Rutgers Football: Can Ian Strong be a consistent option for Scarlet Knights?

With a team so heavily focused on attacking on the ground, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ receiving core often gets overshadowed by halfbacks poised to make a difference in the NFL. However, a new era is approaching after Kyle Monangai’s departure to the NFL And with a quarterback entering his fifth season ready to leave a mark on the program after the strongest passing year in school history in a decade, the receivers will undoubtedly make a difference in New Brunswick. With those factors and a name that certainly could say it all, Rutgers wide receiver Ian Strong is ready to be a star as he approaches his third season.

Rutgers Football: Who is Ian Strong?

A two-sport athlete in high school, the 6-foot-4 receiver primarily played safety in high school, where he led St. Anthony’s to a New York Catholic High School Football League (NYCHSFL) title on both sides of the ball. As a receiver, the wideout shined with 30 catches for just short of 800 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior year. 

Despite his offensive talent, the former three-star recruit was even stronger on the defensive side, 80 tackles, three picks, a blocked kick, and a sack, leading to him being named NYCHSFL AAA Defensive Player of the Year and first team all-league. Because of his backfield prowess, schools recruited Strong as a safety. 247Sports named him the No. 1 overall recruit in New York following his impressive senior performance. 

Strong was already committed before his extremely impressive senior year. Though, as Rutgers, Yale, Penn, Army, Kent State, and more came knocking ahead of his fourth year, Strong ultimately opted to go with the Scarlet Knights. 

Former high school teammate KJ Duff would later commit to Rutgers the following year and will be entering his second season in New Jersey. 

The Switch

When Strong joined Rutgers, the defensive back room was a competitive one. It was full of top talent with much more experience and time played than the young safety had. Head coach Greg Schiano saw lots of promise in Strong as a wide receiver instead, a position that the Scarlet Knights were in desperate need of improving, and one that Strong had previously excelled at. 

“He played wide receiver in games at St. Anthony’s,” said Schiano. “He didn’t practice it, but when you watch them in games, you’d say ‘This kid is special’ and we needed to bolster our wide receiver corps.” Said coach Schiano following a week one catch that sent Strong to the Sportscenter Top 10, “And he is going to be special. He’s got a unique skill set, and he’s a big man. So I look forward to seeing him continue to develop.”

Strong excelled early at the position, recording his first touchdown catch against Northwestern in 2023. He completed his freshman season with 16 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. He played in all 13 matchups and even gained a starting nod twice. 

“They moved me to receiver because that was the best chance for me to get on the field. So I started working with coach Perry and coach Brock, and they got my development to get to be a receiver to play on the field,” Strong remarked during his first season after the position change, “So I’m just going out there and play. I’m going to develop as the years go on. That’s the main thing,” (Via rutgerswire).

Breakout Star

As a sophomore in 2024, Strong had a breakout season. Now, entirely training and practicing as a wide receiver. Despite the switch, the former safety did make a few appearances on the defensive side in his freshman season. Yet for his second season, the focus would be entirely on offense. 

Strong started in eleven games and had 43 receptions for 676 yards across the season along with a team-leading five receiving touchdowns. A red zone threat, all of his touchdowns were within the 25-yard line, making him a unique receiver to defend. Although he had many short touchdowns, Strong was 10th in the Big Ten in yards per receptions (15.72 per catch), and earned an All-Big Ten honorable mention and was named Academic All-Big Ten. 

For the Future

Now an experienced starter with a standout season under his belt, Ian Strong is listed as WR-Z on most projected depth charts for Rutgers. Therefore, he will act as a “flanker”, who will look to make quick catches and use his speed to cut up defenses. 

Strong has already proven he can make catches when it matters – evidenced by his multitude of red zone receptions. Yet he can also wreak havoc in the open field, as his speed has produced multiple 60+ yard receptions in previous seasons. 

With quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis favoring the passing game for the first time in years for Rutgers, a scary trio can be formed. Along with sophomore KJ Duff, the unit could be poised to become an issue for Big Ten defenses in 2025.