The Rutgers football team held its second and final scrimmage of training camp on Sunday inside SHI Stadium.
Head coach Greg Schiano talked a little bit about what unfolded, including the winner of a key position battle and more.
“I thought we got a lot done. It was very game-like with all of the kicking situations,” Schiano said. “We had all the field situations, situational football. I have to watch the tape to see the execution part of it. But, we were able to move the ball on offense. That was positive.”
In his first year with the Scarlet Knights transfer Jude McAtamney was announced as the starting placekicker for the 2022 season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder won the job after coming over from Chowan University in North Carolina.
“Jude has established himself as our kicker. He’s done a good job in camp,” Schiano said. “Punting situation, you know who that is. I’m pleased with our specialists. Long snapper I’m still not sure of. Those guys are doing well, but we have to see who is the better of the two.”
Last week, Schiano said that McAtamney was ahead of the pack, and he has since separated himself even further. The Ireland native went 6-of-10 on field goals with a long of 47 yards a year ago. He was perfect on extra points going 47-for-47. He also had 19 touchbacks on 60 kickoff attempts with two punts for the Hawks.
“Jude has a strong leg,” Schiano said. “He’s the frontrunner, but you have to let the competition play out. Four guys kicked today which I’ve never done. They deserved the chance. Next week we’ll lock in on the two guys. It was good. I even rely on the specialists to tell me a lot like why did you miss this kick? They know better than I do. Even if they make a kick. Next scrimmage we’ll work kickoffs too which is important.”
The quarterback competition between Noah Vedral, Gavin Wimsatt, and Evan Simon is still ongoing, with Schiano not tipping his hand one way or another when a starter will be named.
“We’re going to look at this one today, and then we’ll get together with the staff and catch a breath before we move on to Boston College,” Schiano said. “All the quarterbacks performed well today, so we’ll see.”
This is Wimsatt’s first training camp at Rutgers even though he came to Rutgers almost a full year ago in September.
“You have to remember how young he is,” Schiano added. “The guys are asking him how training camp was, but he came after school started. This is his first much like the other freshmen. He’s improved. It’s a learning experience.”
A lot of fans are always asking and intrigued freshman running back Sam Brown, and the four-star from Philadelphia could tote the rock this fall.The 6-foot-1, 220-pound back to a 9-2 record at La Salle College as a senior last season.
“Samuel has done very well,” Schiano said. “He has a chance to be a very good player. Where he fits into the mix of carries and play time, we haven’t determined that yet. He has a bright future.”
And while Brown didn’t arrive until after he completed his senior year of high school, a host of his classmates enrolled early giving them a head start. However, that hasn’t affected Brown too much.
“There’s no doubt coming mid-year is an advantage,” Schiano said. “Now it’s a disadvantage not to come because more people are coming in January than June. The tables turned on that one. During the spring as a senior, you can really enjoy your buddies. But we’re talking potential future NFL players. A six month head start is a career advancement. It’s worth it.”
The offensive line is coming together piece by piece, and a set starting five to begin the year is coming to fruition. Rutgers needs the offensive line to play well and gel if the offense is going to make a leap in production in 2022.
“We’re close,” Schiano said. “I think we know who the best eight are and I think we know who the best 12 are. I’m just not sure right now who the best five are. That’ll be the brain twister there.”
Defensively, Deion Jennings and Tyreem Powell are the two guys that have solidified themselves as starters in a room that is rather thin. Behind them are the likes of Austin Dean and Jamier Wright-Collins, who are both making progress. Dean, 6-2, 225 pounds, played in eight contests last season as a freshman. He did not tally any stats. For his career at Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Fla., Dean racked up 174 tackles, 49 tackles-for-loss, and 18 sacks.
Wright-Collins made the position switch from running back to linebacker earlier this month and has worked his way on to the depth chart. In 2018 at Peterson Kennedy, Wright-Collins, had five interceptions to go along with all-county honors at linebacker as Kennedy notched its first playoff appearance.
“I think Austin Dean is making progress. Jamier Wright-Collins made a good move there. It’s a natural position for him. He just needs reps. He’ll be a very good linebacker.”
Injury wise, Schiano said guys are banged up some, but the team is still on track to be OK for the season. The scrimmage essentially marks the end of camp, and the players will get ready for the semester.
“We’ve been at it for 17, 18 practices. You’re going to have bumps,” Schiano said. “The surgical guys are the ones you know they’re done for a while. I think we’re in decent shape moving into this next phase. Tomorrow will be a recovery today. They need it. These last four days have been tough. I’m pleased.
“We’ll break camp. What makes camp time is living together. We’ll move out Monday and move into their homes during the school year. We’ll have longer days, but not as long.”
In terms of former Scarlet Knights, rookies such as running back Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs), linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi (Buccaneers), cornerback Tre Avery (Titans), and probably others have all garnered praise during training camp for their respective teams.
“I’ve only heard. I haven’t been able to watch it all. I hear they are doing well, and I’m really proud of them,” Schiano said. “The whole thing is when you’re a rookie you have to put your head down and chop. You can’t worry about other stuff because there may not be anything else to worry about. You have to take care of business now. From the reports I get, they are staying on the chop. Hopefully they can earn spots on the club.”
The Big Ten Conference’s new media deal was confirmed this past week, and Schiano -- who has stated in the past how grateful Rutgers is in the league -- mentioned the money that the university and the athletics department will bring in will aid Rutgers’ rise.
“The reality is it costs a lot of money to do what you do at this level. When you have a TV deal that generates money for the Big Ten Conference, it helps pay the bills,” Schiano said. “Anything that helps our conference will help Rutgers. It’s our job to be competitive in our conference, and then move on to higher aspiration after that.”
