8/6/2023 football Edit

Rutgers Football Fall Camp Position Breakdowns: Offensive Line

Alec Crouthamel

Staff Writer

With training camp right on the horizon, it kicks off a critical year for the Rutgers football team in head coach Greg Schiano’s fourth season in his return to the Banks. One position that will be key to the team’s success is the offensive line, as the unit has struggled in recent years but will need to protect starting quarterback Gavin Wimsatt and open up holes for the running back room.

Schiano brought in a new face to lead the unit, hiring Pat Flaherty as the program’s offensive line coach over the offseason replacing Augie Hoffman. Flaherty, who was an offensive line assistant at Rutgers from 1984-1991 under Dick Anderson and Doug Graber, returns to the college game after spending 22 years as an offensive line and tight ends coach in the NFL.

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He does have local ties, as he was the Giants’ offensive line coach for 11 seasons, winning two Super Bowls, along with spending the 2019 and 2020 seasons as an advisor for James Franklin and new Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca at Penn State. His pedigree and decades of experience coaching the offensive line should help the unit grow even after losing two starters from a line that hasn’t been a strength for the team.

As for the players, right tackle Hollin Pierce, right guard Curtis Dunlap, left guard Mike Ciaffoni, and center Ireland Brown return after starting a majority of the snaps last season. Departing from Rutgers are left tackle Willie Tyler III, who transferred to Louisville, and left guard J.D. DiRenzo, who exhausted his college eligibility and was arguably the Scarlet Knights’ best lineman in 2022.

With Rutgers planning on shifting Pierce to fill in at left tackle, there will be an opening on the right side. Junior Tyler Needham seemed to gain momentum to start during spring practice, but will likely be competing with junior Kamar Missouri until the season opener in September.

The interior line seems to be pretty set in stone, with Dunlap, Brown, and Ciaffoni all returning to their starting spots.

The coaching staff did not make any additions to the line via the transfer portal, but did bring in three-star freshmen Nick Oliveira, John Stone, Dominic Rivera, and Mozell Williams

Providing depth behind the starters at the tackle position will likely be Missouri and redshirt freshman Taj White. Fellow redshirt freshman and former four-star Jacob Allen underwent a procedure on his knee, and his status for the season is uncertain.

On the inside, depth behind Dunlap and Ciaffoni will be provided by players with starting experience already. Redshirt freshman Kwabena Asamoah started the final three games at left guard as a true freshman, while junior Bryan Felter played in seven games in 2022. Behind Brown at center will likely be junior Gus Zilinskas, who played in four games last season including a start against Penn State.

Also in the guard room remains sixth-year senior Reggie Sutton, who is still working to make a comeback from a devastating knee injury suffered in 2021. Sutton earned the Frank R. Burns Award as the player who displays extraordinary mental and physical toughness during spring practice. He appeared in the Scarlet-White spring game, his first game action since his injury almost two years ago. If he can return to the field, not only would it be a boost to the offensive line room as he was the team’s top lineman when he got hurt, it would be a great morale boost to see his grueling rehab process come to fruition.

Behind the two-deep on the offensive line are some young players with potential. The staff brought in several linemen in the 2022 class, and many maintained their redshirt status to round out the scholarship players at the position, including Dantae Chin, Joe De Croce, Nelson Monegro, and Emir Stinette.

The Rutgers offensive line, ranked 79th in Football Outsiders’ sack rate, will likely be the key to the entire offense for the Scarlet Knights to open up the run game and the passing attack. A new coach and continuity among the starters can help set the group up for success, but their play on the field will truly determine the group’s progress in a pivotal upcoming campaign.