Know Your Enemy: Rutgers

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Area of Strength...DL

The skinny: Despite the loss of two strong senior contributors, the Scarlet Knights still have loads of depth on the defensive front. Greg Schiano told me this week that the combination of Vallone, LeGrand and Noonan could be the best set of defensive tackles he's had at Rutgers. Freeny and Silvestro have shown the ability to get to the passer. And young players who were redshirted a year ago, like Andre Civil and Isaac Holmes, should be ready to play.


Area of Weakness...OL

Key departures: LT Anthony Davis, C Ryan Blaszczyk, RT Kevin Haslam

The skinny: Rutgers' O-line was a major disappointment last year, and now the unit loses arguably its top three performers, including a likely first-round NFL pick in Davis. This will be a revamped group, which might not be a bad thing considering the way the 2009 line performed. Still, Schiano has to find replacements at both tackle spots, potentially looking to a guy like Desmond Stapleton to step forward. Former super sub Barbieri will have to take on a larger role, while the talented Forst could emerge as a star. There's a lot to work with here, but also a lot to work on.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast

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Rutgers may have lost 11 starters from a year ago, but this team could be a Big East sleeper behind emerging sophomores Sanu and Savage.

Sanu averaged 17 touches a game over the final three games as a receiver and running back, finishing with 985 yards and eight touchdowns, while Savage threw for 2,211 yards and 14 scores.

There's no doubt about their potential, but building on last season may hinge on an offensive line tasked with replacing three starters, including both tackles and center. Art Forst is expected to move from guard to tackle opposite Desmond Stapleton, while Howard Barbieri and Desmond Wynn, who will miss spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery, will compete for the center spot. They'll be pushed by Matt McBride, a Hofstra transfer, and early enrollees Betim Bujai and Frank Quartucci.

How well those inexperienced pieces gel could be a sticking point for how much Sanu and Savage excel -- and how much this team can progress.



Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz0i03WgzHQ

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@BFeldmanESPN Greg Schiano says Art Forst won't be the one replacing Anthony Davis at LT, but says if Forst moves from guard it'll be to RT. #Rutgers

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Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said he was "doing some math" recently, and this is what he came up with: 62 of the 85 scholarship players reporting for the start of pre-season football practice in August will have either three or four years of eligibility left.

"We have a young football team," he said Tuesday at a pre-spring practice press conference. "I'm excited. I'm not afraid of that."

Some of the other highlights from his 20-minute session with the media, with spring practice set to start next Tuesday:

-- Running back Kordell Young (knee), OL Desmond Wynn (shoulder), running back De'Antwan Williams (knee), TE Fabian Ruiz (Achilles' heel), OL Betim Bujari (undisclosed non-football injury) and WR Jamal Merrell (knee) will miss spring practice -- but are expected to be ready for pre-season camp in the summer. All are coming off surgery.

Bujari, a promising true freshman, is one of three recruits to enroll early and was hoping to make a quick impression with so much uncertainty in the offensive line.

-- LB Colin McEvoy (shoulder), WR Mason Robinson (knee) and LB Marvin Booker (knee) will be limited during the spring. They are also expected to be ready when practice resumes in August.

-- There was more shuffling on the coaching staff. In addition to the three new hires (defensive line coach Randy Melvin, tight ends coach Phil Galiano and wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck), Schiano announced that Tem Lukabu, a graduate assistant, will coach the outside linebackers. Meanwhile, Robb Smith, the special teams coordinator, will add the cornerbacks to his coaching responsibility, while last year's cornerbacks coach, Chris Hewitt, will now oversee the running backs.

Hewitt replaces Randy Trivers, who coached the running backs as a graduate assistant last year. Schiano said that Trivers has returned to high school coaching.

-- Depth at running back and quarterback will be severely lacking in the spring, meaning Schiano will have to be more cautious than usual when it comes to the workloads for quarterback Tom Savage and running back Joe Martinek.

Steve Shimko is the only back-up to Savage at the moment. Because of injuries -- and while awaiting the arrival of some promising true freshmen running backs in the summer -- Martinek and Tyrone Putman, a walk-on, are the only healthy tailbacks. Schiano said the redshirt freshman fullback Robert Joseph would get some work out of a one-back set, however.

-- Redshirt freshman Antwan Lowery, a defensive tackle last year, is being tried on the offensive line. "He's a very talented guy who can bolster our offensive line," Schiano said. "We know he can play defensive tackle (already)."

-- Howard Barbieri, a part-time starter at guard and tackle throughout his career, will open at center.

The 15-day spring practice schedule culminates with the April 24 spring game at Rutgers Stadium.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/in...ing_chall.html

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On Rutgers’ revamped offensive line, Stapleton is seen as one of the potential answers for a unit that has mostly questions — certainly more than any other area on offense.

“We lost three starters. We understand why people are pointing to the offensive line and wondering how we’re going to be,” Stapleton said after Rutgers opened spring practice Tuesday. “But we also have a lot of guys who have just been waiting their turn. Maybe I wasn’t ready for the opportunity before this. But I am now. I know a lot of other guys feel the same way.”

Stapleton, who arrived amid considerable fanfare four years ago, has reshaped his body after reporting to Rutgers as a flabby 320-pound freshman.

His problem is that he has been stuck behind too many good tackles. Two — Anthony Davis and Kevin Haslam — are among the three lost starters on the offensive line (center Ryan Blaszczyk is the other), leaving this spring as an opportunity for someone such as Stapleton to step up to claim a starting role.

“We’ve had a lot of offensive linemen since I’ve been here — Haslam, Pedro Sosa, Mike Fladell, even Blaszczyk — who had to wait their turn and they had success in their careers as starters,” said Stapleton, who started at Army last year in place of a punished Davis, lasting one quarter before getting hurt. “I’m ready. I feel confident. I feel stronger. I feel like this is my chance and I’ve been
preparing for this.”

With potential guard starter Desmond Wynn sidelined this spring following shoulder surgery, Rutgers opened the spring with Howard Barbieria at center, Forst at left guard, Caleb Ruch at right guard, Stapleton at right tackle and Devon Watkis at left tackle.

Wynn’s return could cause a shuffling if he slides in at left guard, moving Forst to right tackle and sending Stapleton to left tackle.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/in...ally_gett.html

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Marcus Witherspoon arrived at Rutgers with plenty of fanfare. He left the program without having made any on-field impact.

The linebacker, who was arguably the Scarlet Knights' top prospect in the class of 2008, has left the team because of personal issues, Keith Sargeant reports in the Home News Tribune.

Witherspoon originally signed with Michigan but left before the '08 season because of NCAA Clearinghouse issues. He then landed at Rutgers in his home state of New Jersey. He was rated the No. 23 outside linebacker in his class by ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. and even higher by other services.

After sitting out the 2008 season, Witherspoon was bothered by injuries last year and never saw the field. He was moved to defensive end this spring but left after just three practices.

“He’s going to finish out this semester and then figure out where he’s going to land,” Schiano told reporters Friday. ”It’s not going to be playing football, though. It’s just going to be living a non-football life.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post...leaves-rutgers