Transfer portal: Rutgers football offers former Long Island standout offensive lineman Jonathan Mendoza

Kristian Dyer

Thu, Nov 23, 2023, 3:47 PM·12 min read

Rutgers football sent out an offer on Wednesday night to Jonathan Mendoza, an offensive lineman who recently entered the transfer portal from Yale. The offer has all the markings of Pat Flaherty, the former NFL offensive line coach who is now at Rutgers.

A standout right tackle at Yale, Mendoza has a very crowded recruitment already, despite having just entered the transfer portal this week. Since Tuesday, he has been offered by Duke, Houston, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Tulane and Vanderbilt among others.

He grew up local to Rutgers in Westhampton, New York where he was a standout in the growing Long Island football scene.

The offensive line remains a priority for Rutgers, even as the unit took a huge first step under Flaherty. Hired this offseason, Flaherty did a masterful job in turning an offensive line that was among the worst in Power Five football over the past decade into a group that paved the way for the Big Ten’s top rusher.

The fact that Rutgers is middle of the Big Ten in offensive production is also a testament to the job Flaherty has done. Flaherty spent two decades in the NFL as an offensive line coach, where he won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants.

Mendoza tweeted about the offer on Wednesday:

Honored to receive an offer from Rutgers University! pic.twitter.com/GwAkF88UuF
— Jonathan Mendoza (@MendozaJon77) November 23, 2023

Strong and powerful, Mendoza moves well as a blocker. At 6-foot-9 and 309 pounds, he has some impressive size that would certainly translate well to the Big Ten.

And he has a frame that could certainly add more muscle.

Mendoza was a First-Team All-Ivy selection on offense in 2023. Last year, he was an honorable mention selection at right tackle.

He has one year of eligibility remaining.

The profile of Mendoza is similar to J.D. DiRenzo, who joined Rutgers for one season in 2022. DiRenzo made the step up from the FCS (Sacred Heart) and his one strong season in the Big Ten with Rutgers saw him sign with the Carolina Panthers after the NFL draft.

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