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Rutgers football 2011 season preview: defensive line

On the Banks — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:01:01 -0000

No analysis of the 2011 Rutgers defensive line is possible without ruminating on the absence of Eric LeGrand. LeGrand was a very good player for Rutgers, ceding a starting job to Charlie Noonan mainly out of seniority. LeGrand was also an emotional leader on defense, drawing repeated comparisons to former Rutgers star Eric Foster, both for their personalities and styles of play. Defensive tackle recruiting is hard enough as is. There is no greater jab to the solar plexus than in losing a really good one, never mind having to worry about his life, or whether he will walk again. Rutgers has to make due the best it can this year without their missing comrade, but the void created by LeGrand's absence is impossible to fill in a figurative and a literal sense. He is irreplaceable, but Rutgers still has to play what would have been Eric's last season of eligibility. All that these players can do is dedicate these games to Eric by playing with the same tenacity and dedication that he always showed, never leaving a single ounce of effort lingering on the field.

One of the most confounding things about the game of football is that it isn't easy to judge anyone's performance out of a handful of offensive skill position players, and even then, those performances are still heavily dependent on team context. One clear case in point example is Rutgers defensive tackle Scott Vallone. The Rutgers defense may have been shell-shocked after LeGrand's injury last fall, but a handful of players such as Vallone, Alex Silvestro, and Justin Francis kept playing their hearts out every single game. With Mohamed Sanu injured, Vallone in fact was far and away the best and most effective Scarlet Knight last season. Outside media don't watch the games though for the most part. They care about a team's W/L record, and for defensive linemen, raw sack totals. Thus, zero postseason or preseason 2011 accolades for Vallone, even though he's been fantastic for two years running, and can make a case for being the single best defensive lineman in the Big East.

Vallone and Justin Francis were the two sure things up front entering the year for the Scarlet Knights, the only question with that dynamic duo being whether Francis would play at end or tackle. Developing the latter is a bit more difficult and time-consuming, so Francis slid back inside to under-tackle, with Vallone shifting over the nose. He's basically been good enough to start now for several years running, held back somewhat by a crowded depth chart (Silvestro and Jonathan Freeny were seniors last year), essentially playing starter's minutes. Francis already has a fair bit of experience at DT on passing downs, and Rutgers defensive tackles traditionally favor athleticism over bulk. Odds were that it would be a seamless transition inside, and those projections have borne fruit through the first quarter of the season.

The defensive tackles look very good, but defensive end is muddled to say the least. Manny Abreu was very good at linebacker last year, pretty much the defense's second best player after Vallone. He missed a few games following a chop block against Army, and came back in the spring as a defensive end. Rutgers was looking for more speed and in need of bodies on the line, and Schiano had shifted countless past linebackers to end (if not tackle even.) Absent having to worry about coverage responsibilities, would Abreu excel being able to attack on every down? That was the theory on paper, but the early spring and fall reviews were surprisingly mixed. It's weird - yes, Schiano clearly wants to get more speed on defense, but Abreu was making play after play last season. He's playing, but wouldn't it he be better served as more than a rotational player?

Mike Larrow is an interesting player, having a great deal of potential on the defensive line. Problem is, he was thrust into action a little earlier than expected last year after LeGrand's injury. A redshirt freshman trying to bulk up from defensive end is a perfectly acceptable fourth tackle. As the first player off the bench, on a team that depends heavily on rotation? That's more of a stretch, and Larrow's performance needs to be judged in the proper context of unfortunate circumstances throwing him into the spotlight a bit earlier than expected. He had to flip positions with Francis this year, but Larrow starting at DT next to Ken Kirksey in 2012 wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Larrow is a great athlete and still has an awful lot of untapped promise, with his starting to be borne out with rotational minutes at end this year.

Jamil Merrell was expected to start at end this year, but is starting to make George Johnson look like a model of health. For two seasons in a row now, one of the biggest offseason storylines was regarding how Merrell was looking great and ready to compete. With Rutgers losing a lot of linemen from 2010, a lot of responsibility fell on his shoulders. Last year he was hurt, and that looks to be the story again this fall, with a foot injury felling him through the first three games, with minimal updates on his progress. It's beyond frustrating as an observer. Imagine how Merrell must feel through all of this. If Jamil could only see the field at some point, we might have something.

Along with Abreu, Ka'Lial Glaud is exhibit A of Greg Schiano's cavalier attitude towards linebackers: mainly, that they should be glorified safeties, track stars in a helmet and pads. Glaud wasn't Abreu's rival as a blue-chip recruit, but he was no slouch in that respect, infamously claiming to have selected Rutgers over West Virginia due to a coin flip. As ridiculous as some of the offseason media skepticism was this year (of course offense will dominate scrimmages, Schiano's roster is built for blitzing), Glaud's shuffling around the roster certainly raised eyebrows among even the most diehard Scarlet Knight partisan. First, he's the future as the run-stuffing middle linebacker we've been craving. Steve Beauharnais gets to play his natural position on the strong side again. Then they switched positions, fine. It's not too uncommon, and Greg Schiano is trying to find his best eleven. Seemingly out of the blue, Glaud switched to defensive end in fall camp, undoubtedly influenced by the rash of injuries at this spot. It was weird even to Ka'Lial, but he is technically starting now.

When critics picked apart RU's defensive line rotation this year, that criticism was not warranted with regards to the starters. Francis and Vallone can make a strong case to be considered the best one-two punch in the league. Behind them? Well, not so much. Ken Kirksey certainly has a lot of ability, with his impressive combo of size and acceleration one of the top causes for optimism in a long offseason. Asking a freshman to play significant minutes without much in the way of conditioning under his belt is an awful lot to ask, even though Kirksey prepped for a season at Fork Union. There are few players on the roster who hold more promise at this point, but for now, he will contribute as quality depth to give the starters a breather.

Ike Holmes was technically the fourth tackle last season after LeGrand's injury, but rarely played. He's a bit of a square peg on the roster. Giant defensive tackles don't grow on trees, especially run-stuffers (Kirksey's main his headlines as an explosive pass rusher.) Whenever one of these players actually signs with the program, which is rare to begin with (Holmes, Taj Alexander, and Marquise Wright over the past few seasons), the chorus of second guessing immediately begins. "He'll never play, at least on defense. A lock to play guard. Etc etc..." Given Greg Schiano's track record, who can blame the naysayers? Holmes, to his credit, is now listed as having slimmed down to the low-70s, giving him a puncher's chance of actually playing. A D.J. Mera-type could stand a good chance of jumping Holmes in the depth chart after a year in the gym though.

RU is playing a lot of ends this fall, but that's partially because they have a few respectable options. Walk-on Shane Meisner drew some early praise, but the linebacker transplants quickly jumped ahead on the depth chart. Marvin Booker looked to be a top reserve at linebacker, but Schiano put him at end in a move that immediately drew comparisons to Papa Beckford's similar position change a few years back. Booker's been battling injuries through the first few weeks, which has opened a door for fan favorite Marcus Thompson. It's easy to see why Thompson has a cult-like following among Scarlet Knight fans (they needed someone to fixate on with De'Antwan Williams playing/transferring.) That same quality must drive the team's defensive coaches absolutely berserk at times. No player on the roster brings more unabashed aggression and reckless abandon with every snap. Chances are, he'll be one of those confounding guys that alternatively confounds and tantalizes everyone for as long as he is on campus.

Any concerns here ultimately boil down to depth. If Vallone or Francis were to go down for any extended period of time, the interior line goes from a major strength to a significant weakness. Not having LeGrand is proof of an unjust and unfair world in all respects, but not having him significantly hurts the rotation. For the past few years, Rutgers has counted on having three solid tackles with starting experience, and that plan had to be scrapped for a year and a half due to no fault of their own. Coach Schiano's critics certainly have plenty of ammunition to use, but if this group wears down, there's really nothing more that could have been done. That being said, reasonable confidence in this group is warranted. The starting defensive tackles are really good, there are bunch of competent bodies at end with upside in spades, and RU signed some good freshmen last winter. Rutgers will be back on Schiano's projected DL timeline in a year no worse for the where, and then it will be fair to expect the same dominant Scarlet Knight lines everyone has known and loved during the past decade.

Rutgers football 2011 NFL training camp updates

On the Banks — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:10:02 -0000

The McCourty twins bought their mother a house. With Tennessee's depth chart thinned at corner, Jason McCourty has a good chance to start for the Titans.
Kenny Britt is finally back on the field for the Titans. Is there a chance that he could face NFL discipline?
Ray Rice told off Hines Ward for drunk driving.
Jamaal Westerman could be poised to play a bigger role for the Jets. Update: here's a more-detailed storyfrom The Record.
Kevin Haslam is out for the season with an injury.
Courtney Greene is starting for the Jaguars though.
Jack Corcoran signed with the 49ers.
Ryan D'Imperio is the second-team FB for the Vikings.
Charlie Noonan signed with his hometown Eagles. (Really? Lowery's still out there?)
Alex Silvestro is getting a chance for the Pats, with New England looking for pass rushing help.
Gary Gibson re-signed with St. Louis.

Previewing the 2011 Rutgers Pro Day

On the Banks — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:00:31 -0000

ScarletKnights.com is broadcasting the team's annual senior prospect workout for NFL scouts Wednesday at 10:30 am. The Bruce Beck-hosted webcast on KnightVision, featuring Coach Schiano and several Rutgers football alumni, should be a welcome diversion for everyone calling in sick tomorrow in anticipation of the second day of the Big East tournament.

The value of these sort of events is debatable with a few exceptions, but they can be useful at drawing more attention to marginal prospects. Even then however this year's workout is notably lacking in intrigue as compared to past years. Rutgers did not have a very good season, which translated to lackluster interest from NFL teams. Part of that needs to be weighed in context; Rutgers was ran an offense in 2010 that was a poor fit with the available personnel, and the defense fell off a cliff in the second half of the year for reasons that probably were not 100% within their control.

Safety Joe Lefeged is generally considered the team's top prospect, as evidenced by his invitations to the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. Compared to his peers, Joe worked out well at the Combine. He proved his kick return prowess was no fluke with a 4.43 yard recorded time in the forty-yard dash. There would be little sense in additional workouts, although scouts may wish to see him go through more drills if possible. Lefeged's stock took a hit with some coverage miscues last fall, and a disappointing week at Senior Bowl practices. He could make up some ground back into the mid rounds by impressing on his team visits in the coming weeks.

One player who should gain a fair bit on the day is corner Brandon Bing. He clearly has the ability to run in the 4.4 range or better, which may not be apparent to those who don't regularly watch Rutgers games. It's not much of an exaggeration to suggest that alone would be enough to get him a year or two on the practice squad with the Oakland Raiders. (Owner Al Davis is more fixated on forty times than he is on tracksuits.)

As to which prospect could have the best chance of actually making a team as a late round pick or undrafted free agent, the smart money would be on linebacker Antonio Lowery or end Alex Silvestro. Lowery was a standout special teams performer earlier in his career, before taking on a starting role. That is a big plus when it comes to sticking on NFL rosters, and he can run a little too. Lowery was very effective as a junior while battling through injuries. He had some trouble shedding blockers last year though, which fell a lot on the defensive line fading in the season's second half. There were too many missed tackles too, but Lowery was a pretty good starter all things considered.

Wasn't really the fault of Silvestro though. Alex has one heck of a motor, and was always making plays even if the results weren't necessarily reflected in stat lines. Problem is though, those usually aren't the qualities that stand out at these events. Although, the scouts in attendance will be able to get the inside scoop from the Rutgers coaches on hand...

Jonathan Freeny was the other Scarlet Knight drawing some pro interest last summer. He will almost certainly play linebacker in the NFL. Not only will his official recorded height and weight be important, but look for Freeny to be asked to perform linebacker drills. Teddy Dellaganna should also draw some interest owing to his strong leg. One team could bring him in for a look at a mini-camp to look and see if they can work on shortening his release, and working on his directional punting. 2010 starters C Howard Barbieri and DT Charlie Noonan will also work out, along with backup end Sorie Bayoh.

The Rutgers Pro Day usually features a number of additional area prospects showcasing their wares, with scouts and NFL personnel executives loathe to travel to every smaller program. Monmouth's Miles Austin may be the most famous example in recent memory. Monmouth lineman Tom Ottaiano is the only known name as of now. ScarletKnights.com also mentions several former Scarlet Knights being in attendance as well, which includes a few interesting names. Tight end Shamar Graves is a terrific athlete who didn't have enough reps under his belt last year to catch on with a team. Fullback Andres Morales didn't come back for his senior season, but his blocking prowess arguably warranted more playing time.

Pitt Vs. Rutgers Q&A With On The Banks

CardiacHill — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:29:54 -0000

Jon over at Rutgers blog On the Banks obliged me with a Q&A on the Pitt-Rutgers game this week. Here are my questions with his answers. Be sure to check out his site later with my answers to his questions.

1. Rutgers has outscored its opponents 46-6 in the fourth quarter and overtime periods but only 81-79 over the first, second, and third quarters. In your opinion, what's been the difference? Does Rutgers have an 'on' switch it magically flips? Is it a matter of simply wearing down opponents? Or is it something else?

On a whole that's probably not a meaningful statistic. There were a few games where the pass protection improved in the second half (but not last Saturday, when the starting left tackle was injured), and Chas Dodd going in for the second half against Tulane made a big difference.

2. What's the quarterback status for Saturday's game? Is Chas Dodd expected to start again or will we see Tom Savage?

Dodd will start. If Pitt blitzes a lot and the Rutgers OL plays like they did against Army, he may not be able to stay upright and Savage could be forced in. Right now the OL is an anchor weight on everything, but Dodd has done a better job of handling pressure and managing the offense. Mohamed Sanu has also been taking a lot of direct snaps out of the Wildcat formation.

3. Greg Schiano had his breakout 11-2 season in 2006. The team has been extremely underrated as it has won at least eight games every season since then. But since the team has failed to reach ten wins again, what is the opinion on Schiano? Do fans think he can take the team to the next level or have there been grumblings about wanting more?

Greg Schiano is a solid coach who should be at Rutgers for a very long time. He has strengths and weaknesses, as do most in the profession. Schiano has put together good defenses. The problem right now is on the other side of the ball, and there will need to be staff changes if those units do not improve. Rutgers fans are growing very impatient waiting to win their first Big East title, but Schiano's seat is colder than Antarctica.

4. Mohamed Sanu is obviously an extremely unique player garnering hundreds of yards in rushing and receiving each year. This year, he's got six touchdowns, nearly 300 yards receiving, and nearly 300 yards rushing already. Do you see him as an NFL prospect? Even if you don't, if he ever were to play at the next level, where would you project him?

He will play in the NFL as a possession receiver with some additional trick play versatility. Sanu rushing the ball as opposed to playing more of a conventional role has more to do with the team's conventional running game being so ineffective than anything else. He is a phenomenal athlete, and his statistics have been depressed by all of the issues on offense right now. Mohamed could probably play any non-line position. He actually started out at safety during last year's spring practice and looked great there, only moving to receiver out of desperation.

5. The team had a nice win against UCONN and is 1-0 in the conference. Still, there have been struggles in close wins against FIUI and Army and of course the Tulane loss. Does this team have enough to win the conference, even in a year when its down, or do you expect them to fall short?

Rutgers has a very good defense. They not only lost DT Eric LeGrand against Army (a critical reserve who played a lot), but LB Manny Abreu had finally broken out this year and starting living up to his potential, and he is out for a couple weeks. Ka'Lial Glaud is a capable replacement at LB, but now there's no depth behind the starters at LB (due to several other injuries), nor much depth at DT. It should still be good, but LeGrand and Abreu are two critical losses that will hurt.

The problem is on offense, where Rutgers has an awful line. LT Desmond Stapleton is the only starter there who's looked any good. Tom Savage had really regressed this year before getting hurt. Chas Dodd has looked far better than Savage, but he's just a freshman and is bound to stumble at some point. They do have a lot of very impressive young talent at the skill positions who began emerging over the past few games.

They have enough raw talent to win the conference, but not enough experience. If Dodd can play well they have a shot, but that's asking a lot out of a freshman playing behind a bad line. The defense will bail Rutgers out of a few games, but that won't always be enough if the offense continues to struggle as it has.

6. What's your prediction for Saturday?

I think Pittsburgh is a good team who've had their own share of injuries. It was crazy how they were being written off last week for playing a good schedule. A lot of it will boil down to matchups. Pitt's OL isn't quite as bad as ours, but they have their own issues, and will probably resort to a lot of runs and short passes to neutralize the Rutgers rush. RU may be able to pick on Pitt's secondary, but I am worried about protecting Dodd, and don't think they will be able to run the ball.

This has the makings of an ugly, low-scoring game like a lot of the recent Pitt-RU contests. Pitt should have great field position all day if RU can't protect Dodd, and combined with Pitt's running game that will wear out the Rutgers defense. The Panthers have a better field goal kicker too. It could be close because of the factors I mentioned, and Dave Wannstedt's natural tendency to be really conservative. If Pitt loses, it will be because they were too stubborn to blitz enough, and act too conservative late in the game like UConn did a few weeks back. Schiano is the far more aggressive coach, and I think that tendency has swung a few games in this series over the past few years.

7. What impact do you think Eric LeGrand's injury will have on the team for this game and beyond? Do you expect it to fuel the team to do greater things or may the players? Will the players have additional fear of injuries in their head where it could possibly hurt the team? Or, do you expect it to have no impact at all on the field?

I don't think it's possible to predict how that will play out. A couple years back Rutgers had three defensive backs injured in a car accident, and they lost five straight after that. I'm sure there are examples of teams rallying in those situations.

Eric LeGrand was a very good player at nose tackle for Rutgers. Actually, he is slightly better than the starter Charlie Noonan, but Noonan started because they're pretty close and he had more experience. Rutgers loses a valuable starting-caliber player from its rotation, and LeGrand's loss will really hurt in 2011 when he was a lock to start and see heavy minutes. For now, Rutgers has to throw some younger players to the wolves who may not yet be as ready to contribute.

Eric is also a great guy off the field, and an important leader in the locker room. It is hard to imagine a bigger loss for Rutgers than not having LeGrand.

2010 Season Preview: Defensive Line

On the Banks — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:15:14 -0000

Projected 2010 depth chart:

DE: SR Jonathan Freeny (6'3, 250), RS-SR Sorie Bayoh (6'3, 250)

DT: RS-SO Scott Vallone (6'3, 270), RS-FR Mike Larrow (6'3, 252)

DT: RS-SR Charlie Noonan (6'2, 274), JR Eric LeGrand (6'2, 275)

DE: SR Alex Silvestro (6'4, 260), RS-JR Justin Francis (6'4, 262)

After reviewing all of the collective uncertainty on offense, it is reassuring to review what could be the top positional group for Rutgers this fall. They are a relatively anonymous bunch, in spite of widespread preseason accolades as being one of the nation's best defensive lines. There is no surefire star that will be playing in the NFL next season (ala Marvin Austin or Robert Quinn at UNC), with Scott Vallone deservedly generating the most headlines. Rutgers defensive linemen will never overwhelm with textbook physical measurables, but always seem to produce a strong pass rush in conjunction with the team's blitz-heavy schemes.

Alex Silvestro quietly has compiled a very impressive career on the banks, and barring injury will graduate as a three-year starter. Yes, he did only accumulate two sacks last year, but from memory he was a good, consistent pass rusher with several near misses. He's a bigger end and seemed to do well against the run.

‘‘I don’t know (if he flies under the radar), but not under my radar,’’ Schiano said Thursday. ‘‘He’s a guy who played three-technique (defensive tackle) his sophomore year at 235 pounds. I’ve always appreciated him. He has been a consistent performer for us. I think you need those guys. We’re counting on his leadership and play-making for sure.’’

Sack totals don't always articulate how effective a defender was at disrupting an opponent's rhythm (which leads to incompletions and turnovers). For what it's worth, Silvestro's 12 tackles for a loss tied with reserve Jonathan Freeny for second on the team behind George Johnson. Admittedly, I expected loftier numbers after Alex slid out to his more-natural defensive end position last year, but Rutgers has a lot of talent up front. It's difficult for any one contributor to stand out, especially considering that the Scarlet Knights have had a lot of good defensive linemen over the past few years, but I think he ranks right up there with the better ones.

The other case in point towards the misleading value of context-free statistics is Jonathan Freeny, who is the second cousin of NFL star Dwight Freeney. Now, that is not to say that he isn't a good player. While a reserve last year, Rutgers frequently rotates its defensive linemen, and starter George Johnson was frequently battling various injuries. Freeny actually has looked good on the field, especially when starting in the 2008 Papajohn's.com Bowl against N.C. State. He should be a very effective weakside pass-rushing DE this year at the minimum.

"I don't want to be labeled as just a pass rusher anymore, I want to be known as a complete player,'' said Freeny after a preseason practice this week. "That's what I'm working on this year. I want to make my game complete.''

It's not intended as a slight at all, but the reason to get super-anal and particular here is because Phil Steele (to single out one of several similar cases) named him as a second team All-Big East along with Alex Silvestro. That was in spite of the fact that Scott Vallone and George Johnson had better years, and Jonathan Freeny wasn't even a starter! The only plausible explanation is that the postseason awards were based on his 9.5 sacks leading the team. However, a closer glance reveals that 6.5 of those sacks came against the uninspiring trio of FIU, Texas Southern, and Howard. Did anyone even realize that he led the team until that number started becoming a big deal?

The true honor of who was the best Rutgers DL last year is up for debate. George Johnson probably reached the biggest highs, but he was wildly inconsistent from week to week battling frequent nagging injuries. I agree with the consensus that defensive tackle Scott Vallone was the unit's best and most consistent player, which was quite the accomplishment for a redshirt freshman making his way back from a leg injury. It's hard for any one player to stand out in what should be a very effective 2010 defensive line rotation, but the FWAA Freshman All-American Vallone is the closest thing to a star. In fact, he is the best returning starter from what was already a very good defense last year, and all of the camp reports on Scott from the spring and fall have been absolutely glowing.

"(Vallone) is playing at a high level," Schiano said. "Scott is going to have a good year. God willing he stays healthy, and he’s going to be a force."

What made Scott Vallone so ready to step right in and contribute (he probably plays in 2008 barring the injury) is that he came out of high school relatively polished, and his high motor intensity was a perfect fit for the aggressive, undersized approach that Rutgers has favored in recent years. At a listed 6'3 and 270 lbs (as a third-year sophomore), he's a natural progression upwards from an Eric Foster or Ramel Meekins, but still on the lean side even for a three-technique defensive tackle. I would even go as far to say that Vallone has the chance to be a very good NFL prospect, but he may not have ideal bulk for the next level, and may be already close to his ceiling.

Rutgers has always used frequent substitutions on the defensive line under Coach Schiano, and nose tackle provides a useful illustration of that fact with Charlie Noonan and Eric LeGrand. Noonan is a productive and useful player, with a reputation for toughness, but even Rutgers fans overlook him in favor of his understudy LeGrand. It's understandable, considering that LeGrand is the better player (despite still being in the process of growing into the position), and his leadership ability is already drawing comparisons to Rutgers football legend Eric Foster.

"A lot of people have said that," LeGrand said. "We're two different people, but he's a great mentor and hopefully I can play up to his ability and to the best of my ability."

If you want to harp on this point, LeGrand is better and has a higher ceiling, but it's not that big of a deal.

"(LeGrand) has settled in there and he’s doing a good job," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. "Because somebody has to go out there first, Charlie Noonan has been going out there first. But they’re equal starters." …

Think back to last year, or how Eric Foster is used with the Colts. Both Indy and Rutgers have to use a lot of rotation to keep their undersized defensive lines fresh. Neither Foster nor LeGrand are technically starters, but they both log starters' minutes at the position, and are on the field for critical downs. Rutgers is lucky to have both.

That's because it is beyond frustrating to develop quality depth at defensive tackle, which is by far the hardest position to recruit along with quarterback. There are only so many quality players at the position to begin with, and they have a very high bust rate. That's why Schiano started throwing Meekins and Foster out there in the first place, in order to get the team's best players onto the field regardless of traditional personnel groupings. If you can't get the blue chippers (and only traditional powers usually can), teams have to sacrifice either size or athleticism at the position, and RU is looking to take advantage of an underutilized market inefficiency by being one of a handful of teams opting for the latter approach.

Antwan Lowery doesn't appear to be a bust, but he's now an offensive guard. Isaac Holmes may have been a high profile recruit, but he never fit the profile of a Rutgers DT, and the jury will still be out on him for another year. One or more of the bigger ends from the '09 class growing into a tackle is right in line with past trends. In that respect the only real big surprise this fall was that Andre Civil opened up camp at the two deep at DT, before moving to offensive line (which opens up a whole heap of unanswered questions). Just like that, what looked like a very deep line class has thinned out, and Rutgers needs to score another big haul from the 2011 recruiting class.

Jamal Merrell is the redshirt freshman with the most positive early buzz. He profiles as a speed rusher off the edge. With the Knights losing Silvestro, Freeny, and Bayoh after this year, Merrell is actually an early leading candidate to start in 2011. It's important that he sees enough reps this year, which is why I was somewhat disappointed the Bayoh opened camp ahead of Merrell on the depth chart. Probably doesn't matter that much because of the line's heavy rotation, but if there's a close race between a senior and an underclassmen, this seems like one scenario where it'd be wise to opt for the latter.

That was, until it was announced that Civil was moving to the OL, which kinda threw everything here into flux. Mike Larrow, who was another important '09 recruit, seems like the most logical candidate to step in behind Vallone, but it's not a certainty. Justin Francis has flipped back and forth between end and tackle in his career, and at a listed 262 has more than enough bulk for a Rutgers tackle.

”Coach Schiano and (defensive line) coach (Randy) Melvin always talk about the more positions you can dominate, it’s better for the defense,” Francis said. ”I’ve been inside before, I’ve been outside, and both are good for me. I’m used to everything.”

Problem is, he'll be counted on as a starter at end next year to replace Silvestro. Francis inside would open up needed reps for Bayoh and Merrell however. Basically, Rutgers has very good depth at DE, and DT has three starting-caliber players, but probably could use another contributing reserve.

There's also Junior Solice on the line probably, who's also seen looks at fullback and linebacker so far. With all the position switches, he's a logical fit at end, but Solice is somewhat of a mystery at this point considering that he didn't receive as much recruiting attention as the other, more high-profile signees in 2009. Due to non-qualifiers, the only incoming freshman signee here is tackle Taj Alexander, a certain redshirt who could switch to offense. Walk-on Joe Falato was a decent get though (if he can get past the NCAA Clearinghouse), and there's always the possibility that one of the 2010 linebacker signees could grow into a lineman.

This grouping looks like one you often see at Penn State, with a lot of quality frontline depth, but only one potentially marquee star in Scott Vallone. There are three good, starting-caliber players each at end and tackle. DT gets a little thin after that, with a few younger players who need to start getting their feet wet, but Francis has played inside before. The line should be a team strength along with the linebackers this season.

"With so much experience and so much talent coming to the forefront, guys have been playing real well for us," said Vallone, who keyed a unit that limited Rutgers' first-team offense to a pair of touchdowns in the two scrimmages. "Since I've been here this is definitely the biggest D-line that we've had and then you combine that with the athleticism.

Honestly, their biggest challenge will be taking advantage of so much returning talent while finding enough reps to get the underclassmen prepped for 2011. That's when the pressure will really be on with the roster finally coming of age, but defensive end could be one of the few areas of relative weakness and inexperience. It's a good problem to have, and one that everyone should enjoy watching as it's sorted out in the coming months.

NCAA '11 rosters are out, and they are terrible

On the Banks — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:00:51 -0000

Thanks to PeteyKirch for the tip.

EA Sports has released its NCAA '11 rosters via the Team Builder website. Anyone who wishes to see the rosters will have to register (free), create a team, then load in the Rutgers roster preset in order to see the ratings. Below is an analysis of EA's ratings. This is an extremely nerdy discussion topic that'll probably bore most of you to death, but what else is there to talk about at the moment?

Update: UniWatch points out this uniform screengrab, which is rather odd.

Update2: EA Sports has taken down the link. Fortunately, the player ratings are still preserved below.

Update3: Back up again.

Quarterback:

Tom Savage - 88

Steve Shimko - 71

Chas Dodd - 59

Analysis: Harsh, but fair on the backup ratings.

Halfback:

Joe Martinek -85

Kordell Young - 80

De'Antwan Williams - 80

Aaron Hayward - 67

Tyrone Putman - 66

Analysis: Mostly ok up top, although Hayward is a receiver and that has been clear for some time.

Fullback:

Robert Joseph - 69

Casey Turner - 65

Analysis: EA doesn't seem to be aware that Edmund Laryea is the starting FB. Turner is going to play RB.

Wide Receiver:

Mohamed Sanu - 93

Mark Harrison - 87

Julian Hayes - 82

Keith Stroud - 80

Tim Wright - 78

Mason Robinson - 76

Brandon Coleman - 75

J.T. Tartacoff - 67

Analysis: Understandable how they wouldn't take into account Stroud and Pratt breaking out during the spring, these have likely been set for months. I LOVE Mark Harrison's potential, but he's far too high, as is Hayes. Sanu has decent throwing power/accuracy at 75 each, but they should honestly be higher considering his skill as a passer.

Tight End:

D.C. Jefferson - 81

Paul Carrezola - 76

Malcolm Bush - 68

Analysis: Jefferson still has throwing skills. No major complaints, beyond my general frustration with EA correctly representing redshirt years.

Left Tackle:

Richard Muldrow - 78

Devon Watkis - 76

Jamal Wilson - 66

Left Guard:

Art Forst - 80

Howard Barbieri - 74

Frank Quartucci - 63

Center:

Matt Hardison - 78

Nick Libonati - 66

Right Guard:

Caleb Ruch - 84

Des Wynn - 77

Antwan Lowery - 75

Right Tackle:

Des Stapleton - 80

Chris Fonti - 65

Analysis: It's hard to project rosters going into spring practice, but projecting Muldrow as the #1 LT when he never showed an indication of even cracking the two-deep at RT is the epitome of laziness/poor research.

Left End:

Jonathan Freeny - 83

Sorie Bayoh - 74

Mike Larrow - 70

Right End:

Alex Silvestro - 86

Justin Francis - 78

Evan Lampert - 63

Analysis: EA generally tends to muck up the underclassmen here, but I'm peeved to not see Civil.

Defensive Tackle:

Scott Vallone - 77

Eric LeGrand - 76

Isaac Holmes - 65

Ken Kirksey - 64.

Analysis: And hereeee's where it all goes to hell. Vallone and LeGrand are a terrific pairing and far underrated. Senior starter Charlie Noonan is mysteriously absent in an inexcusable omission

Strongside Linebacker:

Manny Abreu - 83

Al-Ghaffar Lane - 73

Ka'Lial Glaud - 69

Marcus Thompson (?) - 49

Middle Linebacker:

Jim Dumont - 78

Marvin Booker - 69

??? - 55

Weakside Linebacker:

Antonio Lowery - 79

Steve Beauharnais - 67

Morgan Carter - 62

Analysis: The freshman SLB could be Thompson, although it's not entirely clear. The complete mystery is the sophomore MLB listed at 5'10, 225 lbs. Seriously, who is that? Everyone else seems reasonably on the mark. Beauharnais's rating here is a giant snub, and Lowery was underrated too.

Cornerback:

David Rowe - 82

Brandon Bing - 80

Logan Ryan - 79

Darrell Givens - 77

Rashad Knight - 67

Tejay Johnson - 66

Analysis: Probably should have included Brandon Jones.

Free Safety:

Pat Kivlehan - 79

Abdul Smith - 75

Lorenzo Waters - 60

Strong Safety:

Joe Lefeged - 91

Khaseem Greene - 77

Jeremy Deering - 66

Analysis: Greene should be starting over Kivlehan. Harmon really ought to be here. Deering unfortunately wasn't given any special throwing ratings.

Kicker:

San San Te - 88

Punter:

Teddy Dellaganna - 86

Analysis: Te gets 93 kick accuracy? Will wonders never cease?

Thoughts on the Rutgers football spring game

On the Banks — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:00:46 -0000

I did not take especially detailed notes, but here were my impressions.

The great weather undoubtedly helped attendance. As did 75,000 showing up to Rutgers Day, although it's probably hard to discern how many of those fed into the crowd. Or, conversely, how many families stayed away from the game to have a day out with their kids in New Brunswick.
Without the services of some linemen and star receiver Mohamed Sanu, the offense looked out of sync.
Part of that undoubtedly can be credited to strong defensive play. MLB Steve Beauharnais had a pick I remember.
The standouts on offense though were WRs Tim Wright and Quron Pratt, who both got a lot of looks from Tom Savage. Good signs for optimism, although nothing to the tune of Sanu's revelatory performance last year.
Think I remember seeing Mason Robinson on returns. He must be ahead of schedule.
Backup quarterback Steve Shimko's decision making remains a huge concern. He needs to pick his battles, make better reads, and stop trying to force balls into double coverage. Ideally all of that will come with more maturity in coming years.
At halftime, athletic director Tim Pernetti announced the spring award winners as Tim Wright (offense), Khaseem Greene (defense), and Charlie Noonan (toughness). Noonan walked gingerly out into midfield, so it wasn't a surprise to hear that he missed the game injured.
The Targum has highlights up, as does SK.com.
As far as attendance goes, there was no one sitting in the upper decks, the new endzone, or the visitors' side of the field. The other section of the lower deck was 75-80% full. I did a quick calculation and decided that 15,000 in the stands at any given moment sounded about right...and that's pretty much exactly what everyone else on Rivals and such seems to think. My above sentiments are widely shared too, meaning that this whole report is fairly accurate but mostly redundant. You'd think the recording standards are lax everywhere.
Now, the official attendance estimate (that is, people walking through the gates) was 20,114. I can believe that number, as a gate count, which necessarily would be different from a snapshot of looking at the crowd. That number is a new record for Rutgers, and is the highest recorded of any Big East spring game to this point (with West Virginia still on tap). I'm not sure how they even came up with the 20,114 figure though, as no one seemed to be counting when my group walked in at least. There are a lot of people who stayed outside tailgating, in addition to everyone else involved in the Rutgers Day festivities throughout New Brunswick and Piscataway.
Good job by the video people to get the Davis/McCourty board package up on short notice.
Transfer Rob Cervini saw action in the Albany spring game.
Booo, they're taking away bottle caps again at the concession stands.
Hey, this is for that dude who lost a Block R car magnet. I saw it on the shoulder on Rt. 18 N right before the Busch exit. You're welcome, happy to help.
Speaking of which, there was HEAVY traffic, and as a result I wasn't able to see any of the Rutgers Day stuff on Busch or tailgate at all because I had to rush into the game. Unless I missed them, there didn't seem to be the normal gameday shuttles to Johnson Park. I had to get on the Rutgers Day buses, which not only exacerbated traffic with their choice of route, but made infrequent stops, and made a frustrating stop over on Livingston when most riders just wanted to get back to College Ave.
Sorry, no pictures. I have a two year old camera phone which ran out of memory after taking some Rutgers Day pics (which should be up shortly). As usual, SK.com has you covered though.
Update: here is RDDDSands's photo album from Saturday.