The Monday Morning Kickoff
A view from the gridiron (Rutgers Football)
Football is all set and ready to go in Piscataway as spring practice is set to kick off on Thursday. This will be head coach Chris Ash’s second go-round in the spring and this time he will have a new offensive coordinator in Jerry Kill, running backs coach in Lester Erb and cornerbacks coach in Henry Baker.
“We are a lot further ahead. Last year, it was still all new,” Ash said. “We were still trying to learn the players and get them to understand what you expect in the workouts and stuff like that. We are a lot further ahead. We still got a lot of things we have to address once we get into spring practice to try to get better at. But I like our attitude, I like our work ethic, I like our team chemistry right now.”
Recruiting continues in the class of 2018 as Rutgers continue to stay on prospects throughout many different states.
Virginia defensive end Dante Burke continues to stay in contact with the staff and has Rutgers in his current group of favorites.
“Right now, Rutgers would be in my top five list of schools. Coaches and fans show lots of love,” Burke said.
Back home, within the state of New Jersey, the RU staff has been pursuing Paramus Catholic cornerback Jarrett Paul.
“Rutgers is recruiting me that hardest right now. I talk to them almost every day,” Paul said last week. “I am taking another visit there March 25th to watch them practice.”
On the mat (Rutgers Wrestling)
It was a big weekend for Rutgers wrestling as two grapplers earned All-American status for the first time in program history. Out at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault scored a sixth-place finish for his third straight All-American finish.
He was joined on the podium by 149-pounder Ken Theobold, who took seventh place and capped off a big weekend which started with an upset of No.2-seeded Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State.
“I’m really happy for him,” head coach Scott Goodale said of Theobold per RU communications. “You look back on his career, what he means to this program and how he lives his life, it’s good for him. It’s a big deal to be an All-American in this tournament. Some really good wrestlers come through here and never get a chance to do it, so we’re excited for Kenny.”
Five other Scarlet Knights also competed but were unable to place among the nation’s top eight wrestlers, which signifies the All-American distinction.