Rutgers
Scarlet Knights
Preview 2009 - Defense
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2009 CFN Rutgers Preview
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2009 Rutgers
Offense
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2009 Rutgers
Defense
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2009 Rutgers Depth
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2008 Rutgers Preview
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2007 Rutgers Preview
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2006 Rutgers Preview
What you need to know:
Five starters have graduated, leaving Rutgers with a little bit
of rebuilding to do, especially at defensive line and in the
defensive backfield, which each loses an all-star. The strongest
unit will be the linebackers, which features budding star Ryan D’Imperio in the middle and great athleticism surrounding him.
The secondary will overcome its losses, thanks to the returns of
CB Devin McCourty and SS Joe Lefeged, and a schedule that’s
light on prolific passers. The biggest concerns will be to shore
up the run defense and start creating more turnovers, which used
to be a Greg Schiano trademark. While D’Imperio will do his best
to shut down running lanes, the Scarlet Knights have two new
starters at defensive tackle, neither of whom weighs more than
265 pounds.
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Returning
Leaders
Tackles: Ryan D'Imperio,
93
Sacks:
Ryan D'Imperio, 5.5
Interceptions: Several at 1
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Star of the
defense: Senior LB Ryan D’Imperio
Player who has to step up and become a star:
Junior DT Charlie Noonan
Unsung star on the rise: Junior
SS Joe Lefeged
Best pro prospect:
Senior CB Devin McCourty
Top
three all-star candidates: 1)
D’Imperio, 2) Lefeged, 3) Senior CB Devin McCourty
Strength of the defense: Front
seven depth, linebacker speed, red zone defense, third down
defense
Weakness of the defense:
Run defense, second starting cornerback
Defensive Line
Projected Starters:
Two starters are gone. Two return, led by 6-4, 260-pound senior
George Johnson. The
fourth-year starter at defensive end, he’s the Knights’ best
pass rusher and one of the emotional leaders of the defense. He
possesses the burst and athletic ability of an outside
linebacker, setting career-highs a year ago with 39 tackles, 10
tackles for loss, and two sacks. If he can play with more
consistency and loosen up his hips, he should finish with the
best season of his career.
The other returning starter
also happens to be the other end, 6-4, 250-pound junior
Alex Silvestro. He
took one for the team in 2008, starting all 13 games at
defensive tackle, but is switching back outside, where his
speed, long arms, and natural lean won’t get lost on the
interior. Despite being overpowered on many Saturdays, he still
managed to battle his way to 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss,
and a pair of sacks.
While junior nose guard
Charlie Noonan is
just 6-2 and 265 pounds, he left no doubts in the spring who’ll
be in the starting lineup in September. Named the most improved
defensive player by the staff, he routinely broke through the
line, beating his man with quickness, reaction time, and
tireless work ethic. A year ago, he had nine tackles in 13
games, but looks determined to blow past those numbers this
season.
Coming out of spring, the favorite to be at
defensive tackle is 6-2, 260-pound senior
Blair Bines, a former
linebacker who’s found a home on the interior of the line. A
tough competitor, who’ll win some battles with his quickness,
he’s also prone to getting engulfed and bullied out of the play
by physical opponents. In 13 games last season, he chipped in
with 15 tackles and 2.5 stops behind the line.
Projected Top Reserves:
Pushing Noonan hard is 6-2, 240-pound sophomore
Eric LeGrand, who has
finally found a home at defensive tackle. A year ago, he spent
some time at linebacker, fullback, and the defensive line, he
had 14 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Extremely quick off the
snap and able to bust through blockers, he’s beginning to
conjure up comparisons to former Rutgers All-American Eric
Foster.
On the outside, the Scarlet Knights have a pair
of reliable juniors to keep the rotation cranking without a
hitch. Backing up Silvestro is 6-3, 240-pound
Jonathan Freeny, a
blur off the edge and a phenomenal all-around athlete. He had 19
tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack last year, but should
get the snaps needed to make more plays this season.
Backing up Johnson is 6-3, 245-pound
Sorie Bayoh, another
athletic, linebacker-sized end, who’ll be used as a situational
pass rusher. He showed steady improvement throughout 2008,
finishing with 14 tackles, and has bulked up in anticipation of
a larger role.
Watch Out For… 6-4, 260-pound sophomore tackle
Justin Francis. He
might have been headed toward a starting job on the inside
before getting arrested and suspended for the entire year. He’s
also had shoulder surgery, providing another setback. However,
he has the talent and size to rise quickly, provided he can
shake off the rust and keep his act together.
Strength:
Depth. The Scarlet Knights plan to use an eight or nine-man
rotation this fall, and why not? They legitimately go two-deep
with capable linemen, which is going to keep everyone fresh and
provide a thick layer of insulation in the event that someone
gets hurt.
Weakness:
The tackles. Noonan, Bines, and LeGrand will fight and scrap
from whistle-to-whistle, but at some point, their modest size is
going to haunt them against some of the bigger, physical
opponents. The interior linemen only average around 6-2 and 250
pounds, an area of vulnerability other team’s will look to
expose.
Outlook: While
the Knights should have few problems pressuring the quarterback,
stopping the run could be an issue that requires support from
the linebackers and safeties. Even after losing two starters to
graduation, the unit still has depth and overall talent level.
If the second team can continue pushing the starters, everyone
is going to benefit.
Rating: 7
Linebackers
Projected Starters:
With a long-awaited chance to play on every down, 6-3, 240-pound
senior Ryan D’Imperio
emerged as one of the league’s best linebackers, earning a spot
on the All-Big East second team. A prototypical middle
linebacker and one of the defensive role models, he has
tremendous instincts and range. He laid the foundation for what
will be even more individual awards this fall, making 93
tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
The wing
men for D’Imperio are a pair of explosive athletes, who’ll spend
a lot of time blitzing off the edge. Senior
Damaso Munoz plays
with a lot of intensity and the sideline-to-sideline speed to
make stops all over the field. While only 6-0 and 215 pounds, he
used his quickness and experience to make 45 tackles, three
tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks as a five-game starter.
In the hotly-contested battle at weakside, 6-2, 225-pound junior
Antonio Lowery has
nudged ahead with a fantastic offseason. While limited with his
experience, he’s an outstanding athlete, who’ll overcome missed
assignments with his closing speed and ability to fight through
traffic. As a sophomore, he had 16 tackles in 13 games, numbers
he’ll have a chance to better by the end of September.
Projected Top
Reserves: The top performer among the reserves is 6-3,
245-pound sophomore Manny
Abreu, who’s going toe-to-toe with Lowery at weakside. One
of the most decorated defensive players to ever sign with
Rutgers, he’s got an ideal blend of size and agility, and a
sizable ceiling in Piscataway. He started seven games a year
ago, but gradually slipped to the background and finished with
33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Behind
D’Imperio at middle linebacker is 6-1, 215-pound junior
Jim Dumont. A tough,
self-made defender, he’ll play with reckless abandon and do
whatever is necessary to get in on the action. While not nearly
as physically gifted as the other linebackers, he’s the type of
guy coaches like having on the second unit and on special teams.
Watch Out For…
6-2, 225-pound sophomore
Marcus Witherspoon. A local kid, who originally signed with
Michigan, he’s back in his home state and determined to start
scaling the depth chart. Although he has plenty of veterans
ahead of him, he also has the package of athleticism and pop to
begin getting more snaps.
Strength:
Athleticism. Long gone are the days when the Scarlet Knights
relied on undersized, try-hard guys, who no one outside the
Atlantic 10 recruited. This collection of linebackers is loaded
with top athletes, who move very well laterally, are dangerous
on the blitz, and go sideline-to-sideline quicker than any in
school history.
Weakness:
Girth. Aside from D’Imperio and Abreu, the Rutgers linebackers
are a little undersized, with three members of the two-deep
hovering around 215 pounds. That could become a problem against
quick and physical offensive linemen, who can get to the second
level and swallow up everything in their path.
Outlook: The
Scarlet Knights have one star in D’Imperio and four players, who
could start for most of the Big East programs. They’re
experienced, athletic, and bolstered by a fair amount of depth.
In other words, Rutgers is in great shape at linebacker, which
will arguably be the strength of the defense.
Rating: 8
Secondary
Projected Starters:
The glass will be half-full in the defensive backfield, as two
starters are gone and two return. Jason McCourty was one of
those departures, but his twin brother, 5-11, 185-pound senior
Devin McCourty, is
back to be the new stopper of the group. Entering his third
season as the starter, he’s a heady, hard-working player, who’ll
quietly go about getting his job done. Feisty in run defense and
pass defense, he had 57 tackles, a team-high seven pass
breakups, and has had a knack for blocking kicks.
The
front-runner to join McCourty at cornerback is 6-0, 185-pound
senior Billy Anderson,
a former walk-on clinging to the top spot. A blue-collar,
try-hard type kid, he has the edge in experience over the
younger guys in the rear view mirror. However, he hasn’t played
much in the secondary for the Scarlet Knights, mostly appearing
on special teams, and making just five tackles in five games in
2008.
The safeties will be very solid. Junior
Joe Lefeged is back
for a second season as the starting strong safety. One of the
most ferocious hitters on the entire defense, he’s a violent
tackler, who explodes on impact. Last year’s fourth-leading
tackler, he had 72 stops, four tackles for loss, and a couple of
fumble recoveries. If the 6-1, 200-pounder can become a little
more patient and a better student of the game, All-Big East
recognition might be in his future.
Senior FS
Zaire Kitchen has
been an inspiration and a role model for the entire team. After
missing nearly two years to devastating knee injuries, he
returned in 2008, making 32 tackles and forcing three fumbles as
a backup to Courtney Greene and the special teams MVP. A 6-2,
215-pound headhunter, he’s as healthy as he’s ever been and
prepared to finish his career on an up note.
Projected Top
Reserves: Anderson’s chief competition is coming from
5-11, 165-pound junior Brandon Bing, who’s been on the two-deep his first two seasons. One
of the fastest players on the team, he’s yet to put it all
together, which is why he’s currently running No. 2 heading into
summer. He appeared in 11 games last fall, but played sparingly
on defense and made just a couple of tackles.
At strong
safety, 6-2, 205-pound sophomore
Patrick Kivlehan has
emerged as one of the first players to come off the bench. A
special teams star in his first season, he had a good spring,
getting more comfortable with his expanded role and delivering
the payload whenever there was an opportunity.
Watch
Out For… the other
corner to get picked on plenty. Rather than deal with McCourty,
most opposing quarterbacks will prefer to go right after the
other guy until he proves up to the challenge. That means it’s
up to Anderson or Bing to either rise up or spend the entire
year with a target on his chest.
Strength:
Veteran presence. With three seniors and a junior in the
starting lineup, absolutely nothing is going to faze or surprise
this starting lineup. In terms of experience, they’ll have an
edge over every opposing quarterback, save for maybe South
Florida’s Matt Grothe.
Weakness: Interceptions. For two year running now,
the Scarlet Knights have struggled in the area of takeaways. In
fact, over the last 26 games, the team has only picked off 15
balls, needing to turn a few more of those breakups into
turnovers.
Outlook: After
being average in 2008, Rutgers doesn’t figure to elevate now
that Greene and McCourty are in the NFL. It’s a steady
secondary, with a potential all-star at cornerback and safety,
but not one that’ll shut down top-flight passing attacks. It’s a
good thing for the Scarlet Knights that there’s no such thing
looming on this year’s schedule.
Rating: 7
Special Teams
Projected Starters:
In his first season as the successor to Jeremy Ito, sophomore
San San Te delivered mixed results. While on target from inside 40
yards, going 11-of-13, he was far less reliable from long range.
He got hot as the season progressed, validating his ranking as
one of the nation’s top prep kickers of 2007.
Junior
Teddy Dellaganna was
a pleasant surprise in his first season as the regular punter.
Two years removed from Bakersfield (Calif.) Community College,
he averaged a respectable 41.2 yards a punt and handled
kickoffs. With that year behind him, he figures to be even more
effective in 2009.
Offseason auditions are being held for
a new punt returner and kickoff returner. Senior
Tim Brown and junior
Mason Robinson have
the speed and explosiveness to figure into the mix in some
capacity.
Watch
Out For… more pop from Te. The sophomore had back
surgery in the offseason and hardly participated in the spring.
He’s expected to return new and improved, having the strength
and flexibility to get better leg drive and compete to be the
kickoff specialist.
Strength: The coverage teams. Over the last couple of
seasons, the Scarlet Knights have had one of the stingiest cover
teams in the Big East. While the 2007 squad was second in the
league in punt coverage, last year’s edition was No. 2 in
kickoff coverage.
Weakness: The return game. Who is going to spark this
unit now that Jason McCourty, Dennis Campbell, and Tiquan
Underwood have graduated? Robinson and Brown may wind up being
primary options, but neither has a track record of igniting the
special teams.
Outlook: Oh,
what a difference a year makes. This time last season, the
Scarlet Knights were pensively looking to replace Ito, their
kicker and punter. Today there's more confidence in Te and
Dellaganna, who’ve emerged as borderline all-conference players.
Rating: 7.5