After switching over from the defensive line to offensive line prior to the season, Brendan Bordner earned his first career start this past Saturday for the Rutgers football team against Purdue.
Bordner filled in for an injured Raiqwon O’Neal, played all 87 snaps, and more than held his own. He had one holding call against him, but Bordner displayed a solid base and Pro Football Focus gave him an 85.3 pass protecting grade which was tops on the team.
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“Brendan played well. He did. That's big for us,” Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano said. “I thought he could do that, but until you go out and do it against a Big Ten opponent how do I know? I don't know. I say to our guys there are some things I think I know and some things I know I know. Well now I know I know because I've seen it.”
The last two years, Bordner played in 20 games on defense, registering 23 total tackles including three behind the line of scrimmage, but now the 6-foot-5, 284-pounder is doing the blocking.
It is unclear as of this writing if O’Neal will be able to play this weekend against Penn State at home, but even if the latter can go, Bordner could have a role regardless.
“That gives us depth,” Schiano said. “It gives us a chance even if games Raiqwon came back to give our tackles a breather. I think it's huge.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
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