Rutgers football had two names listed on the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watchlist as both Dantae Chin and Moses Walker had their name called after missing much of the season last year due to injury. The Comeback Player of the Year Award is a joint effort by College Sports Communicators, The Associated Press and Fiesta Bowl Organization to properly recognize college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances.
Dantae Chin started two games last season before
suffering a lower body injury against Miami (Ohio) that ended his 2025 campaign. Chin has 19 games of experience under his belt with six starts on the offensive line. That includes two starts at left tackle in 2025, both wins to start the season. In 2024, the Weston, Florida, native played in all 13 games and made four starts at left guard, ranking as the No. 19 offensive guard in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus.
Walker started four games last season before going down in Rutgers’ loss against Iowa. Walker enters 2026 with 29 games under his belt, making seven starts at linebacker. In last year’s season-opening win over Ohio, he led the team with a career-high 13 tackles, with two for loss. The Staten Island, New York, native played in 25 games the previous two seasons, including action in both the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl and Rate Bowl.
