Big Ten Football Media Days: Who is Rutgers bringing?
The Rutgers football team enters its fifth season in the Big Ten in 2018 and the Scarlet Knights' upcoming campaign officially gets underway in Chicago from July 23-24.
Head coach Chris Ash will be joined by senior linebacker Deonte Roberts, redshirt senior cornerback Blessuan Austin, and senior offensive tackle Tariq Cole at the conference's media days and 47th Annual Kickoff Luncheon.
Roberts started every game the last two seasons at middle linebacker, ranking second in tackles each time with 104 and 95 respectively. He’s combined for eight tackles for loss in that span while also deflecting five passes, forcing two fumbles, and intercepting a pass.
“He’s taking good charge of the defense, controlling the front, getting the calls, and getting everyone lined up” co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jay Niemann said very early during spring practice. “He’s been vocal and confident while doing it.
As a junior, Roberts was voted as a co-captain as well.
Cole is arguably the team’s best player and has started 23 games at left tackle the last two years. He appeared in eight games, mostly on special teams, as a redshirt freshman as well. Cole flirted with leaving early and entering the NFL Draft after last season, but chose to return to Rutgers.
Cole was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media last season and just by the coaches in 2016. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder has worked hard to get where he is and was the leader of the line that tied for first in the Big Ten with only 1.5 sacks given up per game. The unit didn’t allow a sac and ran for 239 yards in the win over Maryland and 274 yards on the ground in the victory at Illinois.
The Long Beach, N.Y. native excels the most at protecting the passer, registering a 97.7 pass-blocking efficiency rating, good for a tie for 13th place among 2019 draft-eligible tackles. Draftscout.com also ranks Cole has the No. 18 offensive tackle.
“Tariq is kind of our vocal guy,” offensive line coach AJ Blazek said.
Austin will be making his second appearance at Big Ten Media Days as he went last year as well before his then likely last collegiate season. Austin started the first four games in 2017 before suffering a torn ACL against Nebraska, but was able to return to Rutgers for his senior season.
"Physically, he can do everything we ask him to do. He could go out there and play right now, but we're being smart about it," cornerbacks coach Cory Robinson said earlier this spring. "He's really been a bright spot in a limited role with the things he's done. More importantly, he's becoming a leader outside of being on the field. He can't physically contribute as much, but he's really taken a role of coaching those guys, encouraging those guys down-in and down-out as well as in the classroom and the meeting room.
"I've challenged him to take on the role of a coach from his perspective, his view point. Being able to hear what's being taught and seeing how things are supposed to happen. So that when he does come back as a player, maybe the game does slow down for him a little bit for him, maybe he can see it from a different lens when he has a chance to get back on the field and play."
Austin has started 25 of the 26 career games he's played in, tallying 86 total tackles, 22 pass defenses, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one sack, and three interceptions, including one brought back for a touchdown.
This past spring, the Queens, N.Y. native couldn't participate fully, so he looked at the game more from a coach's perspective.
"The lowest point was honestly when I started feeling healthy because my urgency to get back out on the field got even bigger," Austin said. "Spring ball started and I'm thinking I can go run around and cut. I felt really good but they had to slow me down.
"Since you're not playing you become more of a critic. You're spectating more and of course, you kind of develop a coach's eye a little bit. You watching more film so you might find things that you can correct that you might not see if you were playing. From that aspect, I feel like I got better."
Ash's press conference will take place on the Monday at 2:15 p.m. ET and he will talk to media members at 3:45 p.m. as well. The players will talk to reporters at 5:15 p.m. and will most likely join the set of Big Ten Live as well as they've done in the past.