2007 Spring Preview
Mar 26 | Football
The start of a new season begins to take shape as the Rutgers football team has returned to the field for Spring Practice. The Scarlet Knights, fresh off an 11-2 season in 2006 in which they finished ranked 12th in the final collegiate rankings, return to the gridiron with a unique blend of talent, ranging from the stellar rising senior class to a host of gifted underclassmen.
Gone from last season's team are several key figures - All-American fullback Brian Leonard, All-BIG EAST tight end Clark Harris and All-BIG EAST Second Team defensive tackle Ramel Meekins to name just a few.
In all, Rutgers must replace 10 starters and 21 letterwinners from last season's squad that was ranked for the final 12 weeks of the season. The Scarlet Knights tied a single-season school record with 11 wins, including a 5-2 mark in the ultra-competitive BIG EAST, a conference that finished with three teams ranks in the top 12 in the final rankings.
'We must replace proven leaders on our team and through spring ball and summer training, we hopefully will develop strong leadership for our 2007 football team,' head coach Greg Schiano said.
Schiano, the 2006 National Coach of the Year by six different outlets and the BIG EAST Coach of the Year, welcomes the challenge of heightened expectations to a program that features the return of three All-Americans; including the nation's second-leading rusher in junior tailback Ray Rice and First-Team All-American defensive tackle senior Eric Foster. Rutgers returns 14 starters and 36 letterwinners from last season's record-setting squad.
Still, Schiano knows this spring will face some unusual challenges with several key performers recovering from off-season surgeries.
'I think we have a big challenge this spring after several off-season surgeries to key players,' said Schiano. 'It will provide an opportunity for some younger players to get playing time this spring.'
Offense
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TEEL |
Teel remains the only Scarlet Knight signal caller with significant game experience as he returns for his third season 'On the Banks' and second as a starter. In 2006, Teel started all 13 games, averaging 164.2 yards a game ' fourth in the conference ' and totaling 2,135 for the season. He threw for 12 touchdowns and 164 completions on 296 attempts last year as a sophomore. The New Jersey native ended the season on a strong note - going 45-of-69 for 692 yards and five touchdowns and no interceptions over the team's final three games. Teel averaged 230.7 yards per game, while registering a 173.37 pass efficiency rating and completing 65.2 percent of his passes.
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Quarterbacks |
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4 Chris Paul-Etienne 6-2 180 Fr.* |
Sophomore quarterback Jabu Lovelace appeared in three games in a reserve role as a redshirt freshman in 2006. Lovelace, along with Michigan State transfer Domenic Natale, redshirt freshmen Chris Paul-Etienne and Tom Lang and sophomore Andrew DePaola will compete with Teel at the quarterback position for playing time.
'I think we have a very good group of quarterbacks,' stated Schiano. 'It's always nice to have your starter returning, but there will be intense competition at the position.'
Bursting onto the scene for his sophomore season, Rice moved into third place in Rutgers history with 2,914 rushing yards and finished second in the nation with 1,794 yards in 2006. He now needs just 200 yards to tie Terrell Willis as the Scarlet Knights' all-time rushing leader.
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RICE |
Rice finished seventh in the voting for the 2006 Heisman Trophy. The New York native was named MVP of the Texas Bowl after running for a total of 170 yards in that game on 24 carries, scoring one touchdown. In 25 career games, Rice has amassed 25 touchdowns to his name and will look to continue the success into the 2007 season as a junior.
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Running Backs |
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8 Kordell Young 5-9 185 So. |
Sophomore tailback Kordell Young returns as Rice's backup and is a game-changing player in his own right. An exceptionally quick player with great speed, Young proved to be a threat both in the backfield and in the passing game in 2006 and provides Rutgers with a great change of pace.
Fellow classmate Jack Corcoran looks to have the inside track at fullback. A bruising blocker and capable runner, Corcoran showed promise as a true freshman behind Leonard. In addition, senior Jean Beljour provides excellent depth at the position.
'With Ray, Kordell, Jack and Jean, we have some pretty good depth at the position right now heading into the spring. Running back is a one of those positions that does take a physical toll on the players.'
The wide receiving corps provide an exciting mix of veterans and underclassmen, including the return of the two starting wide outs from the Texas Bowl in sophomores Kenny Britt and Tim Brown. Britt showed flashes of brilliance in 2006 in the second half of the season and became the No. 1 target of Teel at wide receiver. Britt ended his true freshman campaign with 29 receptions for 440 yards and two touchdowns.
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Wide Receivers |
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2 Tim Brown 5-8 150 So. |
Brown, perhaps the fastest player on the team and to ever wear a Rutgers uniform, busted onto the scene in the final two games of 2006 with seven receptions and three touchdowns against West Virginia and Kansas State.
Junior Tiquan Underwood missed the Texas Bowl with a leg injury after a strong sophomore season. After Shawn Tucker went down with a broken ankle for the season in September, Underwood assumed the No. 1 spot at wide receiver for the remainder of the year and caught 23 passes for 290 yards and a team-best four touchdowns.
One of the deepest positions on the team, junior Dennis Campbell and senior James Townsend provide excellent depth while senior Marcus Daniels and junior Keith Taylor return to the field after missing 2006 due to injury and redshirt freshman Julian Hayes showed tremendous promise on the scout team last fall.
'We have some good depth at wide receiver,' added Schiano. 'There will be great competition, which is key.'
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Tight Ends |
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82 Jeff Minemyer 6-7 255 Fr.* |
Tight end is one position filled with openings this spring after the loss of three-time All-BIG EAST performer Clark Harris and Sam Johnson to graduation. The lone player on the roster with game experience at tight end is junior Kevin Brock. Last year as the No. 3 tight end, Brock played in all 13 games but did not record a reception.
Michigan State transfer Craig McGovern returns to the field after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer regulations.
Two redshirt freshmen should have ample opportunities to show the coaching staff their skills during spring drills in Jeff Minemyer and Jessie Cisco. Both players showed potential on the scout teams as true freshmen in 2006.
'The tight end position will be wide-open this spring,' said Schiano. 'We will let the play unfold and whoever is playing the best come opening game will be starting and we will just work back from there.'
Offensive Line
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ZUTTAH |
Rutgers had arguably the best offensive line in the nation in 2006 after the unit combined to allow just eight sacks the entire season, the fewest in the nation. In addition, the Scarlet Knights averaged over 180 yards rushing per game, 15th in the nation, led by Rice's 1,794 rushing yards.
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Offensive Linemen |
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61 Ryan Blaszczyk 6-4 290 So.* |
The Scarlet Knights return three starters; including two All-BIG EAST performers in senior left tackle Pedro Sosa and senior right tackle Jeremy Zuttah. Senior Mike Fladell returns at left guard after a successful first season as a starter in 2006.
The starting five offensive line remained the same in all 13 games last season, but the Scarlet Knights must look to replace center Darnell Stapleton and right guard Cameron Stephenson.
Several players could fill the spots and two players to keep an eye on are junior Mike Gilmartin and sophomore Ryan Blaszczyk.
'We need to fill in at very important positions - center and right guard,' said Schiano. 'Competition will be keen there. Initially, I think Ryan Blaszczyk will get the first opportunity to show what he can do at center. We are excited by the return of both tackles in Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah and Mike Fladell at left guard. All three players performed at a high level last season.'
The Scarlet Knights had six offensive linemen undergo surgery in the off-season and some of the players will not be available for spring practice. 'It will be a little bit of a patchwork offensive line this spring for us,' Schiano continued. 'I don't anticipate naming the starters at center and right guard until well into fall preseason camp with the intense competition at the positions.'
DEFENSE
Finishing atop the BIG EAST in three categories in 2006, the Scarlet Knights emerged as the conference's most stingy defensive unit as they held teams to the fewest passing yards (151) and total yards (252) per game last season. Rutgers returns six starters from last season's dominant defense in 2007.
Defensive Linemen
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FOSTER |
Returning for his senior season 'On the Banks,' First Team All-American defensive tackle Eric Foster will look to follow up a year in which he played in all 13 games and picked up 51 tackles to go along with his six sacks.
The emotional leader of the team and the lone captain returning to the squad, Foster should spearhead the defensive attack next season.
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Defensive Linemen |
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31 George Johnson 6-4 250 So. |
Junior defensive end Jamaal Westerman made the most of his first year as a starter in 2006, leading the team in sacks (8.0) and tackles-for-loss (13.5) en route to Second Team BIG EAST honors.
Sophomore defensive end George Johnson earned increased playing time as the season progressed last year and should be one of several players to watch this spring. The rangy defensive end has all the physical attributes to become a force at defensive end for the Scarlet Knights.
The loss of Meekins and Joe Giacobbe at defensive tackle will be a tall task to replace for RU.
'We have to get some young guys ready to play,' stated Schiano. 'Pete Tverdov is now ready and poised to become a full-time player. We have a lot of young guys who we will work into the mix, while Chenry Lewis and Gary Watts really need to come on now. I think we have a good mix of younger guys and older guys who will get the chance to play.'
At linebacker, Rutgers must replace two starters in Second Team BIG EAST selection Devraun Thompson at middle linebacker and Quintero Frierson at outside linebacker.
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WESTERMAN |
Former walk-on Brandon Renkart returns as the leader of the linebackers after a tremendous first-year as a starter at the position in 2006. Renkart totaled 54 tackles, 11.5 for loss and recovered three fumbles from his outside linebacker position last season.
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Linebackers |
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17 Damaso Munoz 6-0 205 So.* |
The Scarlet Knights have a group of young talented linebackers ready to compete for two of the vacant spots.
Sophomores Ryan D'Imperio, Blair Bines and Edmond Laryea all played as true freshmen in 2006 and will have the opportunity for increased playing time. Juniors Kevin Malast and Chris Quaye along with sophomore Damaso Munoz are three others to watch at the position, along with mid-semester addition Antonio Lowery.
'Other than Renkart, we don't have very many experienced players. Kevin Malast has played some, which I think will give him a one-up on the rest of the field, but it will just be open competition, just like the tight end position. Every position is open to competition, but I literally could not begin to say who would be first, second or third on the depth chart at linebacker.'
The best safety tandem in the BIG EAST and one of the top units in the nation return in ALL-BIG EAST selections Courtney Greene and Ron Girault. Greene, a junior free safety from New Rochelle, N.Y., has started since arriving on campus and is a candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2007. Last season, Greene was second on the squad in tackles (82) and led the team with four interceptions.
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Defensive Backs |
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6 Glen Lee 6-2 190 Jr. |
Girault, a senior starter at strong safety, was fourth on the squad with 69 tackles last year and second on the club with three interceptions. The two players enter their third year as the starting safeties in 2007 and should provide the backbone of the Scarlet Knight defense.
Junior Jason McCourty returns as one of the team's starting cornerbacks. The New York native played well in his first season as a starter, recording 45 tackles. His twin brother Devin proved to be a valuable member of the secondary in 2006 as a reserve cornerback/safety with 38 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Sophomores Leslie Jackman and Anthony Miller should also be in the mix at the vacant cornerback spot due to the loss of Anthony Roberson, Manny Collins and Joe Porter to graduation for the Scarlet Knights.
At safety, junior Glen Lee and sophomore Zaire Kitchen are two promising players who add tremendous depth to the position. Kitchen showed why he is one of the team's best hitters on special teams as a true freshman with several big hits.
'I think the secondary was a much-improved group last year and we have a large portion of it back. We will miss Manny, Anthony and Joe, so we will need to build some depth at the cornerback position. We had two safeties that had off-season surgery who will miss spring practice, so it will be an opportunity for some younger guys this spring to get their shots.'
SPECIAL TEAMS
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ITO |
Though Rutgers will miss the services of All-BIG EAST punter Joe Radigan, the Scarlet Knights welcome back one of the nation's elite place-kickers in senior Jeremy Ito.
Ito converted on 22-of-29 field goals in 2006, his longest on a 53-yarder that proved to be the game-winner at USF. He scored 107 points last season to move into first place in school history in career scoring with 280 points. Ito proved to be a reliable kicker, especially from long distance, after going 2-for-3 on attempts longer than 50 yards.
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Specialists |
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1 Jeremy Ito 5-11 190 Sr. |
The Knights lose solid return man Willie Foster to graduation - after a season in which he returned 14 punts for 127 yards and 18 kicks for 370 yards - and will look to several players to fill the void. James Townsend, Kordell Young and Tim Brown all have game-changing abilities to return kicks.
At punter, Matt Voliva and Kyle Cinzio in addition to Ito could see time in the spring. The Scarlet Knights signed junior college punter Teddy Dellaganna in February and he will join the squad in the fall to compete for the starting position.
'We have Matt and Kyle who will compete at punter in the spring and we signed Teddy who will join the team in preseason camp and add to the competition at punter,' said Schiano. 'Obviously with Jeremy returning, we have one of the top kickers in the nation, which is a great asset.'
