12/2/2020 football Edit

Rutgers Football LB Mohamed Toure coming on as a redshirt freshman

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Redshirt freshman linebacker Mohamed Toure splashed onto the scene with two sacks and two forced fumbles in a pass rushing specialized role in Rutgers football’s season opening victory on the road at Michigan State.

He later added another sack and four tackles against Illinois and six tackles two weeks ago against Michigan.

And this past Saturday, the Pleasantville, N.J. native and cousin of former Scarlet Knight Kemoko Turay recorded his first career interception in the third quarter in the win over Purdue in West Lafayette, IN. The pick helped set up Rutgers eventual game-winning score before he added another field goal in the fourth.

“Basically I dropped back in coverage and read the quarterback's eyes,” Toure told TKR on Wednesday. “My number two went out and I read the quarterback. ...I peeked and saw the tight end there. I looked back at the quarterback, pick.”

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Earlier in the week, head coach Greg Schiano talked about the development of Toure.

“I think Mohamed is growing leaps and bounds as a football player,” Schiano said on Monday. “I think coach (Bob) Fraser and he have really bonded. He's learning about the game of football. He's always been a tremendous athlete --a big man that can run very well. Very athletic.”

Toure’s snaps have been limited much of the season, but he received playing time and was tasked to play in a traditional linebacker role and his playmaking abilities took over.

“I think now what's starting to happen is he's learning football,” Schiano added. “There's a game within the game that most people don't even know exists, but if you're going to be a really good player you need to understand that game. Little by little he's understanding it, and it's fun to watch, because you can see when the light goes on in this area, all of a sudden he's doing it. He's been a very valuable special teams player too. So, I just think that the trajectory of his own personal career is right on how we'd like it to be right now.

“And the good thing is it gets to learn behind some veteran guys that I think prepare and do it the right way. So it's great he has some veteran players in front of them that are kind of leading the way. And Mo's not too proud to learn. I mean he is a sponge and learns everything he can.”

Toure said the coaches and his teammates have guided him and he continues to get better.

“I've grown a lot,” Toure said. “I feel like I still have a lot of room to grow. The coaches are helping me learn the game of football more and more and just improving everything and being a better linebacker in general.

“I'm working 24/7 all the time. The older guys on the team are helping me out, being there for me, and teaching me about the game. I'm staying in the game more and more.”

Listed at 6-foot-1, and 221-pounds, Toure enjoys his pass rushing package and the fact that he’s being used more in other areas. Toure mentioned he talks to Turay once or twice a week and he continually gives him tips and tells him he’s doing well.

Last season, Toure got his feet wet in two games and redshirted, which helped him see the game from the sidelines and bulk up his frame.

“It gave me time to watch and really sit back and watch and think,” Toure told TKR. “I watched the game and got to understand it better. It gave me time to develop my body and grow physically and mentally.”