10/14/2020 football Edit

Offensive line a work in progress for Rutgers

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

The Rutgers football offense will look a lot different in 2020 under offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson, but in order for his plans to work, the blocking up front needs to be on point.

There are a number of question marks on the starters along the offensive line, and there’s only a short amount of time remaining until the season opener.

“First the offensive line, like every other position on our team, I think it's a work in progress,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “We have some guys that are really getting better. I think Andy Aurich is doing a really good job developing the line, both him and Scott Vallone. We have some experience, but not a not a ton.”

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Nick Krimin, a redshirt senior, is the veteran of the group and is on track to start at the one of the guard spots - most likely on the right side - where he started all 12 games a year ago. Raiqwon O’Neal figures to be the man at left tackle, but other than that, it’s more of a guessing game.

CJ Hanson is in-line to potentially start at center with Mike Maietti now at Missouri and Owen Bowles not playing this season, and Cedrice Palliant could start somewhere, too, as a junior college transfer.

Mike Lonsdorf’s choice to opt out leaves a void as well as he was a valuable player with experience at both tackle and guard. Brendan Bordner moved over to the offensive line from defense and could shoot up the depth chart as could two true freshmen, Bryan Felter and Tunde Fatukasi, though starting on the line as a freshman, especially in the Big Ten, is hard to do.

“You know, Nick Krimin would certainly be the elder statesman there and he's a real strong leader for us on the offensive line,” Schiano added. “We moved Brandon Bordner over to the offensive line from the defensive line, so there's a in addition to the unit. We also had some new players that have come aboard like Cedrice Pailliant who is a junior college transfer. So we have a bunch of parts and we're trying to figure it out like most other positions on the team right now.”

Gleeson wants his offense to move fast and furious down the field, but the offensive line could very substitute and feature some form of rotation. Having depth is key.

“How do we get the best five on the field? Then do we have the opportunity to play six or seven and does that help us or do we want to ride with the best five the whole time? That's what we're trying to figure out right now,” Schiano said. “First off who are they and what are their best positions and after that are there more than five that can play. So that obviously has to be more because if you have injuries.”