Rutgers Running Back Sets Big Ten Freshman Records After Getting His Start in Montreal Park

Antwan Raymond exploded onto the Rutgers football scene, smashing the school's true freshman rushing record with eight touchdowns in 2024. His remarkable season led all Big Ten freshmen in rushing yards.

In 2025, Raymond has powered through defenses for 560 yards and nine touchdowns in just six games. Against Minnesota, he raced past defenders for 161 yards and two touchdowns. At Washington, he carved up the field for 178 total yards - splitting evenly with 89 yards rushing and receiving.

The road to football success began simply for this Montreal native. At age 5, he picked up a football for the first time in his neighborhood park. Despite his mom's early concerns about a stranger's invitation to join youth football, Raymond dove right in.

His skills blossomed at Florida's Clearwater Academy International. Before the school shut down, Raymond ran for 1,884 yards and 22 touchdowns in his final year, helping his team finish 5-4.

College football came naturally to the young back. Through 10 games in 2024, including two starts, Raymond proved his talent. When Kyle Monangai missed the Rate Bowl, Raymond stepped up with an impressive 113 yards and three touchdowns - nearly breaking the school's bowl scoring record.

After running over Michigan State's defense for 71 yards and two touchdowns, the Big Ten named him Freshman of the Week on December 2, 2024.

Recruiters noticed him quickly. While Rivals ranked him 26th among running backs with four stars, other major services like On3, 247Sports, and ESPN gave him three stars.

Looking ahead to eighth-ranked Oregon on October 18, the 3-2 Scarlet Knights face a tough challenge. "They're very fast, very big and strong," Raymond told Yahoo Sports.