Spring Spotlight: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Inside The Pylon: A Midwest College Football Podcast · Ryan Satkowiak
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Show Notes
Ryan and Clinton continue to roll through Big Ten spring spotlights, talking Rutgers.
Athan Kaliakmanis took a big step forward in year two of Kirk Ciarrocca's offense last season, just in time to jump for the NFL. Replacing him will either be 2025 backup AJ Surace, or Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan. Surace attempted only two passes against P4 competition last season, while Lonergan had an up and down season at BC. Can Ciarrocca squeeze enough out of the QB position to replicate last season's 27th-best passive attack?
To help, they will need someone at WR to step up. Star WR KJ Duff returns, but running mates Ian Strong (Cal) and DT Sheffield (NFL) are gone. a group of young players appears poised to take the next step, but can one of them make a move to be a legitimate No. 2 option to take heat off Duff?
On defense, Rutgers was catastrophically bad in 2025. To address this, head coach Greg Schiano went hard at the portal and brought in what could be upwards of seven transfers who will start game one. Edge rushers Malachi Davis (Toledo) and J'Dan Burnett (Tulsa) join the fray, and four new transfers come in at CB. Will that be enough to give the Scarlet Knights's defense a boost in 2026?
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