The transfer portal hits continue to roll in for Rutgers, as reserves Samuel Brown V and Dane Pardridge have announced their intentions to enter the portal when it opens. After CJ Campbell Jr. announced his decision yesterday, the Scarlet Knights now have three players who plan to exit, all of whom are on the offense.
Pardridge began his career at Northern Illinois as a Class of 2022 recruit, deciding to redshirt as a freshman before appearing in 24 games over the next two seasons. He recorded 28
receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest contribution was as the Huskies’ main punt returner, returning 20 punts for 152 yards and a touchdown.
He joined the Scarlet Knights in early August, appearing in two games before suffering an injury. Due to this, and Greg Schiano’s tendency not to have many returns on kickoffs and punts, Pardridge did not record a statistic in 2025. As a receiver, he was relegated to the bench, with Strong, Duff, and Sheffield all producing solid seasons.
Samuel Brown V has had a much more complicated yet storied history with the program, as he was the lone running back commit in the Class of 2022. Brown was a four-star recruit on Rivals from La Salle College High School in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and had a standout high school career.
As a freshman, he scored two touchdowns against Wagner and had his breakout game against Indiana, with 101 yards and a touchdown against the Hoosiers to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 24-17 homecoming win. However, he suffered a season-ending foot injury in that game and missed the rest of the season.
Brown was healthy for most of his sophomore year in 2023, playing 12 out of 13 games, including the Pinstripe Bowl against Miami (FL). However, he played as a reserve and finished with 216 yards for two touchdowns.
In 2024, Brown started to see more carries, with 14 in the first two games of the season against Howard and Akron, before scoring two touchdowns against Virginia Tech. He then scored a 34-yard touchdown against Washington as the Scarlet Knights defeated the Huskies 21-18 to move to 4-0 on the season.
This season, Brown played in just four games to retain his redshirt and saw action as a reserve back after CJ Campbell Jr’s injury. He recorded 38 yards on 16 carries against Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State, and Penn State.
As a redshirt senior, Brown will have one year of eligibility remaining, while Pardrige will have two years of eligibility with his new school. With the departures in the running back room, it appears that Antwan Raymond and Ja’Shon Benjamin will have an even bigger role in the rushing attack next season.
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