Coming off an injury, junior running back Aaron Young saw his first bit of game action in Rutgers’ 24-17 win over Indiana on Saturday.
“I’m just happy to be back with the guys and competing,” Young said. “I’ve been a competitor my whole life so it’s hard having to sit back and watch but that’s God’s plan and I couldn’t be more thankful to be back out here.”
Head coach Greg Schiano is also pleased to add Young back into the fold considering the versatility he can bring to an offense currently ranked 113th in the nation.
“I’m hopeful we can see more of him this week,” Schiano said. “People forget what a good football player he is, he’s an all-around good player, he can catch passes and line up at wideout or running back and special teams. He’s one of our well-versed players.”
Although Young’s role against the Hoosiers entailed just special teams, Schiano added he will look to expand it now that he seems to be getting back into game shape.
“I think his role will continue to grow, he just hasn’t been fully healthy and this is the first week,” he said. “When you have knee surgery like he had it’s tricky, you can be good enough to do certain things but for the day-in and day-out pounding maybe you’re not yet.”
Schiano went on to discuss what he thinks of the fourth-year running back.
“He’s a good athlete, he can run, change direction, and has good hand-eye coordination and flexibility,” he said. “I think he understands the game, his dad played college football and his brothers did too, he just had to deal with his recovery. In the bowl game, I thought he was playing really well before he got injured.”
Despite it being a long road back to the gridiron, Young feels he is getting close to where he wants to be.
“Once I got back out here and into the swing of things, instincts naturally took over,” the junior said. “It took a little bit but it’s all coming together.”
Along with Schiano, Young is eager to see what he can bring to the Scarlet Knights’ offense considering the different aspects of his game that can complement others, including freshman standout Samuel Brown V.
“I feel like I make people pay attention to me on the field,” he said. “They really have to keep an eye on me as far as the run game, passing game, and blocking. All three of those elements are a big part of being a running back.”
Both Pennsylvania natives, Young has formed a bond with Brown and finds his acclimation to the college game remarkable.
“He lives probably about five minutes from my mom’s house in Philly,” Young added. “Ever since he got here we’ve been really close and it’s nice to see him grow up and take such a role as a freshman.”
TKR’s Chris Nalwasky also contributed to this report
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