An area of the Rutgers football team’s defense that was a strong point last fall was in the secondary. Cornerbacks Christian Braswell, Robert Longerbeam, Max Melton, and Kess Abraham all had their moments.
Braswell was arguably one of the team’s top defensive players overall in somewhat surprising fashion. Originally thought he would be a rotational guy, he wound up seeing the second most snaps only behind Melton. The bad news is, his team-leading three interceptions and 11 pass breakups are now gone, but the good news is, everybody else is back. The Scarlet Knights also added two cornerbacks, Eric Rodgers and Charles Amankwaa, via the transfer portal.
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“It’s good especially with what we do schematically,” cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey said after a spring practice on Thursday. “For us as a staff, it’s now about getting them better and executing better because we have the guys to do what we want to do. I think it’s a good group. They’re focused and locked in.”
The cornerbacks as a whole have made progress since the end of the season.
“The biggest thing for me is they are holding each other accountable,” Orphey said. “When they make a mistake on the field, I hear them on the sideline and the other corners correcting and coaching them up. When you do that, you build a culture and you know you’re taking the right steps as a team. We’ve been doing a good job with that, especially with the young kids that we have.”
Melton had lofty expectations placed on him a year ago and he made 33 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and intercepted two passes in 577 snaps. He also led the country with three blocked kicks and had a 69.4 PFF grade on defense (68.5 in coverage).
"When it comes to corner a lot of people underplay it when it comes to physicality," Melton said last week. "But here we preach it, we're going to be physical at corner."
Abraham, the team’s defensive MVP in 2021, didn’t play as much last season (nine tackles, PBU in 147 snaps), but has a chance to regain his bigger role.
Longerbeam, in 475 snaps, registered a 63.9 PFF grade, and tallied 36 tackles, two picks, a sack, and a forced fumble. He’s missed time over the last couple years with injuries, so the focus for him was to get his body right.
“We’re a better team with Robert Longerbeam out there,” Orphey said.
"I gained some weight and strength. I made gains weightlifting wise. I feel like it’s helped me,” Longerbream said. “I feel more powerful and explosive, and with certain movements, I can do them quicker. It’s about being consistent.”
To sure up the cornerbacks room and to add depth, Amankwaa and Rodgers will do just that and even have a chance to start.
“For starters, they’re us. We knew that in the recruiting process. They’re good football players and we got good kids in the program. You couldn’t even tell they transferred in. They get along with everybody and get along. I enjoy both of them and they’re working hard.”
All in all, the Scarlet Knights and Orphy think the unit can make a jump this upcoming season and be even more effective out on the field.
“We’re making progress,” he said. “We’re not where we need to be, but that’s what spring ball and fall camp is for. We’re trying to figure things out and hopefully by September, we’ll have it figured out more. We have to play together and have some holes to fill.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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