3 Things to Watch as Rutgers Football Begins Spring Practice

Piscataway, N.J. — When Rutgers opens spring drills Friday, the Scarlet Knights will do so without the familiar punctuation mark of the Scarlet-White Game, a tradition head coach Greg Schiano has canceled for this cycle. What remains is a 15-practice laboratory in which a reshaped roster and retooled staff must prove that last season’s five-win stumble was an aberration rather than a trend. With no public spring finale, every open period becomes precious for fans and evaluators alike. Three storylines will dominate the conversation inside the Hale Center and out on the practice fields behind it.

Quarterback Competition Replaces a Known Commodity Athan Kaliakmanis, a two-year starter, has taken his final collegiate snap in scarlet, leaving the offense’s most critical job up for grabs. AJ Surace, entering his third year in the program, will try to fend off Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan, who arrives with two seasons of eligibility and a 2024 résumé that reads 2,025 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions on 66.9 percent passing. Surace’s limited game tape has still convinced coaches of his upside, particularly his blend of size and pre-snap recognition. Lonergan, once on Nick Saban’s watch list at Alabama, started nine games for the Eagles and gives coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca a seasoned option. Schiano has historically been patient—sometimes maddeningly so—naming starters, meaning the battle could bleed deep into August.

Who Emerges as KJ Duff’s Running Mate KJ Duff’s impromptu announcement at a Rutgers basketball game that he will return was the program’s biggest offseason victory. The 1,084-yard, seven-touchdown receiver gives the staff a proven No. 1. The question is who lines up opposite him. Ian Strong’s transfer to Cal and DT Sheffield’s departure leave 60-plus catches on the table. Candidates come with upside and injury asterisks: Famah Toure missed all of 2024 after a spring-game setback; Vernon Allen and Jourdin Houston also spent time in the training room. Ben Black, who logged eight grabs a year ago, is the healthiest option but must make a second-year leap. The staff will use the next month to sort through the depth chart and find a reliable complement who can stretch the field and free Duff from constant double-teams.

Total Defense Under New Management The Scarlet Knights finished last in the Big Ten in total defense (432.8 yards per game) and points allowed (31.8), prompting Schiano to jettison the Robb Smith–Zach Sparber setup after one season. South Dakota’s Travis Johansen takes over as defensive coordinator, bringing an entirely fresh scheme and a portal-fueled facelift—10 new defenders arrive with immediate eligibility. While individual names will sort themselves out during camp, the overarching theme is transformation. Johansen’s first spring will be judged less on installation speed and more on fundamentals: tackling angles, pursuit lanes and situational awareness that were too often missing a year ago. If the defense can shave even a touchdown off last year’s weekly average, Rutgers believes its offense is potent enough to turn close Big Ten losses into the wins needed for bowl eligibility.

With no spring game to serve as a public progress report, every practice rep carries extra weight. The quarterback duel, wide-receiver depth chart and defensive overhaul will provide the answers that fans—and the coaching staff—are anxious to find.