Senior Features: Agudosi, Arcidiacono, Marquez
Sep 13 | Football
Carlton Agudosi: Hometown Hero
By Jordan Ozer
Carlton Agudosi was raised in the shadow of Rutgers. Growing up in nearby Somerset, Agudosi lived one town over from Piscataway, just down the road from High Point Solutions Stadium.
A product of Franklin High School, he recorded 33 receptions for 697 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior for the Warriors. When it came time to look for collegiate options, a local option quickly rose to the top of the list.
"I did the whole camp circuit thing. Camps were big for me to get my name out there," explained Agudosi. "Rutgers is so close. Coach (Greg) Schiano showed a lot of confidence in me, a lot of support. When he offered me, it was a no brainer."
Being nearby has its advantages for the Agudosi family. Carlton is flooded with ticket requests on a game-by-game basis, as his loyal supporters can easily come to show their support.
"It's great, a lot of friends and a lot of family always want to come to the games," Agudosi said. "It gets kind of stressful with tickets, but I love having that problem. They always show a lot of support and are there showing me a lot of love. I love the fact that it's so easy for them to come watch me play."
Agudosi apprenticed under a number of successful RU receivers. He lists Brandon Coleman, Tim Wright, Mark Harrison and Quron Pratt as big influences in his maturation process.
"Those are the guys that I got to watch a lot, looked up to, and could see how they operate," Agudosi said. "They taught me how to lead, how to take care of your body, they watched film, go hard at practice, stay after practice. They really focused in on that and I wanted to follow that lead."
He also had a deep connection with another Rutgers star from nearby, Edison's Leonte Carroo. After playing behind him at the 'X' receiver spot last season, Carroo is off to the Miami Dolphins, and Agudosi is eager to both follow in his footsteps and make his own mark.
"Leonte, that's my brother," Agudosi declared. "We were roommates. We played against each other in Pop Warner. We came in the same class. I'm happy for his success and I'm happy that gets to see his dreams come true."
One thing that gives Agudosi a distinct advantage is his height. Standing at 6-6, he is one of the tallest receivers in the country.
"I told him, when you look around college football, how many receivers do you see that are your size? None? It's a rare trait," wide receivers coach Jafar Williams explained. "As long as he continues to work and embrace it, he'll be good."
That height makes him a large target for Rutgers' quarterbacks. He can utilize that to his advantage in working against opposing defensive backs, some of which he towers over.
"That definitely helps," number 13 said. "I'm trying to use my size even more now. I try to use that to my advantage because a lot of receivers aren't my height and a lot of receivers can't move at my height like I can."
Heading into his final season in a Rutgers uniform, Agudosi has set ambitious goals for himself. Primed for a breakthrough campaign, he is eager to display his talents in Rutgers' new spread offense.
"This year is going to be big for me. I have a hunger to go out there and prove what I can do," Agudosi stated. "I feel like I can be one of the best receivers in the conference and I'm just trying to work towards that. I want to try and make it to the NFL and make my dreams come true, support my family. That's my dream."
Throughout it all, Agudosi has not forgotten his hometown roots. While you can be sure there will be a large cheering section that makes the short drive from Somerset this season, the senior also plans to go back and support his hometown.
"Being so close is a great thing," Agudosi shared. "I'm able to go back to my community and talk to the kids. Just show them that there is somebody that understands what they're going through. Just by being someone that has been there and now is at the next level, it shows them they can do it, it can happen."
Nick Arcidiacono: Continuing The Family Tradition
By Stephanie Mamakas
Football has always been a family affair for Nick Arcidiacono, leaving the senior tight end destined to be involved in the sport. Although basketball, baseball and lacrosse are among the list of sports the Holland, Pa., native participated in, Arcidiacono had a deeper connection with football.
"I started playing flag football when I was four years old," said Arcidiacono. "My dad played college football at Temple so I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He introduced me and all my brothers to it and I have loved it ever since I can remember."
Despite playing most of his football career on the defensive side as well as at fullback and running back, Arcidiacono moved into the role of tight end his junior year at Archbishop Wood High School. The change in position gave him the best of both worlds.
"I like how it's a versatile position where you get to be able to block and you get to be able to catch the ball. I like doing both so it's fun for me. I like hitting and getting the ball as well," said Arcidiacono.
The 6-4, 244-pound tight end brought his versatility to the Scarlet Knights, a program that he fell in love with after watching the successes of the 2006 team with All-American Ray Rice. From that season on, Arcidiacono continued to watch Rutgers' games and followed the Scarlet Knights closely. With his oldest brother being heavily recruited by former head coach Greg Schiano, Arcidiacono grew to love the school more and more.
In addition to his passion to don the Scarlet uniform, a big factor in choosing RU was the desire to keep the family affair of athletics close to home for everyone to remain involved.
"My family comes to every game. It means so much that they are all able to come," said Arcidiacono. "That is another reason why I chose Rutgers because it is so close. It's only about an hour from my house. It was important for me for my family to be able to come see my games. It's a great feeling to know that they're in the stands and also at every away game that they can get to. That's a big deal for me."
From his father and older brother to uncles and cousins playing Division I athletics, Arcidiacono had always had his sights set on joining the family ranks at the collegiate level. That was a goal he shared from day one with his cousin Ryan Arcidiacono, a member of the 2015-16 Villanova men's championship basketball team.
The duo began playing football and basketball together at a very young age. Although they began competing on the same team, once the cousins reached grade school they became rivals due to their schools being in neighboring towns.
"From fourth through eighth grade I was playing him many times, at least once or twice in football and then basketball was about seven, eight times because our schools were rivals. I played against him a ton."
Regardless of the rivalry their accord to become Division I athletes remained intact.
"It was definitely a goal of ours since we were young because both his dad and my dad played college football. His dad played at Villanova and my dad at Temple. So we wanted to achieve that as well in whichever sport. His older sister was captain of the Penn State basketball team and my older brother played football also at Penn State. The bar was set high and we knew growing up that's what we wanted and we were both so happy to achieve it."
Arcidiacono remains grateful for the opportunity to reach Division I athletics and especially at Rutgers. The communication major has enjoyed his success on and off the field, including recognition as Academic All-Big Ten.
"I love this area. Academics have been great. I have had some awesome professors that have impacted my life," said Arcidiacono. "My college experience has been awesome here. I love the guys on the team. It's been a lot of fun."
While Arcidiacono's favorite memories at Rutgers include team victories such as the historic Big Ten win over Michigan in 2014 and the victory at the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, the tight end adds receiving the 2015 Frank R. Burns Award to the list. The award was bestowed upon the player who displayed extraordinary mental and physical toughness during spring practice.
"It meant so much," Arcidiacono reflected. "It was an honor to win an award for that. That's definitely one of my favorite memories here. It felt really good to be honored."
With his final collegiate season ahead, Arcidiacono looks to make the most of his memories while also thinking forward to life after graduation.
"I am going to see how my chances look for the NFL after. I am going to take my shot at that. If that doesn't work out maybe get into some type of financial advising. All three of my brothers are in financial advising and insurance so I will probably get involved in that field," said Arcidiacono.
For now, Arcidiacono's focus remains on the journey ahead for the Scarlet Knights and his group of tight ends. The tight end group is one that Arcidiacono feels has improved great measures throughout the spring and throughout training camp. While being excited to enter battle with his position group, Arcidiacono is even more excited to compete with the entire football family as well.
"I've never experienced since I have been here a team that has been so close with each other and also with the coaches. It feels all intertwined and connected," said Arcidiacono. "The new staff has been great and it has been such an awesome new experience to me. I am really excited for this year because of that."
Kevin Marquez: Earning His Keep
By Anthony Hernandez
Kevin Marquez joined Rutgers football in 2012 with one goal in mind: to get on the field at any cost. For the former walk-on that meant outworking his teammates and becoming a special teams cornerstone.
For Rutgers football, that eventually meant rewarding the Fork Union Military Academy transfer with a scholarship, a day Marquez calls his "proudest moment" with the Scarlet Knights.
"Coming in as a walk-on, it's harder," Marquez said. "You start at the bottom of the depth chart. My sophomore year, when I earned my scholarship, that wasn't really my goal. My goal was to be on the field. But when your goal is to be on the field your scholarship comes along with it. Ever since then I've been focused on getting more playing time and being on the field more."
The renewed focus and continued effort has clearly benefited Marquez, who secured the No. 2 spot at MIKE linebacker entering his fifth season. His prior three seasons were spent on special teams, where the Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, native played in 37 consecutive games and totaled 17 tackles, primarily on kickoff coverage.
Marquez, a former fullback, wasn't out with the defense shooting gaps, blitzing the quarterback, or dropping runners for a loss, but that never mattered.
"It's a blessing to be out there on the field every time," Marquez said. "I try to help the team in any way that I can, so anywhere they put me I'm just going to give it my all and play the best that I can."
Under first-year head coach Chris Ash and defensive coordinator Jay Niemann, the fifth-year senior is on track earn significant time on the defensive unit. From Ash's first day "On the Banks", the defensive-minded coach preached competition as one of the key components toward building a championship culture.
That culture change played right into the hands of Marquez.
"Everything got a lot more competitive. A new coaching staff comes in, and now it's a whole other world here. Everything we do, we compete," Marquez said. "But I love to compete. If you love to compete, there's really no difference. I just try to be the best competitor I can be."
And that's not the only leg up Marquez had on his Scarlet Knight counterparts.
"To me, it made me mentally tough," said Marquez, reflecting on his military school background. "Being up at five in the morning, marching, and all that stuff. As soon as I got here, it wasn't new to me. I think I had a step above a lot of people since I was already used to it. It definitely prepped me well, mentally."
Marquez hopes that mentality carries him to a career at the next level in the NFL. At least for now, he'll use the chip on his shoulder to make a name for himself on the field - no matter what it takes.
The two-deep may not be Marquez's focus, but as a player who left high school with no FBS scholarship offers, enrolled in prep school, transferred to become a walk-on, and worked into the starting rotation at a Big Ten program, Marquez can appreciate the journey he's taken.
"Being here for five years, you see different players, different coaches come in and you learn different schemes, and playing a lot of defense and eventually it just starts becoming a part of you. I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," said Marquez. "I want to go out there and play the best that I can.
"I want to leave it all on the field this year and hopefully that will lead to the younger guys following my example and we can all play the best that we can play."
The 6-1, 241-pound Marquez joined Rutgers with nothing promised. What followed was the development of a walk-on turned scholarship player into an impact performer.
It might not have been the goal, but the path Marquez forged to the field will be the legacy he leaves behind.
"A guy who went hard every chance he had," said Marquez of how he hopes to be remembered. "Competing and being consistent. Not just showing up one day but consistently showing up every day. That's what I want to be remembered for."
