8/10/2023 football Edit

Rutgers Football Fall Camp Position Breakdowns: Linebackers

Craig Epstein • TheKnightReport

Staff Writer

There is probably no position group more eager for a bounce-back season for Rutgers than linebackers. The unit was ravaged by preseason injuries last year to Mohamed Toure and Moses Walker, both ACL tears, which put the Scarlet Knights behind the eight ball before the season even began. However, the duo now return to a lineup that will look to put even more pressure on opposing offenses.

Before his injury, Toure was one of the Scarlet Knights’ premier defenders as he led the team in sacks the previous two seasons. He also wrapped up his 2021 campaign with 13 appearances and five starts on the defensive line, totaling 52 tackles with eight for loss and 4.5 sacks.

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Similarly, Rutgers expected big things from Walker considering he was a four-star recruit and the highest-ranked prospect in its 2022 class. However, his freshman season was over before it even began so he will now look to begin his journey in 2023. It will be intriguing to see what kind of role Walker plays and how soon the former No. 1 player in New York will get acclimated to college football.

Despite losing two key pieces before the 2022 season, Deion Jennings and Tyreem Powell did a good job holding down the fort and making sure the unit held up its end of the bargain.

Jennings started 11 games at linebacker and led the team with 91 tackles and 8.5 tackles-for-loss. He also ranked seventh in the Big Ten with 8.3 stops per game and had four games with double-digit tackles while adding six pass breakups. For his efforts, Jennings was voted an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media and named the winner of the Homer Hazel Award as the team’s most valuable player. He was also picked to the Shrine Bowl 1000 and named Preseason All-Big Ten (third team) by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports for 2023.

In addition, Powell is coming off a quality season where he made 12 starts at linebacker and offered 71 tackles with six for loss and three sacks. He also had at least four tackles in every game and was in on a tackle-for-loss in seven contests while adding four pass breakups. Similar to Jennings, Powell was picked to the Shrine Bowl 1000 and named Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team) by Phil Steele.

While he might not get the recognition Jennings and Powell received, Jamier Wright-Collins did an admirable job considering the switch he made from running back to linebacker. Jennings played in all 12 games and totaled 24 tackles with 1.5 for loss. Although the Scarlet Knights will likely hope to not ask as much from Collins this upcoming season, they will be glad to know he offers some quality depth should anybody go down with an injury.

Rutgers also welcomes back/return Abram Wright, Sam Gadie, Lance Rice, David Onuoha, Dominick Williams, and Timmy Hinspeter.