2025 Big Ten Football Media Day Preview

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Big Ten Football Media Days will be held this week at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, with Rutgers football making the rounds on Tuesday, day one of the three-day event. Along with head coach Greg Schiano, the Scarlet Knights will be represented by LB Dariel Djabome, QB Athan Kaliakmanis and WR Ian Strong. 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 2:45 p.m. ET and join the studio set at 5:15 p.m. ET. The three student-athletes will appear on the Big Ten Network set at 5 p.m. ET. Follow @RFootball on X and Instagram throughout the day for behind-the-scenes coverage.

Rutgers opens the season Thursday, Aug. 28 hosting Ohio at SHI Stadium. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a second straight winning season, posting a program-high points per game in the Big Ten era. The 2025 campaign opens with four consecutive games at SHI Stadium for the first time since hosting five in a row to open 2007.

Season and single game tickets are on sale. To purchase, visit ScarletKnights.com/tickets or call 866-445-GORU (4678). Benefits of being a season ticket holder include an exclusive opportunity to purchase season parking on Busch campus within walking distance to SHI Stadium, special pricing, a payment plan option, early access to season tickets and other Rutgers ticket offers throughout the year. Purchasing season tickets directly supports student-athletes. Visit Rutgers Football Ticket Central for more information.

HEAD COACH GREG SCHIANO

The all-time wins leader in Rutgers football history, Greg Schiano is in his 17th season as the head football coach "On the Banks." The second tenure, now in the Big Ten, has seen a rebuild headed in a positive direction, highlighted by exciting victories, bowl appearances, academic success and a pipeline of players to the NFL. All of this has taken place with increased fan support and unprecedented attendance records.
Overall, Schiano has directed the Scarlet Knights to nine bowl appearances with six bowl championships, including three berths over the past four years. He has coached 113 RU players who signed NFL contracts, guided the program to the top APR score in the nation and saw the program post a record-high GPA during the spring 2025 semester. The 2006 National Coach of the Year owns three nine-win campaigns and coached 20 Rutgers All-America selections.
The Scarlet Knights won a program-best four Big Ten games in 2024 and picked up seven victories overall in the regular season for the first time in a decade. The season saw the team start 4-0, including a thrilling victory over Washington, the national runner up the prior year, in front of the second-largest crowd in SHI Stadium history showcased on a FOX national primetime broadcast. The campaign ended with a 3-1 November to claim a bid to the Rate Bowl in Arizona. Twelve Scarlet Knights earned All-Big Ten recognition, while Robert Longerbeam (Ravens) and Kyonte Hamilton (Texans) and Kyle Monangai (Bears) all selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

DARIEL DJABOME

An All-Big Ten Third Team selection in his first season as a starter, Djabome ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 8.1 tackles per game in 2024. He totaled 105 stops overall, the first Scarlet Knight to reach triple figures since Olakunle Fatukasi in 2020, the fifth-most in a season under head coach Greg Schiano and second-most among returning Big Ten players.
Djabome paced Rutgers in tackles in 7-of-13 games and had five outings with 10 or more. That included a high of 14 stops in the wins over Howard and Minnesota. The Longueuil, Québec, Canada, native owned a team-high 7.5 tackles-for-loss, posting sacks versus Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan State and Kansas State. He added forced fumbles versus Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
Djabome was a finalist for the Cornish Trophy, which honors the top Canadian in college football, and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He brings 35 games of experience and 121 career tackles into the season.

ATHAN KALIAKMANIS

Kaliakmanis enters his second season with the Scarlet Knights after starting all 13 games in 2024. The quarterback completed 213-of-395 passes (53.9 percent) for 2,696 yards and 18 touchdowns in becoming the first Rutgers passer to reach 2,000 yards in a season since 2015 and accumulated the most passing yards since 2014. He was the only Big Ten player to attempt all its team's passes. For his career, he has played in 36 games with 5,480 passing yards and 41 touchdowns accounted for (35 passing, six rushing).
Kaliakmanis recorded 2,947 yards of total offense last season, the most by a Rutgers player since 2008 and fourth-most in a season in program history. He also ranks fourth in passing attempts (395), fifth in passing completions (213), tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (18) and sixth in passing yards (2,696).
A team captain, the offense averaged 28.9 points per game for the season, the best mark since 2008. The unit converted on third down at a clip of 44 percent, the team's best mark in the Big Ten era, and picked up 293 first downs, the second-most in a season in program history. The seven interceptions against tied for the fewest by Rutgers in a season since 1964.

IAN STRONG

Strong ended the 2024 regular season hauling in a receiving touchdown in each of the last four games, the first Scarlet Knight to achieve the feat since Mark Harrison in 2010. Overall, the Coram, New York, native brought in 43 receptions for 676 yards and five scores, all in the red zone, to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten status. The 15.7 yards per reception ranked No. 10 in the Big Ten.
Strong compiled multiple catches in nine games and five or more five times, posting a career-high seven receptions in the win at Maryland. He had a 65-yard grab against Minnesota, while totaling a personal-best 110 yards at Virginia Tech. That included a catch-and-run of 63 yards late in the game to set up the winning field goal to beat the Hokies.
Strong earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and enters 2025 with 59 career receptions for 906 yards and seven scores in 25 games.

2025 Rutgers Football Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 28 (6 p.m., BTN), Youth Sports Day & Postgame Fireworks vs. Ohio
Saturday, Sept. 6 (3:30 p.m., Peacock), R Community featuring A Walk to Believe vs. Miami (Ohio) (presented by GGL Law Firm)
Saturday, Sept. 13 (3:30 p.m., BTN), Band Day vs. Norfolk State (presented by PNC Bank)
Friday, Sept. 19 (8 p.m., FOX), The Blackout vs. Iowa* (presented by Horizon)
Saturday, Sept. 27 at Minnesota*
Friday, Oct. 10 (9 p.m., FS1) at Washington*
Saturday, Oct. 18, (6:30 or 7 p.m.), Homecoming & Family Weekend vs. Oregon* (presented by RWJBarnabas Health)
Saturday, Oct. 25 (Noon) at Purdue*
Saturday, Nov. 1 at Illinois*
Saturday, Nov. 8, Military Appreciation vs. Maryland* (presented by Provident Bank)
Saturday, Nov. 22 at Ohio State*
Saturday, Nov. 29, Senior Day/Thank You Fans vs. Penn State*
* - Big Ten
All Times Eastern

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Schedule

Players Mentioned

Dariel Djabome

Kyonte Hamilton

Athan Kaliakmanis

Robert Longerbeam

Kyle Monangai

Ian Strong

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