PISCATAWAY – Not too long ago, the idea that Rutgers football could have multiple true freshmen stepping up and making big plays would’ve seemed hard to believe.
But that’s changing quickly.
Just take a look at who’s seen considerable playing time through the Scarlet Knights’ first five games.
True freshman wide receivers Ben Black and KJ Duff have touchdown catches against Big Ten opponents. True freshman safety Kaj Sanders started the season opener and so far has 13 tackles. Even add in second-year cornerback Bo Mascoe, who was unavailable most of last year but this season has been a key piece of the cornerback rotation and has made 17 tackles in five games.
The infusion of young talent stepping up in key spots shows that Rutgers in recent recruiting cycles has been able to add more players who have the capability of playing right away – a luxury the elite programs in the Big Ten have enjoyed for a while, but one that Rutgers has been working to build.
More of that could be on display when Rutgers hosts Wisconsin on Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network) at SHI Stadium looking to bounce back from its loss to Nebraska.
“I think it says two things,” Schiano said. “No. 1, as you said, the quality of prospect that we are able to attract to Rutgers. And I think it says a lot about the coaching staff. The amount of time they spend with these young guys helping develop the program. What does that mean? Spending a lot of time developing your younger players.”
That process has gone a long way.
“It just showed me how much they really care about developing guys,” Mascoe said. “And not just throwing them out there when they’re not ready.”
Injuries struck Rutgers football, but young players providing quality depth
Schiano often talks about filling the “pipeline,” adding young players who can develop and step up when older players graduate or move on to the NFL.
But that depth also becomes crucial when injuries strike, something Rutgers has experienced this season.
Sanders, for example, started the opener against Howard to replace Flip Dixon. In doing so, the Bergen Catholic product became just the second true freshman to start on defense for a team coached by Schiano.
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Against Nebraska, Mascoe started with Robert Longerbeam limited (he was listed as questionable on the availability report released before the game), while Duff started in place of Ian Strong, who had the same status as Longerbeam.
“We have some more young guys that we want to see play before this season is out,” Schiano said. “These aren’t the only ones. It’s just everybody kind of gets seasoned at a different time and then they are ready to get plugged in. Sometimes injuries, you know, are the cause but when we feel guys are able to go, we want to get them in the game.”
Rutgers football’s added higher-ranked recruits in most recent cycles
While recruiting rankings don’t tell the full story, they can still be a predictor for a player’s ability level early in their college careers.
Duff, for instance, was the top-overall player in New York out of St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island for the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports. Sanders was the ninth-ranked prospect in New Jersey. Black was the No. 26 overall recruit in North Carolina. Strong was the top player in New York for the Class of 2023.
As Rutgers has enjoyed more success on the field, that’s translated to recruiting success of it.
But regardless of a recruit’s rankings or how many stars are attached to their name, prospects now have proof of Rutgers’ development – and the potential opportunity to contribute as freshmen if the need arises.
“We have guys around here that understand the significance of development, the coaches on our staff,” Schiano said. “I’m grateful for it because I know what it means as they are staying out there – and it’s not always live (football). Sometimes it’s walking and talking and explaining the why. As young players start to understand the why, it really opens things up for them. That’s what I see our staff doing.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: Young players stepping up in key spots
