Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Spring Practice - Day 9
Apr 03 | Football
Toby Neinas, Nunzio Campanile and select outside linebackers, specialists and running backs met with the media
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Following Rutgers football practice No. 9 on Tuesday, April 3, outside linebackers, specialists and running backs met with members of the media. The Scarlet Knights conclude spring drills on Saturday, April 14 with the annual Scarlet-White game, presented by PNC Bank.
NEINAS RETURNS TO ON-FIELD COACHING
Outside linebacker/specialists coach Toby Neinas became the Scarlet Knights' 10th on-field coach in 2018 after spending the previous two seasons as director of player personnel. Prior to arriving at Rutgers, Neinas spent three seasons at Colorado where he was the special teams coordinator. He also had stints at Montana State, New Mexico and San Diego State. In his lone season coaching the secondary at Montana State, the Bobcats finished 14th in the nation in pass efficiency defense, holding opponents to just a 52.6 completion percentage and recording 13 interceptions.
CAMPANILE ENTERS COLLEGE COACHING RANKS
Longtime Bergen Catholic High School coach Nunzio Campanile joined the Rutgers staff in February to coach the running backs position. He spent eight seasons at the helm of the Crusaders program, including winning a state championship. Campanile compiled a 60-28 (.681) record leading the Crusaders from 2010-17 as a perennial top-100 football national power. The team capped off the 2017 season by capturing the Non-Public, Group 4 title, the first state championship for the program since 2004.
BLACKSHEAR RETURNS WITH EXPERIENCE
Sophomore running back Raheem Blackshear saw action in parts of 11 games in 2017, averaging 6.1 yards per carry with 238 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman. He also caught seven passes for 133 yards and added two receiving TDs. Blackshear was an honorable mention pick to the Big Ten Network All-Freshman Team. He also totaled 334 kickoff return yards to finish with 705 all-purpose yards, second-most on the team.
HILLIMAN ADDS TO RUNNING BACK DEPTH
Graduate transfer running back Jonathan Hilliman arrived 'On the Banks' following a four-year career at Boston College where he appeared 41 career games, including 13 contests in 2017. He rushed for 638 yards with five touchdowns last season. For his career, Hilliman has amassed 2,180 yards on 587 carries and 23 touchdowns.
DAVIDOVICZ TO HANDLE KICKING DUTIES
Sophomore placekicker Justin Davidovicz will assume field goal kicking duties in 2018 after serving as the team's primary kickoff specialist in 2017 as a true freshman. Davidovicz was part of a coverage unit that ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally in kickoff return defense (18.0) and forced opponents to start at the 20-yard line or worse 14 times.
"Justin Davidovicz is our guy right now," said head coach Chris Ash. "He's been the most consistent and has a strong leg. Obviously he played last year and handled our kickoffs for us and practice placekicking last year. But he's the guy that's doing it right now."
KORSAK TAKES OVER FOR PUNTER OF THE YEAR
Australian native Adam Korsak will serve as the Scarlet Knights' punter, taking over for Big Ten Punter of Year Ryan Anderson who completed his eligibility in 2017. Korsak trained with former NFL punter Nathan Chapman and former NFL kicker John Smith at ProKick Australia and has three years of eligibility beginning in 2018.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING...
Toby Neinas, outside linebacker/specialists coach
On how the adjustment phase has been: "I worked with Chris Ash ten years ago at San Diego State. I wasn't with him very long, but I figured out that he was a little different and could see more than the rest of us, that he was a bit sharper. Every day when I get to go into the room with the guys I'm working with right now, I really enjoy being in there to coach, but also just listening to their thoughts and gathering their information. Some of the things that I thought I had done well as a coach for 15 years, I'm learning ways to improve that from sitting in the room with these guys.
On Tyreek Maddox-Williams: "I like what I see with Tyreek right now. I think he's moving very well. It's my opinion that sometimes an injury has a physical recovery, and it also has an emotional or mental recovery. I would say that we're in more of the emotional or mental side of it right now. He's cutting well, he's running well. From what I see in him and the vibe I get from him, he's going to be 100 miles-per-hour when we hit August 1st."
On Malik Dixon: "He's a fun guy to watch isn't he? The first thing you notice is his range. He's really long, and he's got really long levers and a long frame. You can tell he's got a lot of DB skills, and he's been trained as a third level defender. But we're asking him to play a bit closer to the line of scrimmage, so he's going through an adjustment period right now. There's some adjustment there, and I think for a tall player it's harder to get your pads down. As a DB you aren't as exposed to that as often. But today at practice he made a couple of really nice plays on the ball. He had a nice pick to close out practice, and his ball skills, the DB parts of his game, are very advanced. He's really accelerated his learning curve on the backer part of his game, but we still have work there."
Tyreek Maddox-Williams, sophomore linebacker
On how practices have been: "Spring is going well. I just came off my injury so it's allowing me to get back with the team. It's moving fast, but I'm able to get in with the team and do things well. I feel good through it, so everybody's looking good right now."
On changes from his last season: "My position is a little different, but it just allows me to be more in the run and in the pass, so I can do more at the position."
On the new additions to coaching staff: "I like the coaches. Coach Neinas is my new outside linebacker coach, and he brings a different positive energy. He shows that he cares, so you can talk to him about anything and you can expect him to keep it 100 with you, so I like him."
Malik Dixon, junior linebacker
On his adjustment to linebacker: "It's been a lot different. I've never done it before, but at the end of the day I want to do what is best for the team, and what's best for my squad. I'm doing what I'm told to do, trying to be coachable and trying to learn the new system and the new position. Everything is going well so far and I like everything that is happening."
On keeping low pad level and playing at line of scrimmage: "Moving to the line of scrimmage and learning the pad level has been the biggest change. I've never been on the line before, so learning the new system and being more in the run fits is definitely something I need to work on. I'm adapting and working hard every day to try and get better and better at it."
On competing with Tyreek: "He's been good. We both try to help each other out and try to coach each other throughout the process. I don't really see it as a competition, but at the end of the day him and I are coaching each other and helping each other out. We're trying to work together to make us both the best player that we can be."
Adam Korsak, sophomore punter
On the kick unit this spring: "The kicking game with Justin [Davidovicz] and Gavin [Haggerty] has been pretty strong. We've been holding for them and the ball seems to be popping off their foot. In regards to punting, we're working on both spiral and rugby punts, so the rugby punt has taken some time to implement and install, but I'm confident we're going to have a great year on special teams."
On adjusting to college and the United States: "It took some time to adjust. The transition has been pretty smooth thanks to the support group around me. The coaches and the specialists that I'm with day to day have really helped me to transition."
On what it means to be at Rutgers: "It's a massive opportunity to be here at Rutgers, especially because of how close it is to New York City and Philly. All of the coaches have embraced me, so I just hope I don't let anyone down and give everyone 100 percent every day."
Justin Davidovicz, sophomore placekicker
On how special teams have looked this spring: "We've looked great as a unit. Both on the field and off the field, we've been coming together. We hangout all of the time, we're kicking well, punting well and snapping at a high level. As a unit, we look well."
On having an increased role this season: "Andrew Harte and David Bonagura really helped me out last year with that. I saw everything they did and now that there is a role to be taken, I'm trying to help out everyone. We're all here to help one another."
Nunzio Campanile, running backs coach
On what it's been like so far: "So far, so good. We're having a lot of fun and learning the system, but it's been a lot of fun. I think a lot of it is just learning the way coach Ash runs the program and getting comfortable making sure I know exactly what my responsibilities are and learning coach McNulty's offense. I think that's been a lot of fun and we're doing some good stuff. Those have been some of the biggest adjustments."
On what the similarities between coaching high school and college are: "I will say this. Everyone kept saying that the time was going to be crazy. But the time is no different, that's for sure. Just now I really get to focus on doing the best job I can with the running backs and getting my feet under me when it comes to recruiting. From that standpoint, I get to focus on the things that are important for my job, which is good."
On what he's seen from the running back group so far: "I think we have a pretty versatile group. We have a bunch of guys who have an ability to play and help us. I think right now we have three or four guys who are ready to compete and then a few more have a chance to develop before the season gets here. I've been really happy with how they come in and work. They work hard, they're smart, they like to compete and on top of that, they're really good kids and are easy to work with."
On how he's adjusted to recruiting: "It's been interesting. I think I have a lot of great relationships, and a majority of the guys that I'm recruiting will be up in North Jersey, so I know a lot of the kids and their families, so that part of it has been pretty good. I'm really excited to build relationships outside of the area and add to some of the relationships I've built in the past as well."
Jonathan Hilliman, graduate senior running back
On how his experience helps the younger guys: "My experience helps a lot. We're probably one of the more inexperienced rooms on the team, so a lot of the guys refer to me as "Unc" or "Pop" because I've been around, which is all in good fun. But being able to have that type of experience with the stuff I've been through, with all of the ups and downs, I've seen it all. I can let these guys know that if they had a bad day, the sun is going to come up and they have the next day."
On what brought him to Rutgers: "The opportunity. Just being the older guy in a younger room is a big opportunity. I'm able to share talent and experience here with everyone to help build on the great culture that is here. Plus I'm home. I'm eating my mom's food, which is a big selling point from the other schools that recruited me."
On what the running backs have worked on this spring: "It's all been about attention to details. It's the little things. As an older guy, it's very important to do these things well. As a guys who's lost games by three points, one point and has put the ball on the ground, I know that details are important and they're the deciding factors on wins and losses."
Raheem Blackshear, sophomore running back
On running back's coach Nunzio Campanile: "I like him a lot. He came in with a lot of experience at the high school where he was previously, so now he's just coming in and getting to know us more and more each day."
Isaih Pacheco, freshman running back
On how the unit has looked this spring: "The running back room looks pretty great. We're a unit and we just have to build off of one another's mistakes and make sure that we're staying positive. If the line makes a mistake, we have to make sure we're helping them with corrections and make sure we're all staying on task. We need to block the negativity out and make sure we're all focused going forward."
On the adjustment to college: "It's really different, but I think I've adjusted pretty quickly. I have leaders in front of me like Jonathan Hilliman, Trey Sneed and others who keep me level-headed and keep up the intensity. They always tell me to go to study hall, so I'm focused on everything, and now that I'm here, I get the chance to show my abilities on the field thanks to the leaders that keep helping me focus."
The Scarlet Knights open the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 at home against Texas State. For more information on the season, follow @RFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and for details on purchasing tickets, visit RutgersGameday.com.
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