Senior defensive lineman Wesley Bailey enters the season looking to make a statement after starting all 13 games and totaling 27 tackles with 4.5 for loss and four sacks.
"It's been good, I've been out there with the guys working and just trying to get better at football," Bailey said regarding training camp. "The plan is always the plan and we always have one goal and that's just being able to get better. I don't even think about last year, we're just trying to maximize the opportunity that we have and the tools that we have to get better."
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Rutgers will have a mix of new and familiar faces on the defensive line as guys like Aaron Lewis and Kyonte Hamilton return for their senior seasons while Malcolm Ray transfers from Florida State. Bailey explained how the goal remains one thing though: domination.
"The mindset in terms of d-line play is we just want to be able to dominate," he said. "We're not looking at numbers right now, we should be able to beat the man in front of us. If that leads to 40 sacks we get 40 sacks, if it's 10 it's 10, but at the end of the day we're not thinking about that number, we're just thinking about dominating the man in front of us and being able to excel in d-line play."
Bailey also described what Ray brought to the table when he arrived and how he anticipates the Miami Garden native to play a big role in the defense.
"I feel like Malcolm did a really good job increasing the culture we have at Rutgers," he said. "I feel like we've done a really good job embracing that, the d-line always welcomes everyone whole because at the end of the day it's about winning. We understand that Malcolm Ray will help us win in 2024 and that's what we need."
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a season where they ranked 16th nationally in total defense (313.5), its best mark since 2012. So, Bailey explained how they can improve and bring that number down even further in 2024.
"The key thing for sure this past year is the obsession about the ball," he said. "We got a saying here 'the ball is the program,' so I feel like just being more obsessed with strip sacks or having vision on the quarterback. We have a huge assessment as a defense and offense with offense protecting the ball."
He also talked about what he has seen from the offensive side of the ball.
"They've been doing really well this training camp, but there's still room for improvement so they'll be able to excel," Bailey said. "I'm not thinking about the offense though, I'm a defensive player at the end of the day. I trust coach Ciarrocca will be able to get the offense taken care of."
This marks Joe Harasymiak's third season as defensive coordinator, with Bailey being one of the main catalysts all three seasons.
"It's a great system and a defense I've been playing in for a while," Bailey said. "He's a great coach and a wizard and knows what he's talking about."
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