Rutgers football WR, Howell product Naseim Brantley ready to bring 'big-play ability' to offense
PISCATAWAY – The wait is over for Naseim Brantley.
The Rutgers football wide receiver finally this week was able to practice with his teammates.
“It’s really an amazing feeling,” Brantley said Thursday following the Scarlet Knights’ second spring practice. “I love being here. It’s just getting back into the groove of things and being with my teammates, finally getting the chance to do something. It’s a really great feeling.”
It’s been a long time coming for both Brantley and Rutgers, which could’ve used his him on the field last season.
But an NCAA eligibility issue – one that Greg Schiano didn’t downplay his frustration about – kept him on the sidelines as Rutgers awaited word from an organization that doesn’t exactly move swiftly.
Finally, Brantley in January received a call from Schiano telling him he was ruled eligible for the 2024 season.
“It was music to my ears,” Brantley said. “I was so happy and I thank God for that.”
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Brantley, a Howell High School product, transferred to Rutgers from Western Illinois following the 2023 season.
Brantley at Western Illinois in 2022 caught 53 passes for 893 yards with nine touchdowns, leading the Missouri Valley Football Conference in receiving yards and receiving yards per game with 89.3. He was named the conference's Newcomer of the Year.
Brantley previously spent four years at Sacred Heart.
What does Brantley bring to Rutgers’ offense?
“I bring big-play ability,” Brantley said. "Anything you need me to do I’ll go do it.”
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That’s good news for the Scarlet Knights’ offense.
And it’s only been two spring practices, but offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca has liked what he’s seen.
“The thing you saw on his tape is he did a great job of going after the football,” Ciarrocca said Thursday. “He had really good hands, really attacked the football. So I’m hoping to see that. In the first two days he’s had chances to make some big plays and he did.”
In addition to getting Brantley back, Rutgers also brought in Monmouth transfer Dymere Miller this offseason bolster experience and depth at wide receiver.
Brantley has high hopes for what Rutgers’ offense can accomplish as a whole.
“I feel like the ceiling is unlimited,” Brantley said. “It’s just whatever we put our minds to and how we chop each and every day and get better.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: What Naseim Brantley brings to offense
