Rutgers Football: End of Year Offensive Grades for 2024

After a hard-fought 44-41 loss to Kansas State in the 2024 Rate Bowl Game, Rutgers football finished the season with a 7-6 record and back-to-back bowl appearances.  The Scarlet Knights finished No. 9 in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 4-5 conference record with USC (4-5), Washington (4-5), Nebraska (3-6), Michigan State (3-6), UCLA (3-6), Wisconsin (3-6), Northwestern (2-7), Maryland (1-8), and Purdue (0-9) finishing behind RU.

On offense this season, the Scarlet Knights received solid quarterback play from Athan Kaliakmanis in his first season with RU. Also, running back Kyle Monangai picked up where he left off last season with another stellar performance. Wide receiver Dymere Miller led Rutgers football in receiving with sophomore wideout Ian Strong recording a breakout season, finishing No. 2 on the depth chart in receptions.

According to cfbstats.com, the Scarlet Knights finished the season ranked No. 59 national in scoring offense with an average of 28.9 points per game. Also, RU finished No. 6 in the Big Ten, tied with Illinois for points per game. Rutgers football finished the season with 376 points scored, 47 recorded touchdowns, and 15 logged field goals.

Now that the season has ended, it’s time to give out our offensive grades.

Where does the Rutgers’ offense stand? Let’s dive in and find out!

Rutgers football Offensive Grades

Quarterback

Athan Kaliakmanis: B-

In recent years, Rutgers struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position until Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis reported to campus in 2024. Kaliakmanis led the Rutgers’ offense through 13 games, recording 2,696 yards on 213 completions (213/395) for 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He finished the season with a 122.8 efficiency rating and a 53.9 completion percentage. Also, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound junior quarterback ended the season with 92 carries for 251 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Among Big Ten quarterbacks, Kaliakmanis finished No. 8 in passing yards, averaging 207.4 yards per game. He ended the season ranked No. 49 in the nation for passing yards and No. 69 in passing yards per game. One of his best performances this season was in winning fashion against Maryland. Kaliakmanis finished the game with 238 yards, completing 20/30 passes (66.7 percent) for two touchdowns as RU defeated the Terps 31-17. He added seven carries for 26 yards on the ground. Kaliakmanis produced the most total yards by a Rutgers quarterback since 2008 and most touchdowns since 2014.

For the 1st time since 2007 Rutgers had a:

• 2,000 + yard passer
• 1,000+ yard rusher
• Two 600+ yard receivers. pic.twitter.com/1ETdOTM2Cs

— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) December 29, 2024

Running Backs

Kyle Monangai: A

After finishing the 2023 season ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing, Kyle Monangai ended the 2024 season in the top tier among Big Ten running backs yet again. Monangai finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten after opting out of the Rate Bowl, ending his season and Rutgers career.

The running back logged 256 carries for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games this season. The 5-foot-9, 213-pound senior running back averaged five yards per carry and 116.3 yards per game. His best performance came against Akron when he posted a career-high 208 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. His stellar performance got him named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

For his efforts in 2024, he was named First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches & Media) and All-ECAC Offense. Also, he was added to the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award Watch List, honoring the top running back in college football. After missing two games this season, Monangai still finished No. 9 in the nation for rushing yards per game.

The ball is the program 💯

Kyle Monangai had 669 career carries and ZERO fumbles 🤯 pic.twitter.com/NqJoy2vbtY

— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) December 28, 2024

Antwan Raymond: A+

Freshman running back Antwan Raymond was one of the biggest surprises in 2024. With the departure of Monangai next season, head coach Greg Schiano and his staff believe they found the guy to fill his role.

In his first season at Rutgers, Raymond recorded 100 carries for 457 yards and eight touchdowns. He was the clear No. 2 running back in RU’s backfield, logging 60 more carries than the No. 3 running back Samuel Brown V.

Raymond was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring two touchdowns with 71 rushing yards in a victory at Michigan State. Also, he recorded the most touchdowns as a true freshman in program history.

Those guys up front!💯 https://t.co/itrejEtYiY

— Antwan Raymond. (@antwanraymond8) December 30, 2024

Wide Receivers

Dymere Miller: A-

After transferring from Monmouth University, Dymere Miller led Rutgers football in receptions and receiving yards in 2024. The senior wide receiver ended his season with 59 catches for 757 yards and four touchdowns. He was the clear No. 1 target for Kaliakmanis as he logged 16 more receptions than the No. 2 wide receiver Ian Strong.

Miller’s best performance came against USC when he registered 11 receptions for 131 yards. He finished the season ranked No. 11 in the Big Ten, averaging 58.2 receiving yards per game.

Ian Strong: A+

Wide receiver Ian Strong had a breakout season in 2024. He finished as the No. 2 wide receiver on the depth chart, logging 43 receptions for 676 yards and five touchdowns. Strong led the wide receiver group in touchdowns, averaging 56.3 yards per game.

In his second season with RU, Strong recorded 27 more catches than last season (16 receptions). His best performance this season came against Virginia Tech when he registered four catches for 110 yards. Also, he recorded touchdowns in four consecutive games. The sophomore wide receiver received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches) honors for his efforts.

KJ Duff: C+

Freshman wide receiver KJ Duff started three games for the Scarlet Knights in his first collegiate season. He ended the season as the No. 3 wide receiver, logging 27 catches for 425 yards and a touchdown. His best performance came against UCLA when the 6-foot-6, 219-pound wide receiver recorded three catches for 82 yards. Duff and Strong are young offensive weapons for the Scarlet Knights as they continue to develop with Kaliakmanis in the off-season.

Tight Ends

Kenny Fletcher: C+

The Scarlet Knights struggled to get production from the tight end position in 2024. Kenny Fletcher and the rest of the unit were used mainly in the run game and contributed little to the passing attack.

In three seasons with the Scarlet Knights, Fletcher started to show some positive signs in 2024. He finished the season with 20 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The junior tight end started the first six games for RU and an injury forced his season to end short. Fletcher suffered an injury against Wisconsin that ended his season.

His best performance came against Virginia Tech when the 6-foot-3, 246-pound tight end recorded seven catches for 61 yards. Look for Fletcher to bounce back next year as he develops into the No. 1 tight end in 2025.

Offensive Line

Unit Grade: B

The Rutgers offensive line has been solid as a unit all season long. RU’s o-line ended the season ranked No. 51 in the nation for sacks allowed, allowing an average of 1.62 per game. The Scarlet Knights allowed 21 sacks in 13 games, giving up 124 sack yards throughout the season. Also, the Rutgers’ offense ended the season ranked No. 71 in total offense among FBS schools. RU registered 2,279 rushing yards, and 2,696 passing yards in 912 plays, averaging 5.46 yards per play and 382.7 yards per game.