Rutgers Football

Former Rutgers' linebacker Lester "L.J." Liston Jr. has been charged with first-degree murder, according to Dominic Adams of MLive.com, in what has been described by Michigan prosecutors as a revenge killing.

According to Adams, Liston is also charged with "felony firearm possession with intent to deliver cocaine less than 50 grams and careless discharge of a firearm causing injury or death." 

Liston allegedly shot and killed Larry James Dunn on July 30 in Flint, Michigan, and injured a 30-year-old woman as well. Per Adams, "The killing appeared to be revenge in connection to another homicide, according to the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office. No other details were released."

Dunn's murder is believed to have been in retaliation for the killing of De'Arirst Richardson, per Adams, a friend of Liston's who was shot and killed on June 15. Dunn had not been charged in Richardson's case, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.

Liston is currently being held without bail.

He was dismissed from the Rutgers football team in 2015, per Sargeant, but claimed at the time that he had willingly left the team to tend to familial responsibilities after becoming a father. He then transferred to Division II Northern Michigan.

Rutgers added an athletic playmaker to their future defense Tuesday when outside linebacker Zihir Lacewell committed to their 2018 recruiting class. 

Lacewell announced the commitment in a video for Scout.com. 

Lacewell, who is 6'3" and 199 pounds, is a 4-star prospect, per Scout, and the No. 254 overall player, No. 21 outside linebacker and No. 1 outside linebacker in the state of New York in his class.

He drew plenty of interest from programs in the general vicinity, and Syracuse, Temple and Rutgers were early inclusions on Scout's list of interested schools.

Hudl shared a look at some of his playmaking abilities:

Lacewell also played wide receiver at the high school level, and Brian Dohn of Scout said he was better at that position than linebacker. However, Dohn clarified "his ability to run and change direction, mixed in with his frame, makes him a stellar prospect" when analyzing his future linebacking skills.

Dohn provided a complete breakdown of Lacewell's game and said "his physical talent is off the charts" even though he still had some learning to do. He will ideally do that learning at the college level and tap into his overwhelming potential.

His speed and athleticism immediately jump out, which makes sense considering he was a wide receiver. Those traits allow him to blitz off the edge, pursue running backs from sideline to sideline and even drop back into coverage if needed.

Lacewell brings that versatility and talent to a Rutgers program that needs to quickly improve its defense. The Scarlet Knights were a mere 116th in the nation in points allowed per game in 2016, which is a total that will not allow them to consistently compete with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the coming years.

Lacewell gives them an elite athlete who can help them bolster that defense with his blitzing and overall athleticism. While the Scarlet Knights still have ground to make up in the Big Ten, adding players like this is an ideal way to chip away at that gap.

Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand will be the third recipient of the Warrior Award, presented at WWE's 2017 Hall of Fame ceremony.

“It is an absolute honor to be named the 2017 Warrior Award recipient,” LeGrand said in a statement released Monday. “I am truly grateful for WWE’s support of my personal journey, and I am proud to continue to be an example of strength for people everywhere.”

LeGrand, 26, played defensive tackle at Rutgers before suffering a spinal cord injury in an October 2010 game against Army. He was paralyzed from the neck down.

Since suffering the injury, LeGrand has become a motivational speaker, sports broadcaster and founded the Team LeGrand charity of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation in 2013. WWE will make a $25,000 contribution to Team LeGrand as part of the Warrior Award honor.

“Eric LeGrand has shown incredible perseverance and unwavering positivity throughout his recovery,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “From the work he does helping others with spinal cord injuries to his motivational speaking, Eric is the perfect choice for this prestigious award.”

WWE introduced the Warrior Award in 2015, which is given to "an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of Ultimate Warrior." The WWE Hall of Famer died in April 2014, just days after his induction ceremony.

Connor "The Crusher" Michalek, the beloved 8-year-old WWE fan who died in 2014 due to a form of brain cancer called medulloblastoma, was the first Warrior Award recipient. He was inducted posthumously by Daniel Bryan and Dana Warrior, and WWE founded the charity Conor's Cure in Michalek's memory.

Journalist Joan Lunden received the award in 2016. She is a breast cancer survivor and was likewise inducted by Dana Warrior, who will handle LeGrand's induction speech.

“Eric LeGrand truly embodies the Warrior spirit with his determination and positive outlook,” said Dana Warrior. “I am honored to present this year’s Warrior Award to Eric at the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.”

The NCAA reportedly concluded an 18-month investigation into Rutgers by finding that the school and members of the athletic department committed seven possible violations for not complying with NCAA standards, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media. 

The alleged violations stem from Kyle Flood's tenure as the head coach of the football program. Flood was fired following the 2015 season.

Per Sargeant's report, "Flood provided former cornerback Nadir Barnwell with an impermissible extra benefit by directly contacting a professor seeking special consideration for Barnwell in an academic course relating to the 2014-2015 academic year."

The NCAA also charged Flood with "failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance in the football program, violating the principles of NCAA head coach responsibility legislation."

Other possible instances of wrongdoing include recruiting violations and "inconsistencies" in the football team's drug-testing program, leading to the expectation that the NCAA will charge the university with a "failure to monitor" its athletic program.

The drug-testing failures were extensive, per Steve Politi of NJ.com:

The full violations are below, included in Rutgers President Robert Barchi's letter responding to the allegations:

The former head football coach is alleged to have provided a former student-athlete with an impermissible extra benefit by directly contacting a professor seeking special consideration for the student-athlete in an academic course relating to the 2014-2015 academic year.  In addition, he is charged with failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance in the football program, violating the principles of NCAA head coach responsibility legislation.  Both allegations are deemed Level II by the NCAA.

A former assistant football coach is alleged to have had improper off-campus recruiting contact with a prospective student athlete in 2014 (Level III) and the NCAA has also charged the coach with unethical conduct for providing false or misleading information to the NCAA and the institution during the investigation. (Level II)  

The NCAA has alleged that between the 2011-12 academic year and the Fall of 2015, the Rutgers football host/hostess program, staffed by student workers, was not properly operated and supervised as required by NCAA legislation; that two student hostesses had impermissible off-campus contact and electronic correspondence with prospective student athletes; and that the former football director of recruiting impermissibly publicized the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.  (Level II)

It is alleged that between September 2011 and the Fall of 2015, the University and the Director of Sports Medicine employed practices and procedures that violated the institution’s drug-testing policy by: failing to notify the Director of Athletics of positive drug tests; along with the former head football coach, failing to implement prescribed corrective and disciplinary actions and penalties; and failing to identify select drug tests as positive in accordance with University policy.  (Level II)

Because of the scope of these alleged violations, the NCAA has also alleged that between 2011 and 2016, the University failed to monitor its football program regarding its host/hostess program and drug-testing program.  (Level II)

Barchi also wrote:

These allegations by the NCAA enforcement staff are primarily focused on issues that have been well reported and discussed throughout our community. The allegations are the result of a lengthy joint investigation with the NCAA enforcement staff. As you know, we have already taken significant remedial actions concerning many of these matters.

...

The University has begun the process of reviewing the allegations in the NOA as well as assessing the level of severity assigned to each allegation by the NCAA enforcement staff. The University will comply with the NCAA process and submit its full response within ninety days followed by a hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions. The Committee will determine whether violations occurred, will consider aggravating and mitigating factors, and will ultimately decide what penalties should be assessed. The entire process may not be concluded until well into 2017.

Sources told Sargeant that the university is hopeful the steps it took to rectify the situation, including firing Flood, his entire staff and former athletic director Julie Hermann, will prevent the team from being banned from bowl games in upcoming years or losing football scholarships.

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Former Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill is returning to the sidelines. The 55-year-old was named Rutgers' next offensive coordinator, a little over a year after retiring from coaching. 

Rutgers announced the hire Monday after Ryan Dunleavy and Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media reported the news Sunday night. Kill most recently served as an associate athletic director at Kansas State during the 2016 season.

Sam Hellman of ScarletReport.com reported Kill signed a three-year contract starting at $600,000 and rising $25,000 each year.

“I am excited to welcome Jerry and his family to Rutgers,” Rutgers head coach Chris Ash said in the program release. “Jerry brings years of experience and tremendous leadership to our offense. He is a veteran Big Ten coach and a proven winner. Our players and coaches will benefit from his wealth of knowledge.”

The move marks the first time since 1993 that Kill will serve as an assistant coach. He previously held head coaching positions at Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. Health issues caused him to retire midway through the 2015 season with the Gophers, specifically epilepsy, which led to issues on the sideline.

“This is not the way I wanted to go out,” Kill told reporters at the time of his retirement. “But you all know about the struggles, and I did my best to change. But some of those struggles have returned, and I don’t want to cheat the game.”

Kill has only served as an offensive coordinator once in his career, during a stint at Pittsburg State from 1991 to 1993. He played linebacker as a player during college and then started his coaching ascent working on the defensive side of the ball.

Minnesota's offenses were also never particularly explosive under Kill. The Gophers ranked 44th or worse in Football Outsiders' offensive metrics in each of Kill's five seasons, including three campaigns outside the top 70. Four of Kill's five seasons saw his leading passer throw for fewer than 2,000 yards, and the development of running back David Cobb was his only real notable work on the offensive side.

Kill was also not known to make offensive play calls; he had two assistants leading that charge late in his Minnesota tenure. 

Health issues notwithstanding, Kill's relative lack of a resume as an offensive guru makes this an interesting hire.

The Scarlet Knights went 2-10 under first-year coach Chris Ash, but there's little reason to believe he's under any real pressure in 2017. The school gave Ash a five-year contract to leave his post as Ohio State's defensive coordinator. If there were a push behind the scenes to get rid of Ash, perhaps adding an assistant with two decades of head coaching experience would make more sense.

But in this case, it seems more likely that Kill was itching for a coaching return and found the first attractive job that made sense. He spoke to Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle about lifestyle changes he made at Kansas State that have helped him feel healthier. 

"I would say I feel about 90 percent better than I did a year ago," Kill said. "I would probably still be coaching had I felt this good then. But I have changed a lot. I went from two-and-a-half hours of sleep for 12 years to six hours of sleep now. That is a huge deal."

Perhaps lessening his workload from head coach to assistant will be enough to keep Kill healthy enough to stay on the sidelines for good. 

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Rutgers University and two former football players are facing a lawsuit from a female student who alleges they sexually assaulted her last year.  

Per J.P. Pelzman of the Asbury Park Press, citing Law360.com, the woman filed a lawsuit Nov. 14 at Middlesex County Superior Court alleging defensive end Marques Ford and punter John Bowers "assaulted her in November 2015 after she had become intoxicated and too incapacitated to give consent."

In the complaint, the female student, who is identified as K.L., said the assault started when she visited Bowers at an apartment where multiple football players lived, including Ford:

Both players appeared intoxicated, according to the female student, who was a minor at the time. After declining an offer to drink, the student woke up the following day with a swollen nose and lips, the smell of vomit on her hair, and abrasions on her elbows and knees.

She subsequently was told that she had consumed eight shots of tequila and engaged in sex with both players, according to the complaint. The players were suspended from the football team days later — on Nov. 19, 2015, according to the complaint.

Pelzman noted the lawsuit alleges Rutgers violated "various state and federal [laws] barring sexual discrimination."

Rutgers football has dealt with its share of off-field problems over the last year. Former cornerback Ruhann Peele was sentenced to probation in September stemming from multiple incidents, including hitting another student at the school and breaking the person's jaw and nose. 

Andre Boggs, Lloyd Terry Jr. and Jamil Pollard will have their criminal case resume in January. In 2015, they were arrested in connection with home invasions. 

Rutgers fired head coach Kyle Flood last November and hired Chris Ash to take over the program. The current coaching staff is not mentioned in the lawsuit. 

Ford transferred from the program after the 2015 season and committed to East Carolina earlier this month. Bowers transferred to Rhode Island.  

BR Video

Rutgers' rough season continues.

The Scarlet Knights allowed 136 points over their last two humiliating losses without scoring once against Ohio State or Michigan. Given a more manageable opponent in Illinois, the Rutgers offense has not performed any better.

Head coach Chris Ash decided to go for a pivotal 4th-and-2 during a sloppy first half. But center Derrick Nelson snapped the ball before anyone was ready, and it bounced off quarterback Chris Laviano's shoulder.

Though he grabbed the ball out of the air, the defense stuffed Laviano behind the line of scrimmage. The Fighting Illini picked up 61 yards two plays later—and reached the end zone three plays after that.

The Scarlet Knights' scoreless drought extended to 11 quarters before backup quarterback Giovanni Rescigno threw a touchdown pass to tight end Nick Arcidiacono early in the fourth period. They still suffered their fourth straight loss in a 24-7 defeat.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Greg Jones went down with an injury during the first quarter of Saturday's game against the Ohio State Buckeyes and had to be stretchered off the field. 

Continue for updates. 

Jones Taken Out of Stadium in Ambulance 

Saturday, Oct. 1

According to the Columbus Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz, Jones was placed on a stabilizing board before he left the field. The Star-Ledger's Steve Politi reported that Jones left the stadium in an ambulance. 

NJ.com's Ryan Dunleavy added that Jones was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Citing an official, Dunleavy reported Jones has been communicating and has movement. 

A redshirt senior, Jones made his debut for Rutgers in 2015 following a redshirt sophomore campaign at Monroe College. 

Since the start of the 2016 season, he's operated as a key member of the Scarlet Knights defense. In the four games before Saturday's meeting with Ohio State, Jones tallied 18 total tackles, a sack and a pass breakup after making his first career start against the Washington Huskies. 

Rutgers receiver Janarion Grant suffered a leg injury in his team's Week 4 game against Iowa and did not return.

Continue for updates. 

Grant Hurt on Big Play

Saturday, Sept. 24

Rutgers fans saw a familiar sight Saturday when Grant weaved through the Iowa defense for a 76-yard gain. The problem occurred at the end of the play when his leg got tangled up, causing a significant injury.

The Big Ten Network provided a replay:

According to John Taylor of College Football Talk, the receiver couldn't put any weight on his leg after the injury and did not return to the game.

Grant had five catches for 98 yards before coming out in the second quarter. The Scarlet Knights eventually suffered a 14-7 loss to Iowa and fell to 2-2 on the season.

While the senior is still developing as a receiver, he is the best playmaker on the team and one of the best in college football. He entered the week with 15 catches for 112 yards to go with his 15 rushing attempts for 143 yards and three touchdowns.

The 5'10", 180-pound player is also one of the best returners around, having already returned both a kickoff and punt for touchdowns in 2016. Last season, he finished with 984 kickoff return yards and three touchdowns and now has eight total return scores in his career.

Grant's best effort came when he scored three touchdowns in Week 2 against Howard, including two as a runner.

He would be irreplaceable if this injury turns out to be serious; pretty much every skill player on the roster would have to step up in his absence.

Johnathan Lewis is a big-time recruit for Rutgers. He is the type of quarterback who can help turn a program around, and he will be a huge asset to the Scarlet Knights in the future.

Bleacher Report College Football Analyst Michael Felder breaks down what makes Lewis so special.