PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Big Ten Football Media Days return to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this week, with Rutgers football making the rounds on Wednesday, day one of the event. Along with head coach
Greg Schiano, the Scarlet Knights will be represented by LB
Deion Jennings, TE
Johnny Langan and DL
Aaron Lewis. The group will appear live on Big Ten Network in addition to wide-ranging interviews with national and local media outlets throughout the day.
Schiano will take the main podium live at 11:15 a.m. and join the studio set at 1:45 p.m. The three student-athletes will appear on the Big Ten Network set at 4:15 p.m. Follow @RFootball on Twitter and Instagram throughout the day for behind-the-scenes coverage.
Rutgers opens the season Sunday, Sept. 3 at SHI Stadium against Northwestern, the first time beginning with a Big Ten opponent at home since joining the conference. That is part of three consecutive home games to start the year and seven overall in 2023.
Season and individual game tickets are on sale.
HEAD COACH GREG SCHIANO
- The all-time wins leader in Rutgers football history, Greg Schiano is in his fourth season back and 15th overall as the head football coach "On the Banks." The Wyckoff, New Jersey, native is in his second stint with the Scarlet Knights after taking the program to new heights from 2001-11.
- Schiano has directed the Scarlet Knights to seven bowl appearances with five bowl championships, coached 97 RU players who signed NFL contracts and guided the program to the top APR score in the nation so far during his time leading Rutgers football. The 2006 National Coach of the Year owns three nine-win campaigns and coached 18 Rutgers All-America selections.
- In 2022, Schiano led Rutgers to a 3-0 start for the second-straight season, the first time that had been done since 2007 and 2008. The victory over Temple marked the 79th victory for Schiano to pass the legendary Frank Burns as the program's all-time wins leader. Rutgers also set a new average home attendance record as interest in the program continues to rise.
DEION JENNINGS
- Jennings collected a team-high 91 tackles last season, recording 8.5 for loss with six pass breakups. The 8.3 tackles per game ranked seventh in the league, posting four games with at least 10. He enters his sixth season with the Scarlet Knights with 45 games of experience.
- The linebacker capped the season with 12 stops, three tackles-for-loss, a sack and two pass breakups at Maryland.
- Jennings was voted honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media and won the Homer Hazel Award as the team's most valuable player. He has been selected preseason All-Big Ten (third team) by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.
JOHNNY LANGAN
- Langan enters his sixth season of college football with 45 games of experience. He has accounted for 20 career touchdowns (11 rushing, eight passing, one receiving) with 840 rushing yards, 1,043 passing yards and 483 receiving yards.
- The tight end had at least one catch in all 12 games last season. He was named Rutgers' MVP for the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl versus No. 20 Wake Forest after totaling 57 receiving yards on a career-high six receptions, 20 rushing yards and two completions for 21 yards.
- He has been named Academic All-Big Ten each of the last three years.
AARON LEWIS
- Lewis was recently named preseason First Team All-Big Ten by Pro Football Focus.
- The defensive lineman emerged with 55 tackles with eight for loss in 2022. He posted a career high with 11 tackles, two in the backfield, and a forced fumble in the road win over Temple, adding sacks versus Nebraska and Penn State. The performance earned him Third Team All-Big Ten in the coaches' vote.
- He was graded as the No. 5 edge defender in the Big Ten and No. 20 at the position nationally by PFF last season and collected Co-MVP – Defense at the team banquet, recording five games with at least five stops.
