Rutgers football: Playing, not practice, made Ian Strong perfect for a position change
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The old adage, that practice makes perfect didn’t necessarily apply to Ian Strong. For the Rutgers football freshman, an offseason position change from defense to wide receiver just weeks into his college career came in a non-traditional way.
It is hard to believe that a player who in Week 1 made the top play in the SportsCenter Top 10 is still so raw at wide receiver.
In high school, Strong played both ways for St. Anthony’s (Hicksville, N.Y.) as a safety and as a wide receiver. But the two-star recruit was brought to Rutgers as a defensive back, despite showing significant promise as a wide receiver.
The reason for this is simple, says head coach Greg Schiano.
“He played wide receiver in games at St. Anthony’s. He didn’t really practice it,” Schiano said on Wednesday following practice.
“But when you watch them in games you’d say ‘This kid is special’ and we needed to bolster our wide receiver corp. And he is going to be special. He’s got a unique skill set, and he’s a big man. So I look forward to seeing him continue to develop.”
For those who have watched Rutgers football for a long time, it is easy to watch Strong on the field and see in his long strides a player reminiscent of Kenny Britt. Like Strong, Britt came to Rutgers with similar size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) and good length. Strong has a similar catch radius and the ability to turn on the jets in the open field.
Watch Strong in the open field and it is apparent that not only does he have Big Ten size, but his long strides make him a potential big play threat. When Strong opens up in space, his extension seems to carry him gracefully through each step, a symmetry of power and deft speed that seemingly never sees his gait drop.
Like Strong, Britt began making an impact as a true freshman (29 catches, 440 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2006). Strong is just starting to scratch the surface on his potential as well.
Britt ended up in the NFL as a first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans. Strong’s ceiling remains to be seen, but he is already beginning to show his capabilities.
On the year, Strong has three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he has a really unique frame as a true freshman, one that the coaching duo of Dave Brock (wide receivers coach) and John Perry (senior analyst) can mold into a potential game-changer for Rutgers at the Big Ten level.
He has already changed one game this season with a touchdown catch in the season opener against Northwestern that saw incredible athleticism and body control. The play went viral and ended up as the top play of the day on SportsCenter.
It put Rutgers up 7-0 and the Scarlet Knights never looked back.
It’s been a Week 1 full of impressive get-the-foot-down @bigten TDs.
The latest: @RFootball‘s @IanStrong23 😲
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/oGtbr7hYVu
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 3, 2023
All of which makes a very good start to his Rutgers career even more stark when compared to a recruitment that was reserved.
Despite his production in high school, Strong didn’t register a single Power Five offer other than Rutgers.
Strong earned his offer from Rutgers during a summer camp prior to his senior season at St. Anthony’s. That day, he showcased incredible athleticism, but his versatility is what once again stood out this spring when he arrived at Rutgers.
“They moved me to receiver because that was the best chance for me to get on the field. So I started working with coach Perry and coach Brock, and they got my development to get to be a receiver to play on the field,” Strong said.
“So I’m just going out there and play. I’m going to develop as the years go on. That’s the main thing.”
The process of getting Strong from the backend to wide receiver started during a meeting with Schiano. It also ended there too.
Strong didn’t need much convincing to switch meeting rooms. He heard from his coach and was on board with very little convincing needed.
“There was a lot of older safeties. And when I went to Schiano’s office and he told me this was the best chance to get on the field – I’m gonna listen to the man – that’s what he told me,” Strong said.
“He encouraged me that I could really see the field this year. So, I put my trust in him.
“It worked.”
