Rutgers did not have finality when the clock ran out on Saturday’s deflating loss to Maryland.
The Scarlet Knights have it now.
The possibility of a backdoor path to a bowl game is no more. America woke up Sunday morning with more bowl eligible teams than available bowl spots. Rutgers’ season is officially over at 5-7 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten, and it is time to beginning turning the page to Year 3 of Greg Schiano 2.0.
So what’s next for the Scarlet Knights? Here is a look at four immediate areas of emphasis:
Recruiting. Schiano said after the 40-16 loss to the Terrapins that he planned to hit the road on Sunday ahead of National Signing Day on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
“This is a critical time,” he said. “We have literally two weeks plus a weekend next weekend and a weekend the following weekend, basically 14 days, and then the recruiting period goes dead. Now you’ve got to sprint harder until you get to signing date on the 15th, and the signing date is -- people call it the early signing date. It’s not. It’s the signing date. If they want to name something, they call the old one the late signing date. We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and the 15th.”
Rutgers’ 2022 recruiting class is currently ranked 25th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. That ranking does not include quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who was tacked onto the 2021 class when he enrolled in September. The Scarlet Knights most recently added a commitment on Friday, when three-star Maryland defensive back Zilan Williams gave his pledge.
There have been no signs Rutgers needs to worry about attrition among its commits, but Schiano and his staff always need to guard against it while looking to flip other recruits into the class. The Scarlet Knights are within striking distance of the highest-ranked class in school history (No. 23 in 2012) if they finish with a flourish.
Roster turnover. We know key players like Olakunle Fatukasi and Bo Melton are off to the NFL and several other key seniors are departing. A handful of two-deep players with remaining eligibility also participated in senior day ceremonies on Saturday. They all can still return, but there will likely be some departures in that group. And Rutgers will inevitably have players enter the NCAA transfer portal. The Scarlet Knights are going to look different in 2022. We will get an idea as to whether it will be a dramatic change in the next few weeks.
Coaching turnover? It’s rare for an entire coaching staff to remain together for three seasons. Initial contracts are coming up for most of Schiano’s assistants, there will be plenty of turnover nationally due to a volatile coaching change cycle and advancement opportunities may arise for some coaches. There is also the potential for performance-driven changes. If any moves are happening, they usually tend to be put on hold until after the December signing period.
The 2022 schedule. First, Rutgers needs to find a 12th opponent to round out next season’s slate. Look for the Scarlet Knights to sign a deal to host an FCS opponent, likely on Saturday, Sept. 10. And figure it will be a team from the lower levels of college football’s second division and not Monmouth.
There is also the question as to whether the Big Ten will rework the entire schedule again after the new year. The league drastically changed the matrix this past year to accommodate changes made out of necessity during its abbreviated COVID-19 season, and the same quirks will be present again this coming year. Also, the wild card: The scheduling alliance with the ACC and Pac-12 gets off the ground sooner than expected and the Big Ten cuts a non-conference game.
Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.
James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com.
"now" - Google News
November 28, 2021 at 10:43PM
https://ift.tt/32vYAXW
What now for Rutgers with 2021 season officially over? - nj.com
"now" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35sfxPY
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "What now for Rutgers with 2021 season officially over? - nj.com"
Post a Comment