Rutgers Football Looks for Better Days in 2025

The last time the Rutgers Scarlet Knights set foot on the gridiron, they watched a 17-point lead in the Rate Bowl vanish in the second half as Kansas State came away victorious 44-41, spoiling Rutgers' chances at ending a second straight season with a bowl victory.

""The season left a bad taste in our mouths," quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis told the Big Ten Network on Tuesday during Media Day.

"We want to be better; it's never enough. The standard is the standard, and the standard is high at Rutgers. We have to be better, and we have been working really hard this off-season at getting together to be the best we can possibly be."

Even Head Coach Greg Schiano stressed the importance of getting better day-by-day, and week-by-week.

"I think the arrow is pointing in the right direction," Schiano said. "But I didn't come out of retirement to go 7-6. Until we win championships, we aren't doing our best. It's a tall order, but one our guys embrace."

Schiano led a contingent of veteran players, including Kaliakmanis, wide receiver Ian Strong, and linebacker Dariel Djabome, into Las Vegas to kick off the 2025 college football season at BIG 10 Media Day.

Rutgers enters the season firmly in the middle of one of the best conferences in the country. Ohio State is coming off a run to the National Title, a year after Michigan won it all themselves. Oregon and USC are only getting better. According to Sports Illustrated Penn State is ranked No. 1 at the moment due to roster continuity.

As for Rutgers, S.I. currently has the Scarlet Knights tied for 13th with Michigan State.

 "We were dead last and we could hardly see it from there," reflected Schiano.

"It was a tough start, but we've kind of stepped by step climbed our way to the middle of the league. I didn't come back to do that. I came back to win the championship. That may sound funny to some who have followed college football, but that's what we're going to do."

Many will point to the number of key players who have left the program for the NFL, like running back Kyle Monangai, Robert Longerbeam, and Kyonte Hamilton. All will be difficult to replace, but as is the case every year, it's next man up.

"It still comes down to finding the right fit for your program," Schiano continued.

Kaliakmanis added later that the Rutgers running back room is stacked with talent. "We got C.J. Campbell Jr. and Antwan Raymond. These guys can really play. We had a lot of younger guys who got experience and got thrown into the fire at the end of last season."

Raymond ran for 483 yards last season. 124 of those yards came in the Bowl game against Kansas State. In fact Rutgers ran for 191 yards that day as a team.

Schiano stressed that the key for RU this year will be to execute better as a team, especially in the turnover margin.

"Everything is earned. Nothing is given. I think we have a bunch of guys, a team full of those guys, that understand that and that do that every day," Schiano concluded.

Rutgers opens the season August 28 at SHI Stadium against Ohio University.