PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following a team vote, DL Mayan Ahanotu, TE Johnny Langan, DB Joe Lusardi, RB Kyle Monangai, LB Mohamed Toure and QB Gavin Wimsatt were selected as the 2023 Rutgers football captains. The group leads the Scarlet Knights into Sunday's season opener. Ahanotu and Langan also served as captains last year.


MAYAN AHANOTU
Having played the last 34 games consecutively, Ahanotu totaled 39 tackles with 8.5 for loss the past three seasons for the Scarlet Knights in the middle of the defensive line. The Tampa, Florida, native is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team®. Ahanotu merited the Douglas A. Smith Second Effort Award in the spring, which honors the defensive player who through determination, dedication and hard work has shown the most improvement during the offseason and spring practices.


JOHNNY LANGAN
Langan totaled 31 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown in recording at least one catch in all 12 games last season. He added 31 rushes for 139 yards and a score, along with a passing touchdown. The Wayne, New Jersey, native enters his sixth season of college football with 45 games of experience. A versatile player, 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.


JOE LUSARDI
Lusardi enters his fourth season in the program with 24 games of experience. The Summit, New Jersey, native has totaled 11 tackles with action at safety and on special teams. Lusardi is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as a communication major.


KYLE MONANGAI
Monangai has played in 28 games over the last three seasons, totaling 680 career rushing yards on 171 carries with six touchdowns. He rushed for 162 yards last season at Michigan State, the most by a Scarlet Knight in a Big Ten game. Monangai is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree as a supply chain and marketing science major.


MOHAMED TOURE
Toure is set to return to the field after missing last season due to injury. He led the team with 4.5 sacks in both 2021 and 2020. The Pleasantville, New Jersey, native totaled 52 stops in 2021 with six games with at least five stops.


GAVIN WIMSATT
Wimsatt started six games, including the last five, in 2022 with 65 completions for 757 yards and five touchdowns. The Owensboro, Kentucky, native set career highs with 236 passing yards, 20 completions, 34 attempts and two touchdown passes at Michigan State.

The Scarlet Knights open the 2023 season Sunday at SHI Stadium versus Northwestern in a game presented by Provident Bank. Kickoff is set for noon on CBS. Listen on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network.

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