Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #72
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 1.0 (#72)
- SP+ Offense
- 31.6
- SP+ Defense
- 30.7
- SRS
- 2.4
- FPI
- 1.4
- Elo
- 1469
- Talent
- 689
- Recruiting
- 221 (#36)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
5.6p10 4.0 — p90 7.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.0% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 5.7–6.3
Schedule
55th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
73rd
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
39th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsMassachusetts | -36.6 | 43-7 | +35.8 | 98% | — |
| 2 | @Boston College | -8.5 | 28-24 | +4.3 | 60% | — |
| 3 | vsUSC | +16.9 | 17-34 | -16.7 | 15% | — |
| 4 | vsHoward | FCS | 44-4* | +40.7 | 99% | — |
| 5 | vsIndiana | +32.4 | 17-38 | -21.3 | 10% | — |
| 7 | @Maryland | +0.6 | 23-25 | -2.1 | 45% | — |
| 8 | @Northwestern | +5.8 | 21-30 | -9.6 | 28% | — |
| 9 | vsMichigan | +12.4 | 24-32 | -8.0 | 31% | — |
| 10 | @Wisconsin | -4.4 | 25-22 | +3.0 | 57% | — |
| 11 | vsNebraska | +6.2 | 26-27 | -0.7 | 48% | — |
| 12 | @Penn State | +18.1 | 16-33 | -17.0 | 15% | — |
| 13 | vsMichigan State | -3.4 | 30-23 | +7.0 | 67% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 3
2026 · 63
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Dylan Lonergan← Boston College | SO | 6'2" | 211 | ★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | AJ Surace | SO | 6'2" | 212 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Sean Ashenfelder | FR | 6'1" | 210 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Antwan Raymond | SO | 5'11" | 205 | — |
| RB | 2nd | Clay Thevenin← Louisiana Tech | SO | 5'10" | 195 | ★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Ja'shon Benjamin | JR | 5'9" | 203 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Edd Guerrier | SO | 5'8" | 190 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Terrell Mitchell | FR | 5'8" | 194 | — |
Wide Receivers · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | KJ Duff | SO | 6'6" | 225 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | DT Sheffield | SR | 5'10" | 175 | — |
| WR | 3rd | Ben Black | SO | 6'0" | 184 | — |
| WR | 4th | Dino Kaliakmanis | SR | 6'1" | 199 | — |
| WR | 5th | Michael Thomas III | FR | 5'11" | 202 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Vernon Allen III | FR | 6'2" | 198 | — |
| WR | 7th | Dylan Braithwaite | JR | 5'9" | 181 | — |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Kenny Fletcher Jr. | SR | 6'3" | 252 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Kameron Anthony← Ball State | FR | 6'4" | 238 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Colin Weber | SR | 6'4" | 258 | ★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Jackson Gister | SO | 6'6" | 251 | — |
| TE | 5th | Logan Blake | JR | 6'6" | 261 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 1
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | — | Everett Small← Eastern Michigan | FR | 6'4" | 302 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Eric O'Neill | SR | 6'3" | 261 | — |
| DL | 2nd | Rondo Porter← App State | JR | 6'0" | 295 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Bradley Weaver | SR | 6'4" | 267 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Jordan Thompson | SR | 6'2" | 272 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Zaire Angoy | SR | 6'3" | 301 | — |
| DL | 6th | Keshon Griffin | SR | 6'4" | 301 | — |
| DL | 7th | Farell Gnago | SO | 6'4" | 268 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Djibril Abdou Rahman | JR | 6'4" | 257 | — |
| DL | 9th | Oliver Billotte | SR | 6'4" | 298 | ★★★ |
| DL | 10th | DJ Allen | SR | 6'7" | 267 | — |
| DL | 11th | Henry Hughes Jr. | SR | 6'5" | 294 | — |
| DL | — | Jaedin Lee← Maine | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Malachi Davis← Toledo | JR | 6'4" | 255 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | J'Dan Burnett← Tulsa | JR | 6'0" | 250 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Ty Morris← Rice | JR | 6'2" | 229 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Dariel Djabome | SR | 6'2" | 237 | — |
| LB | 3rd | Abram Wright | JR | 6'1" | 221 | — |
| LB | 4th | Moses Walker | SR | 6'2" | 232 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 5th | DJ McClary | FR | 6'1" | 230 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Kamar Archie | FR | 6'1" | 234 | — |
| LB | 7th | John Insinga | FR | 6'1" | 233 | ★★★ |
| LB | — | Sean Allison← Drake | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 17
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Kevyn Humes← Maryland | SO | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Mikey Munn← South Dakota | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Bradlee Jones← The Citadel | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Zahmir Dawud← Villanova | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Jett Elad | SR | 6'0" | 202 | ★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Kaj Sanders | SO | 6'1" | 197 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Cam Miller | SR | 6'0" | 192 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Al-Shadee Salaam | SR | 5'10" | 188 | — |
| DB | 5th | Chris Joines | SR | 6'2" | 200 | — |
| DB | 6th | Jesse Ofurie | JR | 6'2" | 206 | ★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Kevin Levy | SO | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| DB | 8th | Timmy Ward | SR | 6'0" | 195 | — |
| DB | 9th | Sebastian Jusma | SR | 6'1" | 190 | — |
| DB | 10th | Michael Robinson II | SR | 5'11" | 194 | — |
| DB | 11th | Zilan Williams | SR | 6'1" | 194 | — |
| DB | 12th | Sage Clawges | JR | 6'3" | 194 | ★★★ |
| DB | 13th | Isaiah Crumpler | SO | 6'0" | 200 | — |
Special Teams · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1st | Jakob Anderson | SO | 6'2" | 192 | — |
| PK | 1st | Jai Patel | SR | 5'9" | 180 | — |
| PK | — | Dane Pizzaro | SO | 6'2" | 190 | — |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
5.7
Exp. Losses
6.3
Toss-ups
3
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
31.672
Off PPA
+0.2176
Pass PPA
+0.3576
Rush PPA
+0.0840
Success
46%82
Explosive
1.2243
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.21 | +0.31 |
| Passing | +0.35 | +0.42 |
| Rushing | +0.08 | +0.27 |
| 1st Down | +0.08 | +0.18 |
| 2nd Down | +0.17 | +0.37 |
| 3rd Down | +0.52 | +0.61 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
28.7
PPG Against
31.8
Differential
-3.2
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 5-7
- Home
- 4-3
- Away
- 1-4
- Conference
- 2-7
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 2-2
- Avg Margin
- -3.2
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 4-3 | 35.4 | 30.3 |
| Away | 1-4 | 19.2 | 34.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 0-6 | 19.2 | 41.5 |
| Conference | 2-7 | 22.8 | 36.0 |
| Non-conference | 3-0 | 46.3 | 19.3 |
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 4 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5-7 | 2-7 | #72 | — | — |
| 2024 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #42 | — | 0-1 |
| 2023 | 6-6 | 3-6 | #54 | — | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 4-8 | 1-8 | #96 | — | — |
| 2021 | 5-7 | 2-7 | #88 | — | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 3-6 | 3-6 | #108 | — | — |
| 2019 | 2-10 | 0-9 | #117 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1-11 | 0-9 | #108 | — | — |
| 2017 | 4-8 | 3-6 | #92 | — | — |
| 2016 | 2-10 | 0-9 | #117 | — | — |
| 2015 | 4-8 | 1-7 | #101 | — | — |
| 2014 | 7-5 | 3-5 | #75 | — | 1-0 |
Recent Form · last 5
2-3 SU · 3-2 ATS · O1/U4
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 5-7 |
| ATS | 6-650% |
| Over / Under | 7-5 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 3-1 |
| As underdog | 3-5 |
| Home | 4-3 |
| Away | 2-3 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #49 · 25 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★144 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #36 | 221 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 2025 | #33 | 219 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 2024 | #36 | 212 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| 2023 | #57 | 190 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2022 | #33 | 210 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| 2021 | #41 | 192 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 2020 | #64 | 170 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2019 | #64 | 174 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2018 | #56 | 184 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2017 | #42 | 189 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 15net +0Out 15
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.0 / 3.1
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Kameron Anthony | TE | 3★ | ← Ball State |
| ▲ | Dylan Lonergan | QB | 3★ | ← Boston College |
| ▲ | Malachi Davis | EDGE | 3★ | ← Toledo |
| ▲ | Bradlee Jones | CB | 3★ | ← The Citadel |
| ▼ | Ian Strong | WR | 4★ | → California |
| ▼ | Bo Mascoe | CB | 4★ | → Texas |
| ▼ | Talibi Kaba | LB | 4★ | → — |
| ▼ | Jordan Walker | EDGE | 3★ | → Georgia Tech |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Three Opponents Rutgers Must Beat to Reach Bowl EligibilityBoston College, Maryland and Michigan State are must-wins if Rutgers hopes for bowl eligibilityRUTG7h
- Rutgers Football 2026 Opponent Preview: HowardRutgers set to finish non-conference play against HowardRUTG3d
- 2027 Rutgers OL Commit James Cocozzo to Reclassify to 2026A second Rutgers 2027 commit reclassifies to the 2026 class.RUTG4d
- Where does Greg Schiano rank among Big Ten head coaches?Schiano’s seat could be heating up if Rutgers does not take a step forward.RUTG4d
- Rutgers Football Commit James Cocozzo Reclassifies to 2026, Will Join Scarlet Knights EarlyRutgers football commit James Cocozzo has reclassified from the 2027 class to 2026, giving the Scarlet Knights another offensive line addition for the future.RUTG4d
- Rutgers Football 2026 Opponent Preview: USCThe Scarlet Knights will open Big Ten play against USC.RUTG5d
- Where Rutgers Football Lands in ESPN's 2026 FPI RankingsRutgers opens the 2026 season ranked No. 68 in ESPN's Football Power Index with a projected 6.2-win season and a 62.3 percent chance at bowl eligibility.RUTG10d
- ESPN Releases College Football Power Index Rankings; Rutgers Lands at 67Rutgers lands second to last in Big Ten in ESPN’s FPI rankingsRUTG10d
- Rutgers Football 2026 Opponents Preview: UMassOpponent Preview: UMassRUTG12d
- Rutgers' 2026 Recruiting Class Remains Among Big Ten's Best Following Latest Rankings UpdateRutgers football remains 10th in the Big Ten recruiting rankings after landing four-star running back Aiden Gibson, giving Greg Schiano's program a top-40 national 2026 class.RUTG12d
- Former Rutgers Captain Jamil Merrell Leaves Lasting Legacy On and Off the FieldFormer Rutgers football captain Jamil Merrell, a standout defensive end and linebacker who later coached at Red Lion Christian Academy, has died at 36.RUTG12d
- Rutgers lands four-star RB after flip from Big Ten rivalAiden Gibson will join the Scarlet Knights for the 2026 season.RUTG13d
- Rutgers Football announces 2026 game themesGet ready for another action-packed season of Rutgers Football!RUTG13d
- PFF Ranks Rutgers WR KJ Duff in Top 50 Best College Football Players for 2026Duff receives more preseason recognition.RUTG15d
- Where does Greg Schiano rank among Big Ten coaches?Schiano is entering an all-important seventh season back at Rutgers.RUTG19d
- Rutgers is Building 'Scary' Offense for 2026CBS Sports ranked Rutgers stars KJ Duff and Antwan Raymond among the nation's top 26 offensive weapons entering the 2026 college football season, highlighting the Scarlet Knights' explosive offensive potential.
- Walter Camp Foundation Names Rutgers WR KJ Duff Second Team All-AmericanDuff adds another preseason accolade.RUTG20d
- Rutgers Receiver KJ Duff Presents Unique Challenge for USC Trojans SecondaryThe USC Trojans secondary will be tested when they travel to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to open Big Ten play.RUTG20d
- Rutgers Football Game-By-Game Predictions With ScoresArnav Takes On The Game-By-Game Prediction SeriesRUTG25d
- Rutgers dynamic duo headlines College Football 27 position ratingsThe Scarlet Knights will have two elite offensive weapons this season.RUTG25d