Repeatable fade-the-fast-start pattern
Rutgers opened 6-2 in 2025 before dropping the final four to miss a bowl — worth watching if a similar pattern (strong nonconference/early slate, fade in tougher Big Ten stretch) recurs in 2026.
BIG TEN FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 14 OF 18
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
2026 Season Snapshot • Piscataway, New Jersey
5-7 (2-7 Big Ten)
B1G
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Rutgers.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Greg Schiano — 18th season (2nd stint) at Rutgers
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
99–108 college (11–21 NFL); all-time Rutgers wins leader
Built Rutgers into a national program in his first stint (2001-11), including an 11-2 finish and No. 12 ranking in 2006. Returned in 2020 and has delivered three bowl trips in five years — a genuinely rare level of sustained relevance for a program with historically thin resources relative to Big Ten peers.
RUTGERS ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten) after a promising 6-2 start collapsed with four straight losses to close the year — missing a bowl game despite the strong beginning.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$6.25M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per ESPN/2023 extension (8-yr, escalating to $7.75M by 2029). Rutgers has not disclosed a team NIL figure or a named primary collective.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Repeatable fade-the-fast-start pattern: Rutgers opened 6-2 in 2025 before dropping the final four to miss a bowl — worth watching if a similar pattern (strong nonconference/early slate, fade in tougher Big Ten stretch) recurs in 2026.
- Major RB production gone, but real backfield continuity: All-American Kyle Monangai (NFL Draft) is gone, but Rutgers actually returns 100% of its next two leading rushers (Antwan Raymond, Ja'shon Benjamin) — less of a gap than the star departure might suggest.
- Total QB reset via the portal: Dylan Lonergan (Alabama, then Boston College in 2025) is QB1 after Rutgers' 2025 starter departed — just 38% returning experience at the position, a real swing factor.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Kirk Ciarrocca — 6th season • Spread
One of the more experienced offensive coordinators in the conference at his current post; inherits Lonergan, who threw for 2,025 yards and a 66.9% completion rate in his lone season as a starter at Boston College in 2025.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Travis Johansen — 1st season • Base 4-2-5
New hire replacing the Robb Smith/Zach Sparber co-DC arrangement. Inherits a defensive line that returns real experience (93% DT continuity) even amid the coordinator change.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
5–7 (2–7 Big Ten)
Opened 6-2 with 13 All-Big Ten honorees (2nd-most in program history) before four straight late-season losses cost Rutgers a bowl bid — a frustrating finish to an otherwise encouraging season.
HOME FIELD
SHI Stadium
Artificial turf (FieldTurf), Piscataway. Attendance has grown to unprecedented levels under Schiano's second stint — a real sign of rebuilt fan investment in a program with historically modest Big Ten resources.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Dylan Lonergan | Sr | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Boston College transfer (originally an Alabama signee, No. 9 QB nationally per Rivals out of HS); 2,025 yds, 12 TD, 66.9% completion in his lone BC season, including a 390-yard, 4-TD game at Michigan State. |
| RB1 | Antwan Raymond | — | ★★★★★ | Returns as Rutgers' new lead back after All-American Kyle Monangai's departure to the NFL Draft; Rutgers actually returns 100% of its second- and third-leading rushers from 2025. |
| WR1 | KJ Duff | — | ★★★★★ | Returning leading receiver from 2025; the clear top target for a new starting quarterback in Ciarrocca's system. |
QB1Dylan LonerganSr★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Boston College transfer (originally an Alabama signee, No. 9 QB nationally per Rivals out of HS); 2,025 yds, 12 TD, 66.9% completion in his lone BC season, including a 390-yard, 4-TD game at Michigan State.
RB1Antwan Raymond—★★★★★
Returns as Rutgers' new lead back after All-American Kyle Monangai's departure to the NFL Draft; Rutgers actually returns 100% of its second- and third-leading rushers from 2025.
WR1KJ Duff—★★★★★
Returning leading receiver from 2025; the clear top target for a new starting quarterback in Ciarrocca's system.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line under transition | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Just 2 returning starters with no multi-game continuity between them (64% tackle / 52% guard / 4% center per roster metrics) — among the more rebuilt lines in the conference. |
Line under transitionOL—★★★★★
Just 2 returning starters with no multi-game continuity between them (64% tackle / 52% guard / 4% center per roster metrics) — among the more rebuilt lines in the conference.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Almost no returning continuity at center specifically (4%) protecting a brand new starting QB — a real, specific risk factor to track early in the season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Blue-Eli | DT | Healthy and starting entering 2026; anchors an interior line that returns 93% of its experience, one of the most stable position groups on the roster. |
| Keshon Griffin | DT | Returning starter projected to line up next to Blue-Eli, joined by App State transfer Rondo Porter for depth. |
| Malachi Davis | Edge | Toledo transfer; combined with fellow newcomer J'Dan Burnett for 12 sacks and 18 TFL last season at their respective schools, brought in to bolster the edge rush. |
Doug Blue-EliDT
Healthy and starting entering 2026; anchors an interior line that returns 93% of its experience, one of the most stable position groups on the roster.
Keshon GriffinDT
Returning starter projected to line up next to Blue-Eli, joined by App State transfer Rondo Porter for depth.
Malachi DavisEdge
Toledo transfer; combined with fellow newcomer J'Dan Burnett for 12 sacks and 18 TFL last season at their respective schools, brought in to bolster the edge rush.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Rutgers' linebacker corps returns 69% of its experience — moderate continuity for new DC Travis Johansen to build around as he installs his system.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zahmir Dawud | CB | ★★★★★ | Villanova (FCS) transfer positioned as a top option after all three 2025 starting corners departed; part of a three-transfer overhaul (with Bradlee Jones, Kevyn Humes) at the position. |
| Bradlee Jones | CB | ★★★★★ | The Citadel (FCS) transfer, another of the three portal corners brought in to replace Rutgers' entire 2025 starting group; Kevin Levy is the top returning option pushing for time. |
Zahmir DawudCB★★★★★
Villanova (FCS) transfer positioned as a top option after all three 2025 starting corners departed; part of a three-transfer overhaul (with Bradlee Jones, Kevyn Humes) at the position.
Bradlee JonesCB★★★★★
The Citadel (FCS) transfer, another of the three portal corners brought in to replace Rutgers' entire 2025 starting group; Kevin Levy is the top returning option pushing for time.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. Rutgers' NFL pipeline under Schiano (20 former players on active rosters entering 2026 camps) reflects a program that develops talent at a high level across the board, special teams included.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
6-6
50% cover rate — 37th of 82
2025 Straight up
5-7
Point differential -38
Scoring environment
60.5
Combined points per game — 8th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
4-3 · 2-3
Totals 7-5 O/U (6-1 home, 1-4 road)
Points scored / allowed
28.7 per game scored (42nd) · 31.8 allowed (72nd)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -3.2 (61st) · Strength of schedule +1.7
- Home / road: Home 4-3 ATS, road 2-3 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 7-5 O/U — 6-1 at home, 1-4 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 6-6 (50% cover rate) across 12 games.
- Trend: Averaged 28.7 points and allowed 31.8, a 60.5 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
-1.7
50th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+5
29th of 82
Defensive SRS
-5.5
68th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-3.2 · 61st of 82
Against the spread
6-6 (50%) · 37th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
60.5 · 8th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Rutgers.
Running Game
Major RB production gone, but real backfield continuity
All-American Kyle Monangai (NFL Draft) is gone, but Rutgers actually returns 100% of its next two leading rushers (Antwan Raymond, Ja'shon Benjamin) — less of a gap than the star departure might suggest.
Quarterback
Total QB reset via the portal
Dylan Lonergan (Alabama, then Boston College in 2025) is QB1 after Rutgers' 2025 starter departed — just 38% returning experience at the position, a real swing factor.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Almost no returning continuity at center specifically (4%) protecting a brand new starting QB — a real, specific risk factor to track early in the season.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.