It is no secret that the Rutgers vs. Norfolk State game is expected to be lopsided. Part of the allure of this game will be the chance to rest starters in the second half and see backups and reserves take the field. For many players, this serves as a chance to see live-game action for the first time in their college careers, while fans will get a glimpse into what the Scarlet Knights could look like in the future. Here are some of the top players who could see game action on Saturday, broken up by
position group.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Athan Kaliakmanis has been nothing short of sensational to start this season, but he will be set to graduate after this season. Behind him, current backup AJ Surace is expected to be the quarterback of the future for the Scarlet Knights. Surace showcased his potential in the spring game, going 15-24 with 220 yards and a touchdown, but is still looking for his first game action with the Scarlet Knights. With the game likely to be out of reach by halftime, count on Surace seeing the field early in the third quarter.
Behind Surace, Greg Schiano may look to rotate in Sean Ashenfelder and/or Rocco Rainone, the third and fourth-string quarterbacks on the roster. Although Ashenfelder is a true freshman, playing him in the game would not burn his redshirt, and it would be smart to test out the depth on the roster in a low-pressure yet valuable in-game situation, as they might not have the opportunity to take the field again until next season.
Offensive Line
The starting offensive line has played a major role in the way that the Rutgers offense has started the season, averaging 39.5 points per game over the first two contests while scoring 79 points against quality MAC defenses. Behind that unit is a bunch of players looking to make their own impact for the Scarlet Knights.
At the left guard position, John Stone is the primary backup to Bryan Felter, while at right guard, Nick Oliveira is slotted behind Kwabena Asamoah. At the center position, redshirt senior Terrance Salami is the primary backup, but Hank Zilinskas, the brother of starting center Gus Zilinskas, has another year of eligibility as a redshirt junior. Both may see the field during the second half of this contest.
With the injury to Dantae Chinn, Tyler Needham is expected to take over at left tackle, while Taj White will likely hold down the starting right tackle spot. Behind them, Greg Schiano mentioned the names of LIU transfer Moshood Giwa and New Haven transfer Justin Cesaire in his press conference. Illinois transfer Zach Aamland could also be in the mix.
This game comes at an optimal time for Rutgers, as Schiano can figure out what his optimal tackle situation will be going forward in Big Ten play by rotating guys in and out of the lineup. We should also know the status of Chin when the availability report for this game is released.
Skill Positions
The receiving trio of Ian Strong, KJ Duff, and DT Sheffield has looked incredible through two games, making a wide variety of catches and coming down with the football in the end zone for two touchdowns apiece. Against Norfolk State, the three will likely be able to blow by defenders in the open field and continue their hot start.
Once the game is on ice, Rutgers will look to give its second and third-string receivers some run, starting with sophomore Ben Black, who saw some game action last season and was mentioned by Schiano in his last press conference as one of the players who needs to be worked into games more. True freshmen Michael Thomas II and Jordin Houston were both highly heralded and could see some playing time, along with true freshman receiver Vernon Allen II, who caught five passes for 98 yards in the spring game.
Antwan Raymond has taken over as the lead running back with 169 yards on the season, with a strong complement from CJ Campbell and JaShon Benjamin contributing in a supporting role as well. In this game, Benjamin could get more carries, as well as Sam Brown, who is coming back from an injury that has held him out of the first two contests. Behind them, redshirt freshman Ed Guerrier could see his first fall snaps after carrying the football 13 times for 43 yards and a touchdown in the spring game.
The tight ends have largely been quiet to start this season, with Kenny Fletcher Jr. having three catches for 20 yards and Colin Weber catching three passes for 15 yards. Perhaps Kirk Ciarocca gets his tight ends more involved in this game, with Mike Higgins and Logan Blake likely coming onto the field during the second half.
Defense
Defensive Line
Rutgers has already gone pretty deep into their defensive line rotation the past few games, and there is no reason they should not continue here. While Bradley Weaver, Zaire Angoy, Keshon Griffin, and Eric O’Neill have been the starting four for Rutgers so far this season, Oliver Billotte, Jordan Walker, Jordan Thompson, and Darold DeNgohe have all seen significant playing time.
It should not be a surprise if they dig even further down the depth chart than that if they are up by a lot. If they do, we could see playing time for players like Djibril Abdou Rahman, who registered a sack last game, Henry Hughes, and even freshman Braxton Kyle. With the injury to Doug Blue-Eli to start the year, Rutgers should look to get as much experience as they can further down the depth chart, and an FCS team provides the perfect opportunity for that.
Linebackers
The linebacker core has been going into their two-man deep throughout the first two games as well, with starters Dariel Djabome and Moses Walker being relieved by Abram Wright and Sam Robinson. Wright recorded one tackle in the last game against Miami (OH), while Robinson has yet to record a stat despite appearing in both games. If Rutgers starts piling up points early, these two, along with freshmen DJ McClary and Kamar Archie, could see major playing time. This would be the first time McClary and Archie see snaps at a college level if they do get put in the game. Both have solid frames and are expected to be major contributors in future years.
Defensive Backs
The defensive backs are one position where Rutgers might avoid putting their backups in, or at least hold off until very late. This group has experienced some of the most turnover on the team from last year, with their starters needing as many reps as possible to adjust to the Knights’ defensive scheme. The last two games have been rough on this group as they have surrendered multiple big plays to the opposing offenses.
When Schiano talks about the defense being a “work in progress,” this group is likely the first one that comes to his mind. Cam Miller, Jett Elad, Bo Mascoe, Kaj Sanders, and Jacobie Henderson will likely play for most of the game, with the possibility of players like Davoun Fuse, Al Shadee Salaam, and Jesse Ofurie seeing some playing time. Some other players in the secondary that could see game reps are Zilan Williams, Sage Clawges, Kevin Levy, and Mercer transfer Chris Joines.
Special Teams
Rutgers will likely keep most of its starting specialists out for the whole game, starting with kicker Jai Patel, who is 10-10 on extra points and 3-3 on field goals. Patel should have many opportunities to connect on many more extra points and field goals on Saturday as he looks to continue to increase his record-holding consecutive field goal makes streak. Jack Scullion will once again be the kickoff specialist, while punter Jakob Anderson has had a quiet start to the season, and that is expected to be the case again for this game.
Rutgers may experiment with its returning situation throughout this game, as the Scarlet Knights appear to be unsettled when it comes to returning kicks and punts. In the first contest against Ohio, Kaj Sanders returned a punt, while Ja’Shon Benjamin and Ben Black each returned one kickoff. In the second game against Miami (OH), Ben Black returned two kickoffs, while DT Sheffield returned one punt. The Scarlet Knights could also line up Dane Pardridge at either position, who was brought in from NIU primarily due to his abilities as a returner.
As backups and reserves usually play on the kick coverage and return teams alongside some starters, that would likely stay the same, with some possible rotations to include some freshmen who have not seen game action yet.
