Rutgers rundown - Big Ten Football Media Days news, notes, and quotes, 2019
EDITOR'S NOTE: More notes will be added if any come about
The 2019 Big Ten Football Media Days are in the books and there was a lot of news that came out surrounding Rutgers.
For one head Scarlet Knights football coach Chris Ash took to the podium at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Ill. on Friday morning. You can see what he had to say in the video above and here's a quick rundown.
The Birthplace of College Football
After thanking the media coverage and commissioner Jim Delaney for his work and welcoming in the commissioner-in-waiting, Kevin Warren, Ash talked about the importance of the 150th year of college football. Rutgers beat Princeton, 6-4, in the first-ever college football game in New Brunswick back in 1869.
"It's the 150th anniversary of college football, and at Rutgers we're very excited about being part of that history," Ash said in his formal press conference. "It's important to our institution, our program, our fans, and we're excited about the celebrations that we have scheduled surrounding the 150th on campus."
Facilities
Ash continued in his opening statement about the upgrades in facilities.
"Just a couple things about our program facilities. Since I've arrived on campus and Pat Hobbs our athletic director has gotten on campus, we understand the importance of facilities to have an opportunity to compete in a league like this, and we've continued to improve our facilities as we go forward," Ash said. "We're excited in a week here that we're going to open the Greg and Anna Brown Family Locker Room. It's a huge addition to our facilities. And in another year we're going to open the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center on campus for our student-athletes, and I think we've done a tremendous job of improving the experience for our student-athletes with our facilities, and it's also helped us in recruiting."
New year, new team
Rutgers went 1-11 last year and winless within the Big Ten Conference, but the team has moved on and is looking forward to having a better season in 2019.
"It's a new year. It's a new team, as we go back and look at 2018 like we did at the end of the season, it was wasn't a lot of fun. When you're 1-11, things are difficult. I own it, and the good thing is that we can control our future," Ash said. "We're the ones that determine whether we're going to stay there or move forward, and I'm really excited about our football team, the way they've responded, the way they've worked, the way they've come together, and excited about what we can show on the field in terms of improving from last season. I think this year we have the best chemistry on our team so far, the best leadership on our team, and it's because of the three guys that we've brought here with us today, all three elected captains here this spring, two of them are juniors on the defensive side Tyshon Fogg, Tyreek Maddox-Williams and offensive lineman Zach Venesky. All three of them are great representatives of our program. They're leaders, they're high-character individuals. They work extremely hard to be great players, to be the best they can be, and they hold each other accountable as well as other players on our team, and I think that's going to allow us to improve as we move forward. I get asked a lot about what we have to do to improve, and first and foremost, I believe that more games are lost than they are won, and for us we have to figure out, and it starts with me, how not to lose games. That starts with taking care of the football, foolish penalties, playing with great fundamentals and tremendous effort, and those are things that we've been working on through spring, this summer, and we're going to focus on here in training camp as we get ready for our opening game against UMass."
SACKS
The Scarlet Knights had just 16 sacks last season and finished 115th in the nation with 1.33 per game. That needs to improve, and it might, thanks to the depth at the JACK and linebackers.
"Just looking at our defense overall, I think right now we probably going into the season we have the most competition at all three positions," Ash said. "Starting with our D-line, because our jack position is kind of a hybrid outside linebacker/D-end position. I think we have the most players that we feel confident in playing on our defensive line. It's going to allow us to rotate more players that will keep our players fresh, which will in turn hopefully help increase the production of our pass rush and get more sacks. At linebacker right now, I think it's the strongest position in terms of the depth and the ability on our football team, and in the secondary I feel really good about our depth and our strength there with our players and the competition that we've been able to create through player development and recruiting. But overall just defensively, I like where we're at from a depth standpoint."
TRANSFER PORTAL
Rutgers added a number of transfers this offseason including JUCOs in wide receiver Monterio Hunt, and offensive lineman Omari Cooper as well as graduate transfers tight end Kyle Penniston, defensive end Ron Johnson, and quarterback McLane Carter, and regular transfers like linebacker Drew Singleton, tight end Matt Alaimo, and quarterback Johnny Langan.
"Yeah, we did (add transfers). Just as we evaluated our roster and what we needed to do to move forward, we thought we could fill in some holes at certain spots by bringing in some transfers, whether it be four-year transfers or grad transfers, and I'm excited about the guys that are on campus right now," Ash said. "What they've shown, the guys that were there through spring practice, some guys that came here this summer and what they're going to be able to do to help our football team. I think you just look at the offensive side, we brought in McLane Carter to help us at quarterback to help create some competition, Matt Alaimo at tight end is also a transfer that will be eligible here this fall to help us. On the defensive side Drew Singleton transferred back home to New Jersey, he's at Will linebacker for us and we really like what we've seen out of him so far, but those are some guys that we think have a chance to potentially."
Dividing the divisions
"I know a lot of people have talked about that. I think it just goes by the year. There was a time when the league went to the different divisions, that some of the traditional blue-blood programs weren't as strong at that time, and I don't think you're going to be able to realign the conference to make everybody happy," Ash said. "We could to try do that and have those conversations, I just don't think it's possible. It is what it is. It's a very competitive league on both sides, in the East and in the West, and we've got to play who we play, and I like where it's at right now, and I don't see it changing anytime soon."
Offensive coordinator continuity
For the first time in a decade, Rutgers will have the same offensive coordinator in back-to-back-years. While the numbers and stats weren't pretty last year under John McNulty, he's proven and with tweaks and better execution, you could see a better product this year.
"Yeah, that's a big part of what we feel will be our success moving forward, having the same offensive coordinator. I think it's the first time in maybe 10 years at Rutgers. It's an amazing stat, but it's a true stat. And I think what John brings going forward and being back a second year is just the knowledge of the players," Ash said. "When an offensive coordinator goes in to a new situation, the first thing he wants to do is here's my package, here's my system, here's what we're going to do, without great knowledge necessarily about what the players' strength and weaknesses are and what they can do, and coming back for his second year, John has a great understanding of our roster, our players, and more importantly probably what our offensive line can do and what our quarterback can do, and we've been able to make the necessary adjustments in my opinion to fit our players and hopefully put them in positions to have success, knowing who we have to play week in and week out. That's a huge point for our program, to be able to get a guy to come back in that position for a second year and work with our players, so there is some consistency, but there's some understanding."
The running backs
"(Isaih Pacheco and Raheem Blackshear) both had a good year last year. It starts with Raheem Blackshear. He's the veteran guy of the group. He's also a captain of ours, so he's the leader of our offense. Really excited to see him take another step off his freshman year. He had an impact on our team," Ash said. "Last year he took a step forward because this next year we expect him to be an elite player for us. Isaih burst on the scene last year as a true freshman, had some really big runs, some good plays. We expect him to take another step forward and become more of a complete running back. He was a good runner. He needs to become a better receiver as well as a better pass protector, also. And then we have two other -- actually three other scholarship running backs that we've excited about, Elijah Barnwell is running back in our program, and the two young freshmen in Kay'Ron Adams and Aaron Young that we're excited about. So we think we have a good stable of backs that are going to provide some play making ability for our offense, but it'll be led by those two individuals."
SHI Stadium
NJ Advance Media first reported that Rutgers struck a brand new deal for naming-rights for its football stadium. It will now be called SHI Stadium. The reported financial terms are eye-popping and will help the heavily subsidized athletics department.
Starting in 2019, it is a 7-year deal beginning at $1.25 million and increasing by $100,000 annually to $1.85 billion in 2025-26, according to NJ.com.
While Rutgers didn’t officially announce the financial terms, a person familiar with the contract told NJ Advance Media it’s a 7-year deal starting at $1.25 million and increasing by $100,000 annually to $1.85 million in 2025-26.
“This partnership formalizes the strong bond that has existed between Rutgers and SHI for almost 30 years,” said Thai Lee, President and CEO of SHI International in a statement. “Nearly 350 Rutgers alumni currently work at SHI, and more of our employees earned their degree at Rutgers than any other single college or university. With deep roots in New Jersey and influence felt around the globe, both SHI and Rutgers share a history, culture, and commitment to excellence that will make this partnership especially rewarding.”
“As the State University of New Jersey, we are thrilled to partner with SHI,” said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs in a statement. “Headquartered right here in Somerset, SHI proudly embraces its strong Rutgers ties. As we celebrate the 150th Anniversary of college football here at the Birthplace, we are delighted to partner with a company that shares in our Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. This partnership will positively impact athletics, the university and the New Jersey community.”
The starting quarterback is....
Art Sitkowski is Rutgers No. 1 quarterback, for now, or at least at the beginning of training camp, which commences on Aug. 1. Ash told NJ.com that Sitkowski is the team's starting signal right now and that Carter will have to earn his reps and the job.
“He has to earn the right to get reps, just like everybody else," Ash told NJ Advance Media on Friday. “Art has been in the program. I stated after spring Art would be our No. 1 quarterback going into fall training camp. There is a competition in the room, but Art will our No. 1 quarterback going into training camp just like he was coming out of spring. ...In the limited time we’ve been around him because of the rules, he’s an intelligent kid. He has played football, he was a starter at Texas Tech last year until he got hurt. I think he’s a competitor. Watching film on him from last year, I think the kid has just got some savvy to him that we’re excited to see what he can do in our offense. I think he’s got the ability to run and throw, based on what we’ve seen. But you don’t really get a true feel or measure until you get a chance to watch him with your own eyes in your own system and see what he’s all about.”
MSG doubleheader
Football wasn't the only big news item to be revealed as again NJ.com reported that Rutgers wrestling and men's basketball will play in a doubleheader against Michigan sometime this year at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Nothing has been officially announced and the schedules are both sports have not been released.
C.Viv is back
Rutgers women's basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer, who earned who career win No. 1,000 last season, left the team to focus on her health near the end of the 2018-19 campaign. But Rutgers Athletic Director Pat Hobbs said she's back and ready to go.
“She’s back (and) she looks great,’’ Hobbs said according to NJ.com.