In era of constant player movement, Greg Schiano and Rutgers football defying the odds
PISCATAWAY – Mohamed Toure could’ve decided he had spent enough time with Rutgers football, that it was time to pursue the NFL and declare for the draft.
But the Scarlet Knights star linebacker returned for one more season.
So did running back Kyle Monangai. So did defensive ends Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey. So did linebacker Tyreem Powell. So did left tackle Hollin Pierce.
And not only did they all delay their NFL dreams, but they all chose to stay with Rutgers instead of chasing NIL dollars elsewhere.
Rutgers key pieces shun transfer portal and the NIL possibilities elsewhere
In an era of constant player movement, with the transfer portal and NIL now a core theme of college football, Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights, who will play Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28, have so far managed to defy the odds.
Part of their decisions came down to one more year of development, one more year to boost their draft stocks and impress NFL talent evaluators.
And sure, NIL was a factor − representatives of the Knights of the Raritan acknowledged on social media that donations from supporters helped allow for such retention.
But helping the Scarlet Knights continue to improve, something they did this year with their best record since 2014, played a major role in players' decisions to return.
“I think it says a lot because you look around the country, you see a lot of schools – I wouldn’t say falling apart, but they have a lot of guys going different places,” said Toure, who has 86 tackles (7½ for loss) with 3½ sacks. “And it says a lot that our top guys are staying here. That shows how tight knit we are with each other.”
Toure, who missed the 2022 season because of a torn ACL, helped drive the success of Rutgers’ defense, which ranks 27th nationally.
So far, the only impact player to announce he’s declaring for the NFL Draft is cornerback Max Melton – Schiano said Wednesday that he encouraged the Mays Landing native to make that decision.
Toure believes with so many players returning, the defense can be even better in 2024.
“We’re not losing too many guys, we’ve got a lot of guys coming back,” Toure said. “Just playing with this defense, it means a lot to me because these are like my brothers, off the field. We’ve created moments and memories and bonds that will last a lifetime. Just having another year to be able to do that with them, it’s a blessing.”
Still, that Rutgers has managed to retain so many high-level players is not a luxury that many programs around the country have been able to enjoy. Players flooded into the transfer portal almost as soon as the regular season ended.
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Some players did leave the Scarlet Knights in search of other opportunities – any more playing time if they were deeper on the depth chart.
'They love their teammates..their coaches..they love Rutgers'
But the starters chose to stay.
“I think it says, No. 1, that they love their teammates and they love their coaches. They love Rutgers, and they really want to make Rutgers what they came here to do,” Schiano said. “All of them who decided to do it, to stick around, they are keenly focused. They want to know, ‘Coach, who we bringing in? Who do I have to talk to?’ They are all about building this team to go win next year, because that’s all they’ve got. They’ve got one year and they want to break through and then leave a legacy. I think it’s all very important to them.”
Improving their draft status is a good byproduct.
“They know if they stay another year, they’ll improve their status in the draft,” Schiano said. ‘This is a developmental program. I think we’ve proven we get guys to the league. If they’re talented enough, we’re going to get it out of them and they’re going to be mentally tough, they’re going to really, really have a high football IQ. And that’s what you need in the NFL. You need reliable guys.”
Monangai, the Big Ten’s leader in rushing yards with 1,099, said he believed he still had more to accomplish with Rutgers.
He believed he could produce even more. But he also believed the Scarlet Knights can be better than 6-6 at the end of the regular season.
Like many of his teammates, Monangai wanted to remain on that climb.
“I just think it just speaks to our culture here,” Monangai said. “It’s not an easy place to play. Coach Schiano, he demands a lot of us, but rightfully so. We know what we have to do to win here. For that many guys to want to come back it obviously means we’re doing something right. Guys want to be here, it’s not a burden. It’s a privilege to wear the block ‘R’ and be able to represent our home state. It’s a privilege.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football roster largely intact despite NFL, NIL, transfer portal lures
