Meet the 2021 Rutgers football captains
With the regular season set to kick off in just a few days, the Rutgers football team has announced the team captains for the upcoming season. The decision was made after a team vote.
Six captains were selected for this season’s team, three of which were on offense, two on defense and one special teams player.
Olakunle Fatukasi, #3 senior linebacker:
Now a two-time captain, Fatukasi is looking to build off of a strong 2020 season which saw him accumulate 90 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, all of which were career highs. The Far Rockaway, New York native also recovered two fumbles on the season.
Due to his play, Fatukasi has been the nominee of many preseason awards. Fatukasi has been named to the watchlists for the Bednarik Award, the Butkus Award and the Nagurski Trophy.
Adam Korsak, #94 senior punter:
Korsak enters his third season as the starting punter for the Scarlet Knights and also has been named a captain for the second time in his collegiate career. Korsak, who is from Melbourne, Australia, is coming off a season in which he was awarded Second Team All-Big Ten honors by the media.
In 2020, Korsak had a net punt of approximately 43 yards per attempt, good enough for second in the conference and eighth nationally. With this average, Korsak reset the school record for the third straight season.
In recognition of his efforts, Korsak was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List, an award given to college football’s most outstanding punter.
Bo Melton, #18 senior wide receiver:
Melton, who is also now a two-time captain, will look to replicate the numbers he compiled last season when he was Rutgers' leader in all-purpose yards and touchdowns. Melton also had back-to-back games in which he amassed 100 yards receiving last season, first against Illinois and then against Michigan.
Heading into this season, Melton has been selected to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for a second consecutive season, an award that recognizes the nation’s most outstanding receiver. Melton is also a member of the Preseason All-Big Ten third team.
Isaih Pacheco, #1 junior running back:
Coming off a season where he accumulated 515 rushing yards on 116 carries, Pacheco will look to add onto an impressive career resume of 1,795 career rushing yards on 396 carries. Pacheco also has 13 career touchdowns and six 100-yard rushing games to his name.
In preparation for this season, Pacheco was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team.
“It is a crazy achievement. It is something I always wanted to be since I got here,” Pacheco said after learning the news. "I was a leader growing up and I am just blessed and honored to lead this team.” Julius Turner, #50 senior defensive lineman:
Since 2017, Turner has played in all 45 games for the Knights on the defensive line and was named an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team last season.
Last season, Turner totaled 35 tackles and had a tackle for loss in 7 of Rutgers' 9 games. Of Turner’s 35 tackles last season, 34 were made against the run.
Like his teammate Melton, Turner was recognized as a member of the Preseason All-Big Ten third team amid the lead-up to this season.
Noah Vedral, #0 senior quarterback:
In his first season with the Knights last year, Vedral finished with 1,253 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns all on a 61.5 completion percentage. In addition to his passing statistics, Vedral proved to be a capable runner from the quarterback position, compiling 20 rushing first downs, 193 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Currently working toward a master's degree, Vedral has been named a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and was a member of the 2019 Academic All-Big Ten team while he was at Nebraska.
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