In a perfect world, Sean Gleeson’s offense is a fast, well-oiled machine that quickly goes up and down the field scoring touchdown after touchdown.
The Rutgers football offensive coordinator said Tuesday for his scheme to work, he needs fast players.
“We literally want fast people,” Gleeson said. “Our playing surface is enormous. We have 110 yards of vertical space at most and we have 53 ⅓ yards of width. Basketball, they have fast people, but they don't have that much space, so if we can get some guys that move from point A to point B we will be in great shape.”
Rutgers has struggled mightily in recent years, especially in the passing game. It finished 123rd in the nation in 2019 with only 139.3 yards-per-game through air during an age of college football when passing is natural.
In order for an offense to work, everyone from the quarterback, to the offensive line, to the skill players all have to work together, but the Rutgers wide receivers over the years haven’t gotten the job done.
“I think everyone is concerned about that,” Gleeson said during a video chat with media members on Tuesday. “The question is how do we get this thing going. That question can be posed very easily in recruiting. It could very well get posed to the defensive coaches that everyone is concerned on how we're going to take this thing in the right direction.”
Gleeson, though, is giving the more than 12 scholarship pass catchers, including tight ends, a clean slate.
“The good news is I've been in the whole coaching football for the last 10 years and I haven't watched any TV games so the only records that I know are from 2000-2010. And I'm really confident about the guy that's leading away his ability to reform the roster and the way that we go about our business practice, so I'm going to try to stay away from any question related to a position group because I really don't know what was being asked of them.
“I just know that every time that we charged these guys with a responsibility in a couple months we had them, they did everything like to the 10th degree. And that's all you can really hope for when you embark on a new job and know what we're trying to do and get done here is get some willing participants that are going to go the extra mile for you. So, I like the fact that there's a lot of them. I know there's gonna be a ton of competition. I don't want to single one group out or another group. We've got a lot of areas to improve on.”
During the offseason, Rutgers loaded up on defense transfers, but it did bring in a wide receiver from Wisconsin, Aron Cruickshank, who has speed for days.
Cruickshank played in all 14 games for the Badgers last year scoring three times (two kickoff returns and one rushing). The Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.) product returned a kickoff in the Rose Bowl on January 1 against Oregon 95 yards to the end zone and will look to use his swift feet to his advantage more on offense at Rutgers.
Everything that I said before about a fast offense and we want to be fast no huddle, we literally want fast people. When you watch a kid like him return kicks the way that he did, we're all very excited to kind of add some speed to the offense,” Gleeson told TKR.
Another transfer, Peyton Powell, who was at Baylor until near the start of the 2019 season, will get a crack at quarterback. If it doesn't work out there, he could use his superb athleticism and talent at wide receiver.
It’s now or never for many of the other receivers on the team, too, including seniors Bo Melton and Everett Wormley.
“Aron along with all the other guys, they're going to prove their mettle when we get out practicing,” Gleeson said. “So, whether it's the quarterbacks or wide outs, or the offensive line, the cream is definitely going to rise to the top and we can't wait to see the product that we get after all those hard earned reps are in the bank.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
