7/12/2019 football Edit

Rutgers RB Blackshear gaining attention heading into upcoming season

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Rutgers football rising junior running back Raheem Blackshear was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise putrid offense in 2018.

The 5-foot-9, 192-pounder was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches last year after he played in every game (10 starts) and led the team in rushing with 586 yards on 143 carries and receiving with 367 yards on 44 receptions. He was also tops on the Scarlet Knights with 43 first downs picked up and 1,136 all-purpose yards. Blackshear was the first player in team history since Albert Smith in 1985 to finish No. 1 on the squad in both rushing and receiving and on the way, Blackshear collected a team-best 13 plays of gaining 20 or more yards, had two 100-yard rushing games and one receiving, and was the only player to record at least one catch in every game on the season.

For his efforts, former USC Trojan star running back Reggie Bush gave Blackshear a shoutout on Twitter back in June saying, “This is the age of versatile running backs. I like what I’m seeing and reading about this young kid Raheem Blackshear from Rutgers. The more you can do the more valuable you make yourself! The Scarlet Knights will need him this year!”

Athlon Sports also jumped on the Blackshear hype train by calling the Pennsylvania native on of college football’s most underrated players heading into the 2019 season.

“Blackshear didn’t have many opportunities a game (12 carries on average), but ran for 586 yards and three scores and caught 44 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns,” the publication wrote. “With more balance on offense, a push for All-Big Ten honors is within reach for the junior.”

Blackshear is shifty and can make people miss in the open field and has the speed to take it to the house. As backed up by his numbers, he can also catch the ball coming out of the backfield or in the slot.

Simply put, Blackshear, who was picked as a co-captain in the spring by his teammates, is a playmaker.

Even as a freshman in limited action, Blackshear had 238 yards on the ground on 39 carries (6.1 yards per attempt) with 133 receiving yards on seven grabs and five total touchdowns.

This upcoming season, Blackshear, who looked noticeably thicker when spotted at the Rutgers Passing Camp in late June, is expected to have a huge role for the second year in a row even with sophomore Isaih Pacheco and freshmen Aaron Young and Kay’Ron Adams looking to get carries as well.

“He’s got a long way to go. He’s not even close to reaching his full potential,” Rutgers head coach Chris Ash said of Blackshear during the spring. “We are asking a lot of him. He is going to be playing multiple positions, so it is more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing because he’s got all of the physical tools.

"He’s got a lot to learn. He’s got to master a lot of things. That is probably where he’s got to grow the most, truly understanding all the things that we are asking him to do and he’s got the talent to impact our football team and help our offense score points. We’ve got to put him in positions to do that.”