The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will look to have their defense be the strength of their football team once again in 2024.
Since taking over as the head coach of Rutgers, Greg Schiano has focused on two things – a strong rushing attack and supportive defense. The Scarlet Knights’ defense ranked 16th nationally in overall defense in 2023, the highest mark in the Big Ten era for Rutgers football. Heading into 2024, the team will look to continue showcasing their strength on that side of the ball going forward.
2024 Rutgers Defense Preview
Defensive Line
Coach Schiano has voiced his disappointment in the defensive line’s play last season. Because of that, Rutgers brought in former Kent State coach Colin Ferrell to be the team’s defensive line coach. They also brought in Bowling Green’s Julian Campenni to be their defensive end coach. Both will look to improve a unit that had only 21 sacks last season.
Leading the team’s defensive line are seniors Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey. Bailey and Lewis finished second and third respectively on the team in sacks last year. Lewis showed a knack for getting to the quarterback himself, registering 10 QB hits throughout the season. Under Campenni, the duo will look to break out in their senior seasons.
In the interior defensive line, Kyonte Hamilton returns returns for his senior season. Joining him will be FSU transfer Malcolm Ray, who will instantly push for playing time with Rutgers.
The defense did lose Rene Konga through the transfer portal this season. Konga was part of the team’s pass-rush packages on third downs last season. However, injuries have stopped him from being a meaningful contributor.
As for depth, the team will rely on senior Jordan Thompson, Troy Rainey, and Zaire Angoy among others – with sophomores Djibril Abdou Rahman and JaSire Peterson looking to get more involved in their second season.
Thompson has appeared in every game for the Scarlet Knights in the last two seasons, but has shown little up to this point other than veteran leadership. Perhaps under the leadership of Ferrell and Campenni, this unit will pleasantly surprise in 2024.
Linebackers
Rutgers will see a little bit of a shakeup this season, as defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak will Corey Heatherman as the team’s linebacker coach.
Last year the linebacker core was led by Deion Jennings, who’s no longer on the team. Instead, Mohamed Toure will take over as the position group’s leader heading into his senior season. Toure became a full-time starter with the Scarlet Knights last season, and impressed in his new role. He finished second in tackles last year with 93 while leading the team with his 4.5 sacks. Toure has shown to be a valuable chess piece in Rutgers’ defense and will likely have an expanded role heading into 2024.
The team will also have veteran Tyreem Powell returning this season. Powell is recovering from an Achilles injury as well as wrist surgery, but Schiano is optimistic that the team will have him back by the season-opener.
There’s major questions as to who will step up behind Toure this season, but the leading candidates are four-star junior Moses Walker and three-star sophomore Abram Wright. While Walker boosts athleticism, Wright has shown results, securing an interception in the Pinstripe Bowl last year. Rutgers also has two early enrollees, three-star recruits Sam Pilof and M.J. Johnson. Pilof was known as a tackling savant in high school, while Johnson hits like Thor’s hammer. Both freshman will look to make an impact early in what could be an open competition behind Toure.
Also returning for another year of Rutgers football are senior Jamier Wright-Collins, sophomore Dariel Djabome, and junior Timmy Hinspeter. While it’s unlikely any of these players carve out a large role in 2024, they will be used in rotational circumstances.
Secondary
The Rutgers defense took a big loss losing CB Max Melton to the NFL draft. While the team will struggle to replicate his coverage prowess, there are multiple players along the secondary who should perform well in 2024.
Senior Flip Dixon looks to lead the unit in 2024, finishing third in tackles on the team last season. He was listed as the 12th-best safety in the Big Ten by PFF last season, and looks to improve in his final year of college football. Returning alongside Dixon are seniors Desmond Igbinosun and Shaquon Loyal. It’s likely all three players will continued to be rotated throughout the secondary for Rutgers this year.
Another senior returning for his final year is cornerback Robert Longerbeam. Longerbeam had a breakout season as a junior in 2023, being one of only two players in the Big Ten with at least 10 pass breakups. His presence is huge for the Rutgers defense, and his return caused an ecstatic reaction from his teammates. However, the question remains as to who will play opposite of Longerbeam and fill the role vacated by Melton.
Currently, senior Eric Rogers likely is the leading candidate based on seniority. Rogers played 369 snaps last season and had six pass breakups to go along with 19 tackles. However, senior Al-Shadee Salaam, sophomore Bo Mascoe, and Dematha Catholic transfer Zilan Williams are all likely to compete for playing time in the secondary. Senior safety Joe Lusardi also returns and should provide quality depth at the position.
Rutgers also has multiple early enrollees who will look to make an impact in 2024. Four-star freshman safety Kaj Sanders has already impressed during spring ball. Meanwhile, three-star freshmen Antonio White Jr., Kevin Levy, D.K. Gilley, and Isaiah Crumpler have also enrolled early to get a step ahead with the defense.
Rutgers’ defense proved to be the team’s strength last season. And heading into 2024, the Scarlet Knights will once again look to continue their defensive dominance this season. If the team can improve their pass-rushing attack, they’ll cause serious problems for opposing offenses. And with Toure, Dixon, and Longerbeam headlining the defense, the Scarlet Knights are in good hands.
