Rutgers Football Position Preview 2024: Scarlet Knights hope for more sacks along the D-Line

Rutgers football season begins Thursday, August 29th at SHI Stadium against Howard. Ahead of the season opener, we’ll look at every position on the field for the Scarlet Knights.

The defensive line is the first line of defense for this expectedly strong Scarlet Knights unit.

Position Coach: Colin Ferrell

Important returnees: Aaron Lewis, Wesley Bailey, Kyonte Hamilton, Zaire Angoy, Rene Konga, Troy Rainey, Jordan Thompson

Important new additions: Malcolm Ray

Important losses: Mayan Ahanotu, Isaiah Iton, Cam’Ron Stewart

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What went well: depth and experience

Rutgers’ defense as a whole returns starters at every level, with many seniors returning to a unit that was in the top 20 in the nation last season.

Let’s start with the starters on the defensive line. Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey are the top starters with 24 starts over the last two years. Kyonte Hamilton started five times last season. The depth is also strong once again. Jordan Thompson was a backup at Rutgers but has played an expanded role. He has appeared in every game over the last two years.

Rene Konga and Zaire Angoy also provide additional depth. Angoy was a late addition to the rotation last season and made the most of his opportunities. He will now be a regular on the defensive line. Troy Rainey is one of that trio, playing over 100 snaps on the defensive line.

Greg Schiano has worked hard in the transfer portal over the years to improve the trenches. In recent years, players like Mayan Ahanotu and Isaiah Iton immediately spring to mind. This season, it’s Florida State transfer Malcolm Ray who is ready to take on a role in Piscataway. Ray has played 43 games for the Seminoles over the last four years, recording 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

In terms of rushing yards allowed (137.2), Rutgers was right in the middle of the Big Ten last season.

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Needs improvement: Can Aaron Lewis take the next step? Can Rutgers get to the quarterback?

The depth is there, the experience is there and Rutgers’ defensive line was part of a strong front seven. Can the next step be taken in 2024?

It starts with Lewis. Since transferring from Michigan, there has been a lot of hype around Lewis, who has NFL size at 6’5″ and 260 pounds. He has decided to return to Piscataway this season and rejoin an elite group on defense. Lewis is the leader in terms of potential and for him, it’s First Team All-Big Ten.

Last season, Lewis only managed three sacks. He was one of the Big Ten’s leaders with 22 quarterback hurries, but he couldn’t finish plays in the backfield. That was the motto for the entire team. Rutgers finished 13th in the conference in 2023 with just 21 sacks. It doesn’t help that the team’s top sack leader, Mohamed Toure, is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Toure finished with 4.5 sacks, while Bailey had four of his own. Those were the only two players to record more than four sacks – and Toure did it as a linebacker. The defensive line as a whole has struggled to produce sacks, and that’s the biggest improvement needed this season.

Final thoughts

Depth could become even more important as the season progresses, with sophomores JaSire Peterson and Djibril Abdou Rahman also in the starting blocks. The Scarlet Knights have been strong at all three levels this season. The defense took a big hit with the loss of Toure, but there are options to make up for some of the space on the defensive line.

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