Rutgers Spring Scouting

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scouting reports of next year's opponents

i volunteer to cover  rutgers

[Apis Bull]

Is not too early since spring practices have begun.  You go ahead and take Rutgers.

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Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano and his staff will look to fill a number of positions in several vital areas as the Scarlet Knights move into the new season. Coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2009 and a victory in the St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers will be without the services of one of its most winningest senior classes in school history – a group that also earned an unprecedented four-straight bowl championships.

With another solid recruiting class on tap and the return of 14 starters, the Scarlet Knights seem to have all the key elements in place for another successful season in 2010.

OFFENSE

The Rutgers offense will be led by sophomore quarterback Tom Savage. The Springfield, Pa., native made his collegiate debut in the second half of RU’s season opener and as a true freshman, it was clear that Savage was the heir-apparent. Appearing in 12 games with 11 starts, including the final nine contests, Savage completed 149-of-285 passes for 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. Savage went on to being named a Freshman All-American by three separate outlets, including the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). In addition, he was named the Offensive MVP at the team’s annual awards banquet.

Likely the Scarlet Knights’ starter when spring camp opens, Savage will also compete under center with Steve Shimko.

Rutgers returns its leading rusher from 2009 in Joe Martinek. A rising junior, Martinek carried 206 times for 967 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. His biggest impact was in helping the Scarlet Knights control the clock late in games.

RU will also welcome the return of running backs Kordell Young and De’Antwan Williams. Young unfortunately suffered another setback in 2009 since making a return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as a sophomore and will likely miss spring drills. The fifth-year senior has one year of eligibility remaining and could find himself in the mix.

MARTINEK

Williams, a sophomore who saw action in seven games as a true freshman in 2009, will also provide depth at the running back position. Nicknamed “The Rocketâ€, Williams showed his big play ability on several occasions, effortlessly getting to the second level of defenses. He carried 44 times for 235 yards and a touchdown. Junior running back Tyrone Putman, a standout on the Rutgers track and field team, will also vie for snaps during spring camp.

For the first time in three seasons, the Scarlet Knights will be in search of a starter at the fullback position, following the graduation of three-year starter Jack Corcoran. Corcoran started all of RU’s 13 contests last season.

Fifth-year senior Edmond Laryea made the transition from linebacker to fullback towards the end of the 2009 season and could be the Scarlet Knights’ frontrunner to assume the starting position. Also in the mix will be three redshirt freshmen Nick DePaola, Junior Solice and Robert Joseph.

Absent from Rutgers’ wide receiver corps will be All-BIG EAST wideout Tim Brown. A 1,000-yard receiver and the school’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, Brown rounded out a career as one of RU’s most prolific deep ball threats. The Miami, Fla., native led the Scarlet Knights with 1,150 yards and nine touchdowns on 55 catches.

Rutgers will be in good hands with the return of sophomore Mohamed Sanu, who was second in receiving with 51 catches for 639 yards and three touchdowns. Originally a highly-touted safety out of high school, Sanu made the switch to the offensive side of the ball and the move proved invaluable. Sanu became the first Scarlet Knight since 1993 to run, pass and catch a touchdown in the same season. Commanding the offense from the wildcat set, Sanu carried the ball 62 times for 346 yards and five TDs en route to earning Freshman All-America honors.

As one of the largest groups of returnees, Rutgers will have 13 Scarlet Knights jockeying for position on the depth chart at wide receiver this spring. Redshirt junior Mason Robinson, who moved from running back to wide receiver in 2009, suffered a season-ending injury in the opener and will look to return to his old form in time for spring camp. Robinson has played in 21 career games with 353 yards on the ground and 125 receiving as a running back his first two seasons.

SANU

Fifth-year senior Julian Hayes, and sophomores Keith Stroud, Marcus Cooper, Tim Wright, Mark Harrison and Quron Pratt are the remaining Scarlet Knights with the most experience at wide receiver. The group combined for 47 games in 2009 and caught 13 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.

Also adding depth to the position will be redshirt sophomores Eddie Poole and Carl Harris, and three redshirt freshmen in Aaron Hayward, Jamal Merrell and Phil Lewis.

At the tight end position, the Scarlet Knights will look to two players who earned playing time in 2009, redshirt sophomore D.C. Jefferson and sophomore Tony Trahan. Jefferson, a former quarterback, appeared in 12 games, catching five passes for 104 yards, including a career long of 46 yards on his first-ever collegiate reception. Trahan saw action in six contests, hauling in a pair of passes for 27 yards.

Also in the mix is junior Evan Lampert who played in all 13 games last season. Helping to add depth will be redshirt freshmen Malcolm Bush, Paul Carrezola and sophomore Beau Bachety.

For the first time since the 2007, the Scarlet Knights will be forced to replace a pair of bookend tackles following the graduation of right tackle Kevin Haslam and the departure of left tackle Anthony Davis, who was an early entrant into the NFL Draft. Rutgers will also have to find a replacement for three-year starter at center Ryan Blaszczyk. The trio will likely take their games to the next level with Davis as a possible top-10 draft pick, leaving a major void for the RU coaching staff to fill.

Juniors Art Forst and Desmond Stapleton are two linemen with experience that will be counted on heavily in 2010. Forst has started as a guard since his true freshman season, while Stapleton has been Davis’ backup on the two-deep the past two seasons.

Fifth-year senior Howard Barbieri and juniors Caleb Ruch and Desmond Wynn have seen extensive time on the offensive line during their careers ‘On the Banks’ and should be key contributors up front.

The Scarlet Knights will have depth on the offensive line with the return of senior Mo Lange, junior Richard Muldrow, sophomores Devon Watkis and Nicholas Libonati, and redshirt freshmen David Osei, Jamal Wilson and Nick Walls.

Rutgers also welcomes three early enrollees in Betim Bujari, Frank Quartucci and Hofstra transfer Matt McBride. Another new face on the offensive line will be redshirt freshman Antwan Lowery, who makes the move from defensive tackle to the offensive side of the ball this spring.

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DEFENSE

Rutgers lost impact players at all three levels of its defense with the graduation of three-year starter on the defensive line George Johnson, starting linebackers Ryan D’Imperio and Damaso Munoz, starting All-BIG EAST corner Devin McCourty and starting safety Zaire Kitchen.

SILVESTRO

Despite those losses, a talented group of defenders return, including three starting defensive linemen from a year ago. Senior defensive end Alex Silvestro headlines a defensive line that has a multitude of talent on the roster. Since breaking into the rotation as a true freshman in 2007, Silvestro has appeared in 37 career games. He made the switch from defensive tackle to his more natural position at end, making 42 tackles, including 12.0 for loss. He also recorded two sacks, an interception and recovered four fumbles.

He will be joined on the defensive line by fellow starters Charlie Noonan and Scott Vallone. Noonan, a fifth-year senior, emerged as a standout tackle in 2009 along with Vallone who earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors for his performance. Vallone had 41 tackles, 9.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Senior Jonathan Freeny will likely step into the other starting role at defensive end opposite to Silvestro after spending the past three seasons as the backup to Johnson. Freeny had 32 tackles, 12.0 for loss and a team-best nine sacks.

Providing depth on the defensive line will be junior Eric LeGrand who appeared in all 13 games with 33 tackles, 7.5 for loss and 2.0 sacks. He also recovered two fumbles. Junior Justin Francis saw action in 12 contests at tackle and end. He posted 14 tackles, 5.0 for loss and 3.5 sacks, while fifth-year senior Sorie Bayoh will also be in the rotation at defensive end.

Four redshirt freshmen will look to break into the two-deep at the start of spring camp. Andre Civil, Isaac Holmes, Jamil Merrell and Michael Larrow will each try to impress the coaching staff.

The linebacker corps returns two starters in senior Antonio Lowery and sophomore Steve Beauharnais. Lowery started eight contests in 2009, while Beauharnais made four starts, including the final three games. Lowery is the team’s leading returning tackler with 55 stops. He also had 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. Beauharnais emerged as the season progressed and finished with 36 tackles, 7.0 for loss and 5.0 sacks.

LEFEGED

Junior Manny Abreu has been a solid contributor since arriving in 2007 and will likely see time in the rotation along with senior Jim Dumont, junior Marvin Booker and sophomore Ka’Lial Glaud. Glaud was another standout linebacker who earned playing time as a true freshman.

Adding depth to the group will be seniors Al-Ghaffaar Lane and Colin McEvoy, and sophomores Aaron Bakr, Morgan Carter and Marcus Witherspoon.

The defensive backfield will be led by senior Joe Lefeged, who spent last season as a starter at strong safety. Lefeged had 44 tackles, 2.5 for loss and an interception. He also developed into a standout in the return game, taking a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against West Virginia.

Also in the mix at safety are a trio of sophomores in Duron Harmon, Khaseem Greene and Wayne Warren, and junior Patrick Kivlehan. Harmon saw action in 12 games as a true freshman primarily on special teams, while Greene saw extensive action at safety, recording 33 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

Kivlehan, who was coming off a solid true freshman season, suffered an injury which set him back in 2009.

Junior David Rowe started at the other cornerback position opposite McCourty and will likely reassume his role. He appeared in all 13 games with 36 tackles, 3.5 for loss and two interceptions. Also in the mix at cornerback is senior Brandon Bing and sophomore Brandon Jones. Bing played in seven games, making two starts, while Jones saw action in 11 contests.

A trio of highly-touted redshirt freshmen Darrell Givens, Logan Ryan and Abdul Smith will look to bolster the cornerback rotation.

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SPECIAL TEAMS

Rutgers returns both its starting punter and place kicker in Teddy Dellaganna and San San Te, however, the special teams unit maybe most impacted by the loss of its starting long snapper Andrew DePaola.

Dellaganna punted 68 times for an average of 42.2 yards, including a season-long 60 yards. He also placed 26 punts inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. Te connected on 18-of-28 field goals and was a perfect 39-of-39 on extra points.

Providing depth in special teams are backup punter Tyler Thomas and backup placekicker Kyle Sullivan. Defensive lineman Clem Udovich and redshirt sophomore Robert Jones will compete for the vacated long snapper position.

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• Rutgers returns 14 starters and 45 letterwinners from last season’s team that finished the season 9-4, including a 45-24 victory over UCF in the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl. Three of Rutgers’ four losses were to teams that combined to win 31 games (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia) a season ago.

• Rutgers has appeared in five consecutive bowls, including four straight bowl victories.

• The Scarlet Knights hold the first of their 15 spring practices March 23. Spring football for the Scarlet Knights concludes on Saturday, April 24 with the annual Scarlet-White spring game at Rutgers Stadium.

What Rutgers Returns in 2010

Category        Percent Returning

Starters            66.7% (16-of-24)

Letterwinners  64.3% (45-of-70)

Passing Yards 90.1% (2,249-of-2,495)

Rushing Yards            80.1% (1,412-of-1,747)

Receiving Yards        45.5% (1,134-of-2,495)

Passing Touchdowns  100.0% (15-of-15)

Rushing Touchdowns 76.2% (16-of-21)

Receiving Touchdowns          26.6% (4-of-15)

Receptions      55.2% (91-of-165)

Tackles            55.2% (485-of-879)

Sacks  71.3% (28.5-of-40.0)

Tackles for Loss          64.6% (73-of-113)

Interceptions  60.0% (9-of-15)

Continued Success “On the Banksâ€

• The Scarlet Knights are one of four teams in the country to win four consecutive bowl games.

• Rutgers has averaged nine wins per season over the previous four years.

• Rutgers is one of 30 teams nationally to appear in five straight bowls.

Looking Back at a Successful 2009 Campaign

• Rutgers finished the season 9-4 after a 45-24 victory December 19 vs. UCF in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

• Defensively, Rutgers was ranked in the top 20 nationally in six different categories.

• Rutgers was first nationally in fumbles recovered and tackles for loss and second in turnover margin.

• The Rutgers defense was also fourth in the nation in sacks, fifth in turnovers gained, ninth in first downs allowed, 10th in third down efficiency defense and 10th in fourth down efficiency defense.

• Rutgers led the BIG EAST in total defense, scoring defense, turnover margin and tackles for loss.

• With a true freshman starting at quarterback, Rutgers won nine games in a season for just the sixth time in school history, including a 31-0 victory over then 23rd-ranked USF.

BIG EAST’s Most Experienced Quarterback Returns

• Amazingly, sophomore quarterback Tom Savage went from the league’s most inexperienced starting quarterback to the BIG EAST leader in career starts in just one season. Savage has 11 career starts under his belt, the most of any active quarterback in the conference.

• Savage was named Rutgers’ offensive MVP following the 2009 season. Savage, a FWAA First Team Freshman All-America selection, finished the season with 2,211 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes. He finished sixth in Rutgers single-season history with 2,211 passing yards.

• Savage threw for the most yards by a true freshman in BIG EAST single-season history in 2009. He finished the season second nationally among all true freshman quarterbacks in passing yards and touchdowns.

Rutgers Spring Football Key Dates

Tuesday, March 23        Spring Practice #1 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 25      Spring Practice #2 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 27      Spring Practice #3 11 a.m.

Wednesday, March 31 Spring Practice #4 3:30 p.m.

Friday, April 2                Spring Practice #5 3:30 p.m.

Monday, April 5              Spring Practice #6 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 7      Spring Practice #7 3:30 p.m.

Friday, April 9                Spring Practice #8 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 10        Spring Practice #9 TBA

Tuesday, April 13        Spring Practice #10 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 15        Spring Practice #11 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 17        Spring Practice #12 TBA

Tuesday, April 20        Spring Practice #13 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 22        Spring Practice #14 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 24        Scarlet-White Spring Football Game  Rutgers Stadium (3 p.m.)

SPRING PROSPECTUS

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my sources tell me rutgersmens bball coach will shortly be fired

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my intel on mens basketball coach was solid

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 9, 2010) – For the first time, KnightVision Broadband on ScarletKnights.com will broadcast the Scarlet-White Spring Football game live on the Internet Saturday, April 24 at 3 p.m. Fans that are not able to make it to Rutgers Stadium for the annual spring game can watch all the action on their computer as WNBC-4 New York sports anchor and reporter Bruce Beck calls the play-by-play action.

Joining Beck on the call will be Anthony Fucilli of the Rutgers Football Radio Network.

Admission to the Scarlet-White game is free. Donations will be collected at the game for the pediatric units of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Following the game, fans can get autographs from their favorite Scarlet Knights. In addition, 2010 schedule posters and t-shirts will be available as supplies last.

This year’s Scarlet-White game will also serve as one of the signature events on Rutgers Day. The second annual event features performances, tours, exhibits and hands-on activities as Rutgers Day encompasses university campuses across New Brunswick and Piscataway.

The Scarlet Knights ended the 2009 season 9-4 overall after a 45-24 victory over UCF in the St. Petersburg Bowl. It was the fourth consecutive bowl victory and the fifth straight bowl appearance for Rutgers. RU is one of four teams in the country to win four consecutive bowl games and Rutgers has averaged nine wins per season over the previous four years.

To order 2010 season tickets, visit tickets.scarletknights.com or call 1-866-445-GoRU. Tickets are also available in-person Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Rutgers Ticket Office, located at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

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Rutgers center Howard Barbieri to miss rest of spring with left knee injury

By Dave Hutchinson/The Star Ledger

April 07, 2010, 6:00PM

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerRutgers center Howard Barbieri, shown here during camp last summer, will miss the remainder of Spring Practice with a knee injury.Starting center Howard Barbieri cut a formidable figure Wednesday at spring practice in his scarlet red No. 74 jersey, full-pads and helmet.


But there was one problem. Well, actually, two. He had a crutch under each arm.

Barbieri, a fifth-year senior who suffered a left knee injury in practice on Monday, is done for the spring but will be ready for summer practice. The injury is a big blow to an offensive line that lost three starters from last season.


"He's going to be okay," said coach Greg Schiano, who refused to give anymore detail on the injury. "He doesn't need surgery, so that's good. He'll be ready to start the summer program. It's important that he is because he's a leader on our team."

Redshirt freshman David Osei stepped in for Barbieri Wednesday but the transition was a rough one. He twice snapped the ball over the head of quarterback Tom Savage in the shotgun formation.

And Osei was standing in for backup offensive lineman Caleb Ruch, who earned the warth of Schiano with a pair of errant snaps on Monday after Barbieri went down.

Even so, Ruch was plugged in at starting left guard on Wednesday. Osei had been working as a reserve tackle. Starting right guard Art Forst even auditioned at right tackle.

"We're going to move some people around," said Schiano. "We're going to tinker around a little bit. Try to get the best people in position. ... We'll get there. As long as they keep giving me effort, we'll get there."

The injury to Barbieri, however, underscores the brittle state of an offensive line that lost starting tackles Anthony Davis and Kevin Haslam and starting center Ryan Blaszczyk. The presence of Barbieri is being counted on to stablize the line.

"I thought he did a very good job in the first six practices,'' said Schiano. "I would've loved to have another eight or nine but he showed me that he's going to be fine there."

Freshman offensive lineman Betim Bujari (Secaucus High), who gave coach Schiano the first verbal commitment in his 2010 recruiting class and enrolled in classes in January, ran with the second team at left guard today. It was his fourth full practice after an MRI revealed an undisclosed head injury a week before spring practice began.

Bujari, 6-4, 295 pounds, suffered a broken nose in a pre-spring drill and a precautionary MRI showed "something in my head and they just wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything serious," Bujari said.

Bujari said the most difficult part of his transition has been ``getting down the fundamentals with the speed.''

"I think he's get talent," said Schiano. "He's a raw guy, meaning he's very strong, talented, he just needs to learn the system, learn the technique we use."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick will be the keynote speaker at a coaching clinic held at Rutgers on Friday and Saturday for high school coaches. Belichick will speak on Friday.

Schiano said he was pleased with Wednesday's practice. "This wasn't an easy day to be practicing. It was 111 degrees on the turf at waist high when we started practice. You're not used to that at this time of year

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State champion wrestler Andrew Campolattano commits to Rutgers football

By Tom Luicci/The Star-Ledger

April 06, 2010, 10:09PM

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerAndrew Campolattano

Rutgers' recent history of success with defensive players who were top-flight wrestlers has another potential entry: Andrew Campolattano of Bound Brook High School, already a three-time state wrestling champ at 189 pounds, gave head coach Greg Schiano a verbal commitment Tuesday night as the first recruit in the class of 2011, according to ScarletReport.com.

Campolattano, one of 25 three-time state champions already, wrapped up his championship junior year with a 131-1 career record on the mat. Listed at 6-3 and 215 pounds for football, he is coming to Rutgers as a linebacker. He is not expected to wrestle in college. Campolattano is rated as a 3-star recruit by scout.com.

Campolattano did not return a voice message left on his cell phone.

Tom Luicci may be reached at tluicci@starledger.com

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Falling just short of 1,000-yard season is all motivation Rutgers' Joe Martinek needs

By Tom Luicci/The Star-Ledger

April 02, 2010, 7:51PM

Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerJoe Martinek missed the 1,000-yard plateau last season by 33 yards.NOTEBOOK

Joe Martinek only needs to look at his final rushing total from last year for all the motivation he needs this spring. Good thing, because Martinek – because of injuries, a transfer and a couple of freshmen who won’t arrive until summer – is the only scholarship tailback Rutgers has this spring.

So in the absence of any competition at the position, Martinek, a fourth-year junior, has this: 967 yards.

That was his total from a year ago. Thirty-three yards shy of a 1,000-yard season he desperately wanted.

“That’s 30-something yards I left on the field. It’s motivation,†said Martinek. “It’s that and I take the approach that every day I have something to prove – if only to myself. I try to challenge myself every day. I try to improve every day.â€

With De’Antwan Williams and Kordell Young recovering from knee surgery and sidelined this spring, and with Jourdan Brooks having transferred out, Martinek and walk-on Tyron Putman are getting the bulk of the tailback carries.

The arrival of summer camp will mark the arrival of highly-regarded freshman tailbacks Jawan Jamison and Casey Turner. Martinek is secure enough not to worry about that.

“That’s the nature of the game,†he said. “With every new recruiting class I feel like they’re trying to replace me. It makes your work harder. It makes you want to take advantage of the edge you can get now in the spring.â€

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said he has been impressed with Martinek’s ability in the open field and making defenders miss this spring.

“But we still need to be able to run somebody over, like in a goal line situation and those things,†he said.

Michigan transfer Marcus Witherspoon, whose two years at Rutgers were essentially lost to injuries, has left the program and is probably done with football, Schiano said.

The third-year sophomore, one of the state’s top defensive players as a senior at Holy Spirit in Absecon, had been moved from linebacker to defensive end before failing to show for practice on Wednesday.

“It’s unfortunate. I don’t think Marcus is going to be able to stick around with us. I’ll leave it at that,†Schiano said. “He’s had some personal issues.â€

Schiano said Witherspoon will finish the semester “and then figure out where he’s going to

land. It’s not going to be playing football, though. It’s going to be living a non-football life.â€

Converted defensive tackle Antwan Lowery continues to see significant time at right guard, working with both the first and second team lines.

“â€He’s physically very, very strong,†Schiano said of the redshirt freshman. “So we need to get him enough repetitions to learn how hard it is to do it. He definitely has the ability. There won’t be enough reps between now and opening day, so we’re trying to get him as many as we can.

“I think he’s going to be a very good offensive lineman someday. Unfortunately, we need him to be good now.â€

Schiano said the first of three intrasquad scrimmages will be a week from today at Rutgers Stadium.