Rutgers Football

After a 9-4 record in the Big East last season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights figure to have some work to do on the defensive side of the football after losing Steve Beauharnais and Khaseem Greene for the 2013 season.

Fans will get their first real look at the Rutgers squad on Saturday, when the Scarlet Knights host their 2013 spring game.

Rutgers returns seven offensive starters and five on defense, but head coach Kyle Flood knows his team isn't too deep at running back after Jawan Jamison left for the NFL draft. (h/t Sam Hellman).

The fate of Rutgers' season will rest squarely on the right shoulder of junior quarterback Gary Nova. 

Does Nova have what it takes to lead Rutgers into the Big Ten?

Here's your preview for the Scarlet Knights' 2013 spring game.

When: Saturday, Apr. 27 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: High Point Solutions Stadium, New Brunswick, NJ

Watch: RVision

Offensive Player to Watch: QB Gary Nova

The biggest issue for the Rutgers offense is its quarterback, who submitted a less-than-favorable season in 2012. 

Nova completed just 57 percent of his passes and threw 22 touchdowns to 16 interceptions for a total of 2,695 yards. Losses against Louisville for the Big East championship and Virginia Tech in the Russell Athletic Bowl proved Nova's inability to get the job done for Rutgers.

In each of those losses, Nova completed less than 47 percent of his passes and threw at least one interception, highlighted by two picks against the Cardinals in the final regular-season game.

As you can see from the video above, Nova still has a lot to work on, including touch passes to his running backs in the backfield.

Nova and the Scarlet Knights will get eaten alive in the Big Ten if the junior quarterback doesn't improve his accuracy and decision-making in 2013.

Defensive Player to Watch: LB Jamal Merrell

With the departures of Beauharnais and Greene, senior linebacker Jamal Merrell will be looked to as the defensive leader for the Scarlet Knights in 2013, as he told ESPN's Andrea Adelson:

I feel like the torch has been passed to me...It’s a big role, but I’ve been here a long time, I’ve been through adversity. I’m the one player on defense with the most starts, so I’ve got the time under my belt. As far as leading the young guys, I’ve been showing them what it takes to get on the field. 

Merrell was a tackling machine in 2012, racking up 83 total tackles, highlighted by three double-digit tackle games. He was especially brilliant against Arkansas on Sept. 22, recording 10 tackles in a 35-26 win for the Scarlet Knights.

With a decent defensive recruiting class coming in—including MLB Justin Nelson and CB Saquan Hampton—Merrill looks to be the leader of the Rutgers defense entering the 2013 campaign.

The Scarlet Knights will open their season on the road at Fresno State on Aug. 29.

Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer

I am convinced that a fourth grader is changing the world of college football recruiting as we know it.

At the very least, the latest trend of sending recruits handwritten letters that would appeal to the maturity level of a fourth grader would suggest so.

The Rutgers football coaching staff has either bought into this trend or has been drinking too much "Swag," "The Drink of Champions," which was pictured in a drawing tweeted by 5-star cornerback recruit Marlon Humphrey that was encouraging him to sign with Mississippi State.

Dan Mullen would be proud.

According to LostLetterman.com (h/t @11W), 3-star athlete recruit Noah Brown received a recruiting letter that featured a picture of a bodybuilder with defensive coordinator Dave Cohen's face pasted where said bodybuilders face should be.

Here's the picture, per the Lost Letterman article:

You can clearly see in the corner that Brown's name is handwritten on top in red ink, and the caption below the picture is certainly memorable:

"IF YOU CAN'T BEAT ME, JOIN ME! WE WANT YOU...COME TO RUTGERS!!"

Note the ALL CAPS and the simple, yet to the point, proposal.

If this doesn't get Brown to commit to Rutgers, I don't know what will.

This is 2013, mind you, an age when technology has never been more advanced and communication is lightning quick and efficient, yet we have major college institutions resorting to crude Photoshop tricks and sophomoric humor?

Don't get me wrong, I laughed out loud when I saw this, and I do think that it's quite funny. It just shocks me that with all the technology, creativity and resources that are available to recruiters—this is what's deemed to be the most effective way to win over a recruit.

First it was Mullen and Mississippi State, sending the absurd, yet hilarious letter to 4-star linebacker and Michigan commit Michael Ferns that simply stated, "You're a Baller," in crude handwriting:

Mississippi State followed that with the now famous "Swag" drink:

It's as if Mullen is teaching a "new age" recruiting workshop in "Stark-Vegas," where he has "Swag by the truckload."

Rutgers apparently wanted to get in on the fun.

The draft is less than one month away, and while the Combine has now passed, many colleges are still hosting pro days to showcase their team's prospective NFL talent. The continued success of Rutgers' program has produced 11 NFL hopefuls for 2013. Some Scarlet Knights are a lock to be chosen, others would consider themselves lucky to get a free-agent invite to just one of the 32 NFL camps. The 2013 RU draft prospects are:

Steve Beauharnais - inside linebacker (6'1", 240 pounds). Beauharnais finished his college career on an uptick, as RU's opponents often game-planned ways to take teammate Khaseem Greene out of the action, freeing Beauharnais to make plays on defense. For his career, Beauharnais tallied 268 tackles and was invited to the Senior Bowl this year.

A poor 40 time of 4.84 may sour scouts on Beauharnais, who had five sacks and three interceptions in his final season at RU. Beauharnais "could still find himself as a late-round pick to a team needing a run stuffer," according to analysis on NFL.com. Beauharnais is projected as a sixth- or seventh-round pick.

Marcus Cooper - cornerback (6'2", 190 pounds). With a 4.47 time in the 40, Cooper made an impressive showing at the Rutgers Pro Day (per Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger) with the top place in the broad jump and vertical leap. This past season Cooper collected 26 tackles and one interception, but he is not projected as even a late-round pick in this April's draft.

R.J. Dill - tackle (6'7", 385 pounds). For a big man, Dill's time in the 40 is good (5.36), but was slightly worse at the recent Rutgers Pro Day on March 13 (5.43). Rated by NFLDraftScout.com as the No. 31 tackle this year, his participation in the East-West Shrine Game did little to improve his draft stock, and many project that he will not be drafted. Dill may get a phone call after the draft is concluded from a team that is currently in salary cap difficulty and needs free agent help on the offensive line.

Khaseem Greene - outside linebacker (6'1", 241 pounds). Easily the most highly-regarded of the Rutgers draft prospects this year, Greene is projected to be a second- or third-round pick this April. The Big East's leading tackler in 2011 and 2012, he was named that conference's defensive player of the year. With a 4.71 time in the 40, Greene has "the agility and straight-line speed to elude blockers and beats backs to the edge," according to Rob Rang of CBSSports.com.

Duron Harmon - safety (6'2", 196 pounds). A time of 4.45 in the 40 may not be enough to entice NFL teams to take a chance on a defensive back who had 50 tackles and only one interception in 2012. Harmon was a second-team academic All-American this past season, earning him the chance to play in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl. Harmon is forecast as late-round pick, probably a seventh-rounder or a post-draft free agent.

Mark Harrison - wide receiver (6'3", 231 pounds). In his critical senior season, Harrison had 44 receptions for 583 yards and six touchdowns, but his average yards-per-reception was the lowest of his career due to sophomore Gary Nova's struggles. Harrison's 4.46 time in the 40 was noteworthy at the Combine, and he is currently projected by CBSSports.com as a possible seventh-round pick in April.

Jawan Jamison - running back (5'8", 203 pounds). The first 1,000-yard rusher for Rutgers since Ray Rice, Jamison was hobbled late in the season with a severe ankle sprain that had an adverse effect on the Scarlet Knights' run at the Big East title. Currently evaluated as the No. 12 running back in this year's draft, his 4.68 time in the 40 did not help to boost his stock with NFL scouts. Jamison also collected 28 receptions out of the backfield, and is currently projected as a fourth- or fifth-round draft choice.

D.C. Jefferson - tight end (6'6", 255 pounds). Often injured, Jefferson has not been able to grab the attention of scouts, despite his reputation as a solid blocking tight end. An appearance in the East-West Shrine Game has led some to project that Jefferson could be drafted anywhere in rounds four through seven (per Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger), whereas CBSSports.com does not even project the young tight end to be picked at all. Jefferson posted a 4.82 time in the 40 in recent workouts, and had just 20 catches this past season with one touchdown.

Logan Ryan - cornerback (5'11", 191 pounds). Ryan, like Jamison, chose to leave Rutgers one year early in order to enter the NFL draft. After a good showing at the Combine, he kept his participation to a minimum at Rutgers Pro Day, and his currently projected as a second- or third-round choice.

With a solid season in 2012, Ryan was the team's second-leading tackler (94), had four interceptions and two forced fumbles. While his recent 4.56 time in the 40 may not seem impressive, NFLScout.com says that the young cornerback "closes in a flash with good make-up quickness to recover."

Scott Vallone - defensive tackle (6'3", 275 pounds). In 2012, Vallone had just three sacks in addition to his 52 tackles for the Scarlet Knights this past year. Rated as the No. 31 DT in this year's draft, his time in the 40 was 4.78 and he bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times at Rutgers Pro Day.

"My strong point isn't going to be my 40 or my bench," Vallone said recently (as quoted by Bobby Deren of ScarletNation.com). "It's going to be the film." Vallone may be invited to NFL camps as a free agent, as he is not projected to be drafted.

Timothy Wright - wide receiver (6'3", 219 pounds). Wright posted a 4.57 time in the 40, but the young receiver's chances at being drafted are a longshot at best. In 2012, Wright caught 39 passes and had two touchdowns, which was good enough for third on the team this past season. Wright may be lucky enough to get a look with a free-agent invite to the Buccaneers' training camp, as Greg Schiano was Wright's coach for most of his Rutgers career.

"It’s become a day here that really has evolved into an event," said RU head coach Kyle Flood at the recent Rutgers Pro Day. "It’s a day that the NFL alumni have marked down on their calendars to come back and be a part of." How many of this year's crop are good enough to become NFL alumni remains to be seen, but April 25 is less than one month away.

The state of New Jersey continues to pull itself together in the aftermath of last year's Super Storm Sandy which forced many to leave their homes. The effects of the storm left a number of people without a home, and popular sight seeing destinations were reduced to rubble floating in ocean. This spring, Rutgers football is going to pay tribute to the victims of the storm with specially designed uniforms and helmets to be used during the team's annual spring game.

In all, players will wear the names of 90 different towns in the state that were affected by the storm last year. It is a nice little way of keeping the destruction and tearing apart of many communities close to the minds of the program. Sports can often serve as a release and an escape for those going through troubling times. College football is no exception, so it is warm to see a football program embrace their role as the state's college football team reaching out in any small way they can.

The efforts do not cease there though. Rutgers is raising money to donate to Sandy relief efforts, with a new t-shirt with the "R-Strong" label printed on it already raising $148,000 for storm victims.

Rutgers will conclude their spring practice schedule on Saturday, April 27.

Source: Rutgers Athletics

Kevin McGuire is a free lance sports writer covering college football and host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast. Follow him on Twitter.

Now that the read-option offense has taken the league by storm and nearly won the 49ers a Championship, NFL coaching staffs are desperately trying to find a way to stop it. "That will be the emphasis in everyone's defensive room in the offseason," said Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians (as quoted by Robert Klemko in USA Today).

Since 2003, the amount of rushing yards per game by quarterbacks has risen 35 percent in the NFL. Even as teams scramble to find ways to stop the "pistol," many feel that regardless of the scheme, without talented, NFL-quality personnel, defenses will have nothing but difficulty stopping the new wave of read-option offenses.

The viable candidates that are most often discussed at outside linebacker in this year's draft include Jarvis Jones, Barkevious Mingo, Alec Ogletree, and Arthur Brown. But right behind them is a sleeper pick from the Big East Conference. Most often projected as a second-round draft pick, OLB Khaseem Greene from Rutgers University may well find himself taken by one of the teams in the NFC West. Greene, a converted defensive back, was recently named the Big East's defensive player of the year for the second time in two years.

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” admits Greene (per Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger). “I’m nervous in the sense of, in two months I don’t know where I’m going to be living or how far I’m going to be from home, or what to expect."

The Rutgers grad was a top-five finisher in both the 20- and 60-yard shuttle at this year's NFL combine. He also clocked a 4.71 time in the 40-yard dash.

"This draft is loaded with incredible athletes who can play defensive end or pass-rushing outside linebacker," according to John Clayton of ESPN.com. "That is important when defenses are trying to match up against teams with read-option quarterbacks."

Perhaps nowhere is that assessment more evident than in the NFC West, where the 49ers and Seahawks already utilize their highly-mobile quarterbacks to make opposing defenses miserable.

"Give the defensive coordinators of the NFL some credit," said Arians (per USA Today). "They will have some time to study this trend. I hired a defensive coordinator from college who's dealt with (the option). He's got some good ideas on it. I think everyone is going to be going to the colleges, rather than the colleges coming to the pros, as far as information on how to handle it."

Now that the Cardinals have officially cut ties with quarterback Kevin Kolb, it suddenly increases the odds that Arizona will step forward and nab West Virginia QB Geno Smith in the upcoming draft. Should that projection come to fruition, it would be particularly bad news for the St. Louis Rams. In addition to facing each team in their own division twice, Jeff Fisher's team must also face Carolina's Cam Newton, Philadelphia's Michael Vick and Tampa Bay's scrambling QB Josh Freeman.

But Rams GM Les Snead believes that getting the right personnel in key spots is the answer. "You can probably never have enough defensive tackles," said Snead recently (per USA Today), "because if you're gonna chase a QB around all day, the 300-plus-pounders tend to get tired."

In furtherance of that philosophy, the Rams have chosen to re-sign DE William Hayes. With three picks in the first 50 of the upcoming draft, St. Louis will no doubt be looking to improve their 2012 No. 15-ranked defense.

But beyond the defensive line, theories on how to stop the pistol and its variations range from using either safeties or inside linebackers to spy the QB, or using OLBs as the "read" player at the point of attack. As discussed in Chris B. Brown's article on SBNation.com, offenses attempt to employ a running back as a lead blocker against outside linebackers because OLBs are the "most common defensive responses to the zone read."

Arizona has been active in free agency, signing three defensive backs, a defensive end and an inside linebacker. Noticeably absent so far is a new, speedy outside linebacker, which could well be Khaseem Greene when the Cardinals draft in the second round (No. 38 overall). New defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will look to make corrections to a defense that was labeled "suspect against the run," according to Pro Football Weekly, possibly by drafting "an outside 'backer who requires an occasional double team."

“I’m just taking the feedback my agent is getting from the scouts and I’m going to try to put it all together," said Greene as he prepared for the March 13 Rutgers Pro Day (per Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger), "and prove I can be one of those guys in the first round, a top guy in the second round.” 

Prepared to make a run at the conference title this season, the Seattle Seahawks have made a big move to improve the team on offense (ranked No. 27 in passing last season) with their acquisition of WR Percy Harvin. While last year's defense was rock solid (6th against the pass and 10th against the run), it will need to keep refining with 2013 opponents like Carolina and Tampa Bay bringing in offenses that feature mobile quarterbacks.

Due to their success, the Seahawks were slated to draft at No. 26 this April, and thus chose to be active in free agency. They signed premier DE Cliff Avril to complement standout 2012 rookie Bruce Irvin. Starter Bobby Wagner is a strength at inside linebacker, but Seattle may look to add a complimentary piece to K.J. Wright at OLB after addressing their needs on the offensive line. 

San Francisco may be the preseason favorite to take the NFC West, but is well aware of what it takes to stay ahead of the pack. Coordinator Vic Fangio will see his defense tested this season by one of the NFL's toughest schedules, which includes contests against the multi-threat QBs of Carolina, Tampa Bay and Washington.

The loss of Dashon Goldson will have to be addressed in this year's draft, and while the mock draft pundits have the Niners selecting anything from a defensive lineman or even a cornerback in the first round, later rounds may be used to address a need at outside linebacker.

What may give the 49ers—as well as other teams in the NFC West—pause for thought is the fact that Greene suffered a fractured ankle in 2011, an injury from which he seems to have fully recovered. However, all of the OLBs projected to go ahead of Khaseem Greene have their own issues, as well.

Fellow draft prospect Jarvis Jones may have an ongoing spinal stenosis issue (per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press), while Alec Ogletree was recently arrested for DUI (per Jimmy Hascup, USA Today). Barkevious Mingo has publicly declared his desire to play DE rather than LB (per Larry Hartstein of CBSSports.com), and Arthur Brown missed much of this year's combine due to a shoulder injury (according to Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports). With these questions looming over the 2013 crop of OLBs, teams may be willing to make the reach for Greene.

“It only takes one team to really like you," said Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood at the University's recent Pro Day (as quoted in The Daily Targum), "and you can maybe go a little higher than people anticipated.”

Saying goodbye to a talented group of seniors who had provided leadership to one's program is difficult enough, but when promising underclassmen—such as Jawan Jamison and Logan Ryan—opt for the NFL as well, it can be devastating to a football team.

Whether or not Rutgers can recover from their offseason losses will be the big question facing coach Kyle Flood's team now that National Signing Day has "replenished" the cupboard for 2013.

The late-season collapse, the potentially program-stunting loss to Louisville and the flat, offense-less performance in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl may take its toll on Rutgers football. Had the Knights beaten Louisville on that Thursday night before a national TV audience and cemented the Big East title on their way to an Orange Bowl bid, discussion of the program having "matured" would be the order of the day.

Instead, their Nov. 24 loss to Pittsburgh, followed by the manner in which they bottomed out against the Cardinals, has fans and critics murmuring about the "same old Rutgers."

Now Rutgers enters a critical stage of its program. The necessity to build upon it's shared four-way "tie" for first place in the Big East in 2012 is tantamount, and only an outright finish in the conference's top spot in 2013 will be good enough. After this upcoming season, the Scarlet Knights will move on to the Big Ten, and the increased level of the competition will be a weekly occurrence in this conference.

Further complicating the Scarlet Knights' offseason is the fact that Rutgers has lost both of its coordinators. Offensive coordinator Dave Brock has taken a job as the head coach of Delaware, while defensive coordinator Robb Smith has migrated to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the midst of this turmoil, head coach Kyle Flood has now secured his first true recruiting class—not one that was influenced by predecessor Greg Schiano. Yet concerns over which 2013 recruits would still honor their commitments intensified when highly-touted LB recruit Skai Moore de-committed from Rutgers less than two weeks after the Scarlet Knights' loss in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Still, on Feb. 6, Kyle Flood walked up to the podium and announced that it was "an exciting day for us and our program," before announcing the names of the 22 players in the Rutgers 2013 Recruiting Class, and commenting on their talents.

Those 22 players are as follows:

Nick Arcidiacono (TE/DE): At 6'4", 245 pounds, Flood said that the 3-star prospect "is strong, tough and can also catch the ball out of the backfield."

Dontea Ayres (RB): A 3-star recruit at 5'9" and 205 pounds, he is "a big, physical, thick running back." With Savon Huggins being promoted to the first-string back, Ayres may be an important second option.

Nadir Barnwell (CB/ATH): The 5'11", 180-pound 4-star DB "is someone who can come in immediately and help us in the secondary," according to Flood.

Devan Carter (LB): Given his size at 6'2", 217 pounds, Carter's 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash may be giving Flood hope that this 2-star prospect "can evolve and do some things at the fullback position."

Anthony Cioffi (S): Coach Flood called this 6'0", 180-pound 3-star recruit "an exceptionally fast athlete with an impressive documented 100 meter time."

Justin Goodwin (RB/ATH): With the loss of 1,000-yard rusher Jawan Jamison, Flood is looking for the 5'11", 185-pound Goodwin to fill that loss. He called him, "one of the top running backs in our state, an all-state running back." Goodwin is rated as a 3-star recruit by Rivals.com.

Janarion Grant (ATH): Another 3-star recruit who may be called upon to fill this season's void in the secondary, the 5'11", 180-pound Grant was characterized as "an electric special teams player on film." Flood also added, "but that is not where his skill set stops."

Bryant Gross-Armiento (DB): The 6'0", 190-pound Florida recruit "is another player that is going to have the chance to play right away," according to Flood, especially given the fact that the 3-star recruit runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

Nick Internicola (LB): With the loss of Khaseem Greene, the 6'3", 220-pound Internicola is "an aggressive, physical player" whom Flood will be molding at the linebacker position. Internicola is rated as a 3-star prospect.

Sebastian Joseph (DE): Losing Scott Vallone on the defensive line will hurt the Knights, but the 3-star Joseph "is a really exciting player to watch on film." Rutgers hopes that this 6'4", 270-pound prospect can ease that aforementioned loss.

Josh Klecko (DT): The 6'2", 260-pound defensive lineman has a famous name, but he is also "an excellent addition to our team, university and is someone who is as perfectly suited to play the nose guard," according to Coach Flood. Klecko is rated as a 2-star recruit.

Chris Laviano (QB): The 3-star quarterback prospect was labeled "a special football player," by Flood, and the 6'1", 195-pound recruit may be the first starting QB of Rutgers' Big Ten era.

Lester Liston (LB): With the departure of Khaseem Greene, this 6'2", 225-pound linebacker is "a player who is not only going to have the opportunity to compete for a starting job this spring, but also to be in the rotation to play special teams." Rivals.com rates Liston as a 3-star recruit.

Taylor Marini (WR/TE): The 6'3', 255-pound 3-star receiver "has excellent hands, runs good routes and is a physical on-the-ball blocker," who may step in sooner rather than later in place of graduating senior WR Mark Harrison.

Dorian Miller (G): At 6'3", 285-pounds, Flood characterized Miller as a "physical, aggressive, strong...inside player." Miller is regarded as a 3-star recruit according to Rivals.com, but may be the best player in this class besides Barnwell.

Myles Nash (LB/ATH): As a 3-star prospect, the 6'4", 205-pound recruit "is a big athlete and is someone that we think can play Sam or outside linebacker here."

Andre Patton (WR) : As a replacement for the departed Tim Wright, Flood commented that the 3-star Patton "is an excellent football player and seems to get a little bit bigger each time I see him."

Delon Stephenson (S/ATH): At 5'11" and 170 pounds, this 3-star prospect moved Flood to comment: "We can’t wait to get to spring practice with him to see how much he can do for us and how soon he can do it"

T.J. Taylor (S/ATH): As a 6'2", 175-pound DB, Flood characterized this 3-star prospect as "an excellent player on high school film."

John Tsimis (WR): A 2-star prospect from Oradell, N.J., this 5'10", 180-pound receiver "is as good of a football player as you will see on film and an elite-level competitor"

Kemoko Turay (DE): "I am really excited about what he is going to be," said Kyle Flood about this 6'4", 202-pound defensive lineman, who is a 2-star prospect out of Newark, N.J.

Eric Wiafe (DT): A 6'4", 250-pound 2-star defensive lineman from Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Wiafe is "a big, thick, strong defensive end who runs well to the football."

With Rutgers entering its final year in the Big East Conference, this year's crop of recruits will see most of their playing time in the Big Ten starting in 2014. But Kyle Flood has already begun to add more, as the Scarlet Knights already have their first commit of 2014: running back Josh Hicks from Palmetto Florida.

All quotes from this article were taken from the Signing Day transcript, and all player ratings are taken from Rivals.com.

With a disappointing end to what was dubbed "The Year of the Flood" under their first-year coach, the Scarlet Knights now begin the process of evaluating a late-season collapse that saw them drop four of their last six games. While the team finished with a 9-4 mark, the Scarlet Knights ended the season with a three-game losing streak, including a defeat in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Without question, the highlight of the Scarlet Knights' 2012 campaign was their defense, but after this season, the program loses a tremendous amount of its veteran leadership. Rutgers will move into next year with the loss of defensive linemen Scott Vallone, Marvin Booker and Ka'Lial Glaud, linebackers Khaseem Greene and Steve Beauharnais, and defensive backs Marcus Cooper, Duron Harmon, Brandon Jones, Mason Robinson and Wayne Warren.

In addition, the breaking news that All-American junior cornerback Logan Ryan has now announced that he will make himself eligible for the NFL Draft delivers yet another blow to the Scarlet Knights’ defense. Joe Schad of ESPN reports that Ryan is projected as the third-best cornerback in the upcoming draft by Scouts Inc.

On offense, Rutgers will lose linemen Devon Watkis and R.J. Dill, wide receivers Tim Wright and Mark Harrison, tight ends D.C. Jefferson and Beau Bachety and punter Justin Doerner.

Four recent late-year recruits, all of whom are three and four-star prospects (according to Scout.com), now brings the total number of Rutgers commitments for 2013 to 22. The Scarlet Knights had hit a recruiting drought for over two months (since the verbal commitment given by cornerback Nadir Barnwell in September), but between Nov. 20 and Dec. 11 four players have pledged to Rutgers, including:

Dorian Miller (4-star): guard. A local product from Metuchen, N.J., Miller is 6'3", 285 pounds, and may be the replacement for Dill on the offensive line. Miller also saw time at defensive line in high school, and chose Rutgers despite offers from high-profile programs like Georgia Tech and Tennessee. "[N]ow that Rutgers is in the Big Ten, that was the icing on the cake," Miller told Todderick Hunt of NJ.com. "That showed me it was meant to be."

 Andre Patton (3-star): wide receiver. A prospect from the neighboring state of Delaware, the 6'4" 180-pound recruit eschewed offers from eight other schools, including Iowa, Purdue and West Virginia. Along with fellow WR recruit John Tsimis, Patton may help to ease the loss of Wright and Harrison. "They had a great season," said Patton about the 2012 Scarlet Knights (as reported by Todderick Hunt of NJ.com). "It may not have ended the way they wanted, but we are going to come back even stronger next year and win these kinds of games."

Dean Crozier (3-star): punter. A pickup from St. Peter's College, Crozier hails from Australia, and the Scarlet Knights hope that the 6'7", 240-pound punter proves a more than ample replacement for graduating Justin Doerner. "It's the coaches, people and players that really make that organization welcoming," Crozier said of his decision (as reported by Matt Hladik of ScarletNation.com), "and make it a place that I want to go."

Skai Moore (3-star): linebacker. At 6'3" and 210 pounds, the Florida native is an imposing presence at linebacker who reportedly had offers from 16 other schools, including Mississippi, Ohio State, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Moore will join fellow recruits Lester Liston, Nick Internicola and Myles Nash to vie for one of the positions vacated by graduating seniors Greene and Beauharnais. "I'm going to work as hard as I can and contribute to the team as soon as possible," Moore told Todderick Hunt of NJ.com during a recent interview, "and I plan on winning championships at Rutgers, so be ready!"

For fans and followers, the biggest concern for the Scarlet Knights may be at quarterback. Gary Nova's game performances from the season's start to the finish resembled a bell curve, with the sophomore QB finishing as poorly as he began. In his final six games of the season, Nova threw just seven touchdown passes while surrendering 12 interceptions to the opponents. Despite his late-season fade and his latest lackluster performance against Virginia Tech, Gary Nova still has the backing of head coach Kyle Flood.

"I’m confident in Gary as our starting quarterback," said Flood in response to questions about Nova as next season's starter (as reported by Steve Politi of The Star-Ledger on NJ.com). Whether or not coach Flood's belief remains constant will be something to watch once incoming freshman quarterback recruit Chris Laviano arrives in camp for 2013.

Just as his predecessor had done, Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood stood before the media before the season began and declared, "[W]e have the people in the program right now and the time is right not only to win bowl championships but Big East championships and BCS championships."

A preseason coaches poll picked Louisville to take the Big East, with the Scarlet Knights projected to finish third. Much to the surprise of everyone, Flood actually accomplished something that Greg Schiano could never do in more than 10 years as Rutgers' head coach—finish atop the conference.

But while the Scarlet Knights did finish in a four-way tie for first place in the Big East conference record this year, it's somewhat akin to George Lazenby in the role of James Bond: Sure, it happened, but no one really accepts it.

By virtue of the fact that Louisville finished 10-2 overall and Rutgers finished 9-3, the Cardinals took the BCS bid to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, while the Scarlet Knights will play in the 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl.

For a program that announced its intention to leave the Big East for greener pastures, the late-season collapse could have far-reaching consequences. With destiny in their own hands, the Scarlet Knights could have made a major statement in Kyle Flood's first year: winning the Big East and going to a BCS bowl game—neither of which the school has ever done. That would have paid dividends in future recruiting for the program.

But recruits are not the only things that build a program. It also takes a serious financial commitment. The payouts by the bowls to the universities are substantially different. By virtue of losing to Louisville, the Knights missed out on the big money payout of a BCS bowl (approximately $17 million for last year's Allstate Sugar Bowl) for a substantially smaller share of the $4.55 million payout for the Russell Athletic Bowl.

The Scarlet Knights have no one to blame but themselves, as they had two chances to take the conference and earn the BCS bid.

Whether it was the distraction of the Big Ten announcement just before the critical final two games of the season or simply the fact that Kyle Flood suddenly abandoned the formula that had worked for most of the season, the Knights stumbled at the finish line in 2012 and left alumni and fans with a crushing disappointment.

Leading the Big East with two weeks to play, the Scarlet Knights had two bites at the apple to take the Big East. First, instead of tasting the fruits of victory, they choked on the Pitt, losing to the Panthers 27-6 at Heinz Field, setting the stage for the season-ending showdown with Louisville.

The November 29 game against the Cardinals was everything Rutgers fans and alumni could have hoped for: a sold out home game before a national TV audience against a rival in a winner-take-all contest.

"Everyone knows what’s at stake," safety Duron Harmon said before the game (as reported by Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger on NJ.com). "It’s all you could ever ask for, especially if you’re a senior.”

Then, just as they have since medieval times, the Knights bowed to the Cardinals, 20-17. The loss was due in large part to a gutsy performance by injured Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater but more so due to three turnovers and two major penalties which led to a 14-point swing in the score.

But at least part of the blame falls upon Kyle Flood, who had stressed the importance of stopping the opposition's ground game while the Knights established their own. Despite leading in the game, Rutgers completely abandoned the running game, giving team-leading rusher Jawan Jamison just 15 carries in the entire game. While it is true that Jamison may not have been at 100 percent due to a late-season ankle injury, not one other RU running back took a handoff in the Louisville game.

In truth, the Knights faded towards the end of the season, losing three of their final five games and just eking past Cincinnati by a score of 10-3.

Simply put, whether it was Flood's inexperience, the distractions, the injuries or the undisciplined play of the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers was undeserving of a BCS bowl in 2012. Instead, they will face off against former Big East rival Virginia Tech, who comes into the game at 6-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

For the Knights, it is a chance to get to 10 wins, extend their bowl winning streak (which currently stands at five) and claim some small consolation from a season that could have been the program's best.

Game Time: Friday, December 28, 5:30pm EST, Orlando, Fla. Television: ESPN