Rutgers Football: Spring Practice Storylines That Matter

2016 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Spring Football: What’s the big deal, what to worry about, and what’s all set.

Follow, or just provide your love to @PeteFiutak

Rutgers is getting defensive …

And it needs to. There were problems with suspensions, injuries, and a whole slew of consistency problems on both side of the ball last season, but it all might have been a step back to take a giant leap forward if Chris Ash really is the next big thing head coach he’s expected to become.

The former Ohio State defensive coordinator – along with his timed logged in under Bret Bielema at Wisconsin and Arkansas – Ash knows how to put together a tough, hard-nosed, attacking defense that can get behind the line. That’s a big deal for a Rutgers defense that was fourth in the nation against the run two years ago – but was awful against anyone who could pass – and slipped into the abyss over the last two seasons.

Defensive coordinator Jay Niemann spent the last five seasons at Northern Illinois, and now he’ll once again work with Ash – the two were together at Drake over a decade ago – to work on a promising D experience-wise that gets back eight starters.

The offense that went bye-bye at times late in the season loses WR Leonte Carroo, but at least it comes back with seven returning starters with surprisingly decent depth for new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer to play around with.

This isn’t going to be a title contender, but the team wasn’t that far off from being 6-6 instead of 4-8. Being steady and more cohesive – and with a fired up coaching staff – could make all the different starting this spring.

No one is worried about …

The defensive line. It was the big blow to the Rutgers defense when Darius Hamilton went down for the season early on with a leg injury, but on the plus side, he decided to come back rather than go off early to the NFL.

There needs to be more of a pass rush overall, and the run defense needs to be far, far better, but if Hamilton can get back to form, and with Quanzell Lambert (43 tackles), Julian Pinnix-Odrick (33 tackles) and Sebastian Joseph (22 tackles) returning, this could be the team’s biggest and fastest improvement come fall camp.

Extra attention must be given to …

The passing game has to be far more effective. Leonte Carroo was a terrific college receiver coming up with a team-high 809 yards and ten touchdowns – averaging close to 21 yards per catch – in an eight-game season marred by suspension. He’s gone, and now Andre Patton, Carlton Agudosi and Janarion Grant all seniors and all good enough to take over at times. They’re all good and they all have upside to help out a passing attack that average 207 yards per game, but wasn’t dangerous enough without Carroo.

But who’s going to throw them the ball?

Ash will force 2015 starter Chris Laviano to earn the gig again with former LSU Tiger Hayden Rettig a veteran who’ll be right there in the fight. It’s an open casting call this spring to give everyone a shot.