Rutgers Football

Tyshon Fogg, a 4-star outside linebacker from Calvert Hall College, committed to Rutgers on Sunday in a Twitter announcement:  

Fogg, who stands 6'2" and weighs 216 pounds, is the No. 6 player in the state of Maryland, the No. 15 player at his position and the No. 236 prospect overall, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

As ESPN.com noted in its scouting report of Fogg, however, "He's still transitioning to the linebacker position from safety and feel he is far from a finished product."

Brian Dohn of Scout.com added that Fogg "needs to add some strength, but that will come as he matures."

Those are the main areas of improvement for Fogg. But his strengths seem to outweigh his negatives. He's an explosive athlete who moves well sideline to sideline and excels in coverage, given his background as a safety.

He has solid instincts and aggressively attacks blockers and ball-carriers. At his best, he's a downfield rocket who finishes plays.

Because both the college game and the NFL continue to emphasize the passing game, Fogg could even fill the popular hybrid safety-linebacker role at the next level, though his upside appears to be at outside linebacker.

It's that versatility that makes him appealing for Rutgers, however, and one reason why Fogg should carve out a role for himself at the program in the coming years.

Star rankings courtesy of 247Sports. You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.  

"It's a Cinderella story," described stylist Heidi Martinez, according to NJ.com's Fausto Giovanny Pinto.

The princess? Gianna Brunini, an 18-year-old Hanover Park High School student preparing to attend the prom. 

Alongside her for the special event was Eric LeGrand, who, like Brunini (diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2), has overcome his disability with inspiring positivity since an on-field football collision resulted in a spinal cord injury.

The former Rutgers defensive tackle delivered an on-stage prom proposal following a motivational speech at the senior girl's school a month ago, after Brunini's aunt spoke with LeGrand's agent.

But the connection between LeGrand and his companion, who happily accepted his invitation, goes far beyond their shared attitude in the face of adversity (or their proclivity for attractive evening appearances, seen here). 

The pair became close during mutual weekly visits to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation—a history that Brunini unfortunately has since forgotten due to memory loss.

It didn't stop either of them from enjoying the present, however.

"We wanted her to feel like a princess," said Brunini's mother, Maryann. "I think she does."

[YouTube, h/t NJ.com]

The running man challenge has been spreading like wildfire across the sports world.

The Rutgers football team is one of the latest to get into the craze. What started out as a one-on-one drill quickly turned into a hilarious dance party, set to "My Boo" by the Ghost Town DJs.

Rutgers football called it the Ring of Honor "gone wrong," but something obviously went very right here.

Well done, boys.

[Twitter, h/t College Spun]

Micah Clark, considered the top-ranked player in New Jersey, committed to Rutgers on Tuesday. The 4-star offensive tackle gave his verbal pledge to the Scarlet Knights, choosing the university over schools like Penn State and Michigan. 

He made the announcement via Twitter:

A breakout performer at St. John Vianney Regional High School in Holmdel, Clark had his recruitment centered on Penn State and Ohio State early on. 247Sports' "crystal ball" predictions initially gave the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes the best chance of landing the lineman. Clark himself named Ohio State his front-runner in December.

"The visit from Urban Meyer put them No. 1," Clark said, per Brian Dohn of Scout.com. "I was like, 'Wow, the head coach actually came down to see me.' I know he goes to see other players, but I know for a fact he only goes to see players he is really interested in. It was cool he came to my school."

Clark was also complimentary of the pitch the Penn State coaches gave him that pushed the school's academic programs.

"The message to me is even if football doesn’t work out, if the next level doesn’t work out, your education is still there," Clark said, per Dohn. "I know that. I look at Penn State and their business school, and I know if I don’t make it in the NFL, I still have the education. I like that about Penn State, and how the alumni base backs up every player."

For now, there are few reasons to expect football not to work out. Clark is already a physical specimen at 6'5" and 283 pounds, and he's equipped with the length and power to become an elite offensive tackle at the next level. He's also a two-way player who understands what it takes to be effective on the defensive line, putting him a step ahead of some one-sided players from an IQ perspective.

Once he begins fully filling out his frame, Clark is going to be a force. He'll be a foundational piece of Rutgers' offensive line and is already going to boost its class-of-2017 stock quite a bit. 

At Rutgers, he may have the chance to earn a starting spot immediately at left tackle. The school finished 65th in the nation in rush yards per game (169.9) last year and gave up 25 sacks, 56th in the country.

But Rutgers does return 14 offensive linemen from a year ago, including four starters, per Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media. Three-year starter and left tackle Keith Lumpkin is the one starter no longer with the team, opening the door for Clark.

So while Clark will certainly have a fight on his hands to earn a starting gig in his freshman campaign, he looks like the early front-runner to play left tackle in Rutgers' new fast-paced offense.

All recruiting and star rankings courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise noted.

"The best is yet to come," smiled Eric LeGrand, former Rutgers University football player and Wings for Life World Run ambassador.

Understand the meaning behind his numerous tattoos, and it's easy to see why he feels that way.

"Family First" inscribed on his biceps. A mighty gladiator mural on his back. Jesus' image inked on his left arm.

And now, his niece's and two nephews' zodiac signs.

"My tattoos paint a picture of my body through the years—my interests, my family, things that matter to me the most," LeGrand explained.

Writing his story in body ink has been a passion of the winner of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance long before he was paralyzed in an October 16, 2010, football game.

As his mother recounts, Big E began brainstorming the design of his first piece of permanent artwork as a high school junior—a crown-wearing letter E.

Although the sensation of putting needle to skin has changed, tattoo artist Paula Lopez clarified that LeGrand's body still registers the pain.

To some degree, so does he.

"In the beginning, I get an immediate rush to my head...and it allows me to know something is going on," he described. "But as time goes on, it easily settles down until she hits a trigger spot on my body and it twitches. It's actually kind of funny to see."

It doesn't seem to deter him from filling his canvas.

Perhaps it's because, according to Lopez, "A lot of his tattoos are really about progression forward, with him getting better."

And in the process of his own improvement, the once-honorary member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has also committed himself to bettering the lives of others, most recently by advocating for spinal cord injury research through Team LeGrand.

When those advancements come to pass, there's little doubt about how LeGrand will choose to commemorate it.

[YouTube, h/t Wings for Life World Run]

Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash is the new head football coach at Rutgers after receiving board approval on Monday.

Keith Sargeant of NJ.com noted Ash signed a five-year contract that starts at $2 million a season. Sargeant also explained the contract "includes bonuses based upon achievement of annual performance and academic incentives established by the university."

Ash joined the Ohio State coaching staff in January 2014. The Buckeyes defense ranked 19th en route to a national championship last season. The unit has taken another step forward in the second season under the 41-year-old coach, ranking 10th in total defense this year.

He previously made stops at Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa State, San Diego State and Drake. This will be his first time serving as a head coach, though.

Ash will be tasked with getting Rutgers to the next level nationally. The Scarlet Knights have made a bowl game in nine of the past 11 years. They have finished ranked just once during that span, however, and struggled to a 4-8 mark this season.

The Scout report notes Ash emerged as a "high-interest candidate" right away, so Rutgers is getting a preferred choice. Now he must prove himself as a good program-builder—like the man he coached under with the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer.

Rutgers is beginning to key in on a potential target to fill the football team's head coaching void after the school announced the firing of Kyle Flood on Nov. 30. The Scarlet Knights have reportedly landed Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash, according to Sam Hellman; of Scout.com. Keith Sargent of NJ.com confirmed the report. 

The 41-year-old coach has held various different positions in the collegiate coaching ranks since 1997. Most recently, he's served as defensive coordinator and worked with the defensive backs during stops with Wisconsin, Arkansas and Ohio State.

He led the Buckeyes defense last year as the team captured a national championship. The unit ranked 19th in total defense during the title-winning campaign and has jumped to 10th this season.

At Rutgers, Ash will be tasked with getting the program over the hump and into the national spotlight. The Scarlet Knights have made nine bowl games over the past 11 years. They have finished ranked only once over that span, though, and went just 4-8 this season.

Ash would bring a proven defensive pedigree, and his Ohio State ties would go a long way in providing a boost to the recruiting efforts. 

Rutgers fired head football coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann on Sunday. 

The school announced the decision Sunday after ESPN's Brett McMurphy initially reported the news. Rutgers also named Patrick Hobbs as the new athletic director.

After his dismissal, Flood released a statement on his Twitter account:

Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media had reported Friday both Flood and Hermann were in jeopardy of losing their jobs. Sargeant indicated Hermann was to meet with Rutgers President Robert Barchi to discuss her future and that she'd been kept "in the dark" during an internal investigation into the football program conducted by Rutgers' compliance office.

Rutgers posted a meager 4-8 record in the 2015 season, which ended with a 46-41 loss to Maryland on Saturday.

In addition to the on-field woes, Rutgers players have incurred multiple suspensions and arrests and have been involved in overall misconduct that has reflected poorly on Flood as the program's leader. He was also suspended three games for contacting a faculty member regarding a player's grade.

Before taking over the Scarlet Knights in 2012, Flood had been an assistant coach since 2005. He had an overall record of 27-24 and a 12-19 conference mark, including a 4-12 record in the Big Ten. His contract ran through the 2018 campaign.

The coaching market is rather expansive this offseason, but Flood may be hard-pressed to find another shot at a head coaching position. He may need to prove his merit as an assistant again, given his turbulent Rutgers tenure.

The simple assault charge against Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo was dropped Tuesday, and the school reinstated him Wednesday, per Austin Ward of ESPN.

Judge Dennis Fackelman dismissed the charge when the alleged victim decided against pursuing the case, per Brian Amaral of NJ.com. Carroo had been accused of slamming the woman—with whom he had been previously romantically involved—to the ground outside of the Hale Center on Sept. 12, though prosecutors noted that without her cooperation, a conviction was unlikely, per Amaral.

Carroo still has to attend six hours of anger management, however, and he and the alleged victim signed an agreement that they would not contact one another.

Carroo, a senior, had seven receptions for 181 yards and three touchdowns this season before being suspended indefinitely in the wake of this incident. He caught 55 passes for 1,086 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and is a dynamic talent who will instantly upgrade the Rutgers offense upon his return to the starting lineup.

Rutgers University wide receiver Leonte Carroo had previously been charged with simple assault stemming from an incident on Sept. 12, but according to NJ.com's Brian Amaral, that charge was dismissed Tuesday when the accuser dropped the case. A temporary restraining order against Carroo was also lifted, per the Asbury Park Press' Ryan Dunleavy.

While the charge was dismissed, Amaral reported Carroo is still slated to attend six hours worth of anger-management counseling after allegedly slamming the victim into concrete. Dunleavy added the two parties signed a consent order. According to Amaral, that means the alleged victim and the wide receiver are prohibited from contacting one another.

During Tuesday's appearance in court, a municipal judge asked Carroo if he was going to avoid trouble in the future, per Amaral:

"Everyone in this court room is going to watch you now, to see which way you turn, for the better or the worse," Judge Dennis Fackelman told Carroo, whose promising football career has been on hold for weeks as the charge was pending against him. "Which way are you going to turn?"

"For the better," Carroo said.

"I think you will," Fackelman said.

A determination regarding Carroo's playing status will come at a later date.

"All decisions about a player's eligibility are left up to the coach," Rutgers senior vice president for external affairs Pete McDonough told Dunleavy.

Carroo appeared in the first two games of the Scarlet Knights' season, but he wasn't available for showdowns against Penn State and Kansas. The senior caught three passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns in Rutgers' season-opening win over Norfolk State, and he followed that up with four catches for 52 yards in a loss to Washington State.

The 2014 first-team All-Big Ten honoree is arguably Rutgers' most explosive offensive playmaker, but the team will need to formally reinstate him before he returns to the field. The Scarlet Knights are scheduled to clash with Michigan State in Piscataway, New Jersey, this Saturday.