospect, he also was a running back for Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey).

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Rivals ranked Sanders as the fifth-best recruit in New Jersey. When he committed to Rutgers, he had a final four that also included North Carolina, South Carolina andย Wisconsin

 

 

Aaron Lewis and Kyle Monangai lead a strong returning core for Rutgers football: ‘This is not an easy place to play’

Rutgers football’s senior relish to chance to return in 2024.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — So far this offseason, Rutgers football has had a nearly clean sweep of players deciding to return for the 2024 season. It is a testament, those players say, to the culture of the program at Rutgers.

Only defensive back Max Melton opted to start the process for the NFL draft. Outside of Melton’s decision, the overwhelming majority of the team’s senior core has opted to return.

This includes defensive linemen [autotag]Aaron Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Wes Bailey[/autotag], linebackers [autotag]Mo Toure[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyreem Powell[/autotag], running back [autotag]Kyle Monangai [/autotag]and offensive lineman [autotag]Hollin Pierce[/autotag].

For Monangai, the decision to return was one he weighed carefully. The Big Ten’s leading rusher, Monangai would have been a solid draft pick.

But he said there was “unfinished business” that remained for him at Rutgers. That desire to leave something behind at Rutgers, he believes, is the reason why so many players are returning for a last dance.

“I think it just speaks to our culture and this is not an easy place to play,” Monangai said after practice on Tuesday.

“Coach Schiano demands a lot of us but it’s rightfully – we know what we have to do to win here. And for that many guys, like I said, to want to come back – it obviously means we’re doing something right and that guys want to be here. It’s not like a burden or something. It’s a privilege to be able to wear the ‘Block R’ and to be able to represent our home state.”

It is a unique situation for Rutgers as the program – as of yet – hasn’t had any major losses in the transfer portal either. The program has seemingly done not only a good job of developing players but also building an understanding of patience.

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In the modern college game, players have a tendency to enter the portal very quickly if a pathway to playing time isn’t clear. At Rutgers, for the time being, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Lewis, who had a solid season for Rutgers, could have started his NFL draft preparation and been a likely draft pick. Instead, he saw a return for one more year as the best path to take.

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“I think, you know, everybody just made a decision and God steered everybody in the direction in the right direction for them,” defensive end Aaron Lewis said last week.

“You know, there wasn’t really specific talks about everybody coming back. We obviously were friends, we talked to each other but no specific conversations. I think everybody just did what they had to do.”

Who are the top five players for Rutgers football this season?

There are multiple factors leading to RU’s success this season, but these five players contributed at a high-level to Rutgers’ 6-2 start.

Rutgers football is having a solid 2023 season, improving to 6-2 through eight games this season. Rutgers’ 6-2 record is the best start to a season since beginning 7-1 in 2012, and their six wins are the most in a season since 2014 when Rutgers went 8-5.

With their win over Indiana in Week 8, Rutgers is bowl-eligible for the seventh time under head coach Greg Schiano and will earn the 12th bowl invitation in program history.

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There are multiple factors leading to Rutgers’ success this season, but these five players contributed to Rutgers’ 6-2 start, each performing at a high level.

Below are the top five Scarlet Knights for Rutgers football through Week 8.

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Breaking: Rutgers linebacker Tyreem Powell requires surgery, out for the season

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano said that Tyreem Powell is going to require surgery.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano said on Tuesday that Tyreem Powell requires hand surgery, which likely will sideline the linebacker for the year.

Powell is one of the top players on the Rutgers roster. He has 52 total tackles and two sacks this season. He was injured in the second half of Saturday’s game at Indiana.

Schiano on Tuesday said that Powell is out “probably the remainder of the season.”

“Unfortunately, Tyreem, his hand is going to need surgery, so he’s going to be out for a while,” Schiano said.

The Rutgers head coach did not commit to what player or players would step in for Powell, saying “We’re going to move some things around…next man up.”

Rutgers is currently on a bye week. Last week, Rutgers beat Indiana 31-17 to get bowl eligibility. The bowl eligibility is the first time for Rutgers since the 2014 season.

The win elevates Rutgers to 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten).

Powell was playing at a very high level and was certainly in the mix for an All-Big Ten selection. Arguably, he was the top and most consistent player on a very solid Rutgers defense this season.

The Big Ten’s leading rusher, Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai, practices as hard as he plays: ‘I try to run the way I’m going to run on Saturday’

Kyle Monangai is the leading rusher in the Big Ten because he practices as hard as he plays.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Kyle Monangai doesn’t have a nickname yet. But perhaps the Rutgers football running back, who is leading the Big Ten in rushing yardage this season, should be known as the ‘Energizer Bunny.’

Monangai, much like the battery mascot, doesn’t seem to ever turn off.

He just keeps going…and going…and going…and…

Monangai, a fourth-year player, had 148 rushing yards and a touchdown as he was a jolt of energy for Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in their comeback win over Michigan State. It was his 21-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter that gave Rutgers the lead.

And it was his hard running, to the tune of 55 yards on the final drive of the game, that ran the clock and iced the win for Rutgers.

“I’m big on you got to kind of practice how you want to play -there’s no such thing as somebody who just rises to the occasion on Saturdays,” Monangai said on Wednesday.

“If you don’t put the work in, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to bring that out of yourself on Saturday.”

Turns out that Monangai wasn’t giving lip service to the credo that practice makes perfect. He practices the same way he plays.

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Hard. Unrelenting. With no breaks.

[autotag]Tyreem Powell,[/autotag] who was part of the 2021 recruiting class that included Monangai, said that his teammate is the same in games as in practice – “He runs just as hard, you have to be ready to buckle him up.”

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It is part of the chemistry that makes Monangai the top rusher in the Big Ten and puts him top-20 nationally.

“Like since I got here, we came in together so we used to battle each other since we both got here at the same time,” Powell said this week.

“I’ve been seeing it, how he works hard. He goes every play (with) how hard he runs. It is great to battle against him every day. It makes you better as a defender because you know you are getting the same competition on the other side so it is great going against him every day.”

The former Don Bosco Prep standout has plenty of steak to his sizzle, and he absolutely isn’t a burger. There is substance when he lowers the pad level to deliver a thud into a would-be tackler. But there are also subtleties to his game.

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Monangai is light on his feet, with the ability to float and cut back, as he did on Saturday during his touchdown run. His ability to re-direct and cutback into the open hole is an impressive testament to not just his footwork but his vision in the backfield.

 

It is the byproduct of a work ethic that he always had, but that truly began to develop at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano.

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“So I try to run the way I’m going to run on Saturday on Tuesday and Wednesday, practice so that way -it’s just my natural setting. It’s not something I have to turn on on a Saturday afternoon,” Monangai said of his work ethic.

“I’d like to say I was born with that part of me but I think the importance of it was probably heightened once I got here. You know, coach Schiano says practice is everything – you practice how you play. I’ve always known that but the importance of and the emphasis of it definitely was brought more to my attention when I got here.”

Rutgers football rallied around Tyreem Powell after controversial targeting call

Tyreem Powell talks how his teammates rallied around him following Saturday’s targeting call.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In a game that showed the strength and conviction of the Rutgers football team’s character, perhaps no sign of this program’s family atmosphere was seen than in the second quarter. Following Tyreem Powell’s ejection for a controversial targeting penalty, the entire Rutgers team rallied around their star linebacker.

It is safe to say that they played for Powell while he was forced to look on from the sidelines.

This included teammates like defensive back Robert Longerbeam, Powell’s roommate, who said after the game that he wanted to step up and help the team after the ejection call. On the next play after the call on Powell, Longerbeam created a Michigan State fumble and recovered the ball.

And after the game, Powell was brought in by his teammates to celebrate what was an incredible and improbable comeback by Rutgers.

“Definitely did feel that from my teammates, the whole game,” Powell said on Tuesday. “Countless guys coming up to me after the play, just cheering me up and they had my back the whole time. So I thank all of them.”

He admitted that the second quarter call was a difficult one. But in his effort to move on and focus on Indiana, Powell can still reflect on the difficult emotions felt after his ejection.

His focus, he said, remained unchanged in that he still wanted to help his team, even though he couldn’t help them on the field in that game.

“It’s frustrating just not being out there with your teammates and battling with your brothers,” Powell said.

“But you just got to focus on the way you can cheer them on and do what you got to do. To help them in any situation.”

Powell has been tremendous this season for Rutgers. With 49 total tackles, he is on pace to better his career-best numbers from a year ago (Powell had 70 total tackles in 2023).

Head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] teased that at least the call happened in the first half so Powell would not have to miss any of this Saturday’s game at Indiana.

” I felt bad for him. It’s tough. I mean, those are the rules and you’ve just got to play within the rules. So it’s a good lesson, I guess, for everybody,” Schiano said.

“We talked about it. We showed it, and just got to make sure that you leave it beyond a shadow of a doubt, and that’s what we try to do. Some things are unavoidable I think. Sometimes you get into a situation, it’s just an unfortunate situation. But Tyreem will be back and he’ll be ready to roll.”

Greg Schiano philosophical about Tyreem Powell’s targeting call

The call against Rutgers linebacker Tyreem Powell was a big learning moment for the team, Greg Schiano said.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — At the time, Rutgers football linebacker Tyreem Powell’s ejection from Saturday’s game led to a strong – and passionate – reaction from head coach Greg Schiano. It was one of several times in the first half where Schiano got heated on the sidelines with the Big Ten officiating crew.

While Saturday’s dramatic comeback glossed over the ejection, at the time it was a potentially big call against Rutgers. Powell, one of the top players on either side of the ball this season for Rutgers, was flagged for a questionable targeting call in the second quarter.

His ejection led to anger from Rutgers fans inside SHI Stadium, who let out a lusty and vehement chorus of boos after the call was made. Schiano followed that up with some rather, ahem, strong thoughts of his own.

On Monday, Schiano was more philosophical when asked about how he handled the situation with Powell.

“I felt bad for him. The only thing I told him was, ‘Hey, at least (it was) in the first half so you’re able to start right away at Indiana.’ But I did, I felt bad for him,” Schiano said.

“It’s tough. I mean, those are the rules and you’ve just got to play within the rules.”

Because it happened in the first half of Saturday’s 27-24 win over Michigan State, Powell will have already served his half-game suspension. He will be available on Saturday at Indiana.

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With the win on Saturday, Rutgers is now 5-2 (2-2 Big Ten).

He said it was a good learning lesson for the team.

“So it’s a good lesson, I guess, for everybody. We talk about it. We show it and just got to make sure that you leave it beyond a shadow of a doubt, and that’s what we try to do,” Schiano said.

“Some things are unavoidable I think. Sometimes you get into a situation, it’s just an unfortunate situation. But Tyreem will be back and he’ll be ready to roll.”

Rutgers will play Indiana at 12:00 PM ET this Saturday on the Big Ten Network.

Former Rutgers football linebacker Steven Beauharnais blasts Big Ten officials for targeting call

Former Rutgers player Steven Beauharnais reacts to Tyreem Powell’s targeting call.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Former Rutgers football linebacker Steven Beauharnais was having none of it on Saturday, questioning the Big Ten officials for the ejection of Tyreem Powell in the first half of what turned out to be an improbable win over Michigan State.

The targeting call was part of a first half that saw Rutgers spiral and get undone. While some of the issues were self-inflicted, there was also an element of the officiating that seemed difficult to justify.

Pass interference calls – two of them in fact – were called against Rutgers. On both plays, Michigan State’s wide receivers pushed off before contact came from the defensive players.

But wait, there’s more.

Twice in the first half, a Michigan State player lined up offsides. Neither time was it called. And on two occasions, the play clock appeared to expire. Those weren’t called either.

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Powell was flagged for targeting and ejected from the game in what was clearly a questionable call from the Big Ten officials. The ejection became the central talking point of the game until Rutgers began its fourth-quarter comeback in what would be a 27-24 win.

 

Beauharnais, a former standout linebacker, was a seventh-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2013 NFL draft who spent three years in the league. At Rutgers, he was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in college football.

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On social media, the former Rutgers standout did not hold back his thoughts:

 

 

As for head coach Greg Schiano, his response was more restrained in his post-game comments than Beauharnais. But on the sidelines, Schiano was visibly upset with the officiating Big Ten crew.

“That’s a huge loss – I mean, Tyreem is one of our elite players,” Schiano said after the game.

“You know I can’t comment on the call; I’m confused but what are you going to do? I’ll do the process. I always do it every week. Send the plays in. It’s hard. Officiating is not easy.”