JD DiRenzo happy to be back home, hoping to help wherever needed
This offseason Rutgers Football added four offensive lineman via the transfer portal in an attempt to accelerate the rebuild within the position group.
“These guys have adjusted really well,” OC Sean Gleeson said following practice. “What’s funny is that with all the new faces, you would expect to be kind of like I need to get to know this place first. In that room, because of the volume of the guys, they have kind of taken over the room which is really cool to see. I would expect someone’s individual personality to maybe be dormant for a little while until they get their bearings, but they’ve come in and it’s like they’ve been here forever.”
The most notable name among that group was South Jersey native and Sacred Heart transfer lineman J.D. DiRenzo and he spoke with the media following spring practice No. 2 today inside the Marco Battaglia Practice Complex.
“It’s going pretty well,” “Definitely an adjustment coming from a different school, everything is just different. The way you stretch, the way you warm up, the way you position, the plays and everything. Getting adjusted to that has been a challenge, but it is a challenge that I’ve accepted head on. I’ve had a lot of help from the coaching staff, coach (Greg) Schiano, coach (Sean) Gleeson our Offensive Coordinator and our offensive line coach Augie (Hoffman).”
DiRenzo admits that he wasn’t really sure what to expect when he entered the portal, but he is happy with his decision after a very tough process.
“It’s still a little surreal,” “I was at a school where when I would tell people where I play, not a lot of people knew where it was. Then I entered the portal not really knowing the type of attention I would attract and it was a little overwhelming, it was a lot more than I expected. I think I had a good support staff going through that. My coaches at Sacred Heart were very helpful in that process, encouraging, helpful and they helped guide me through and my parents helped guide me too. I had a lot of options, could’ve played in any Power Five conference, but I wanted to stay home and enjoy the tradition and culture that coach Schiano is building here. I wanted to stay home in New Jersey and help my hometown team win some games.”
It’s not a secret that the Northeast Conference is nowhere near the caliber of the Big Ten Conference, but the one thing that stood out about the transition for DiRenzo is the amount of depth on the field.
“The level of competition,” “So like today I was going one’s on one’s then it was one’s on three’s and they didn’t miss a beat. The depth is deep, everyone can play here, it’s not like the FCS level or the DII or DIII, where the scout players are kind of just bodies, these guys are players. You are getting a good look all the time, there are no plays off.”\
Over the past four seasons, DiRenzo played solely right tackle and left tackle for the Pioneers, but he is confident he can play anywhere along the line.
“I was a right tackle my first year,” “Then the next three years I was at left tackle. I can play wherever they need me.”
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