Future of Rutgers Football 2023: Running backs
It is officially springtime, and spring training camp for the Rutgers football team starts today. In the first edition of Future of Rutgers Football, The Daily Targum previews the 2023 running back room.
Going into last year, the Rutgers football team was left with a hole in the running back room after Super Bowl champion running back Isiah Pacheco graduated. Playing time was then split between several players, with sophomore running back Kyle Monangai, sophomore running back Al-Shadee Salaam, freshman running back Samuel Brown V and others all getting chances to play in the backfield.
Last season, Monangai led the Scarlet Knights (4-8, 1-8) with 445 rushing yards on a team-high 109 attempts. In addition, he averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns. Monangai is known as a bruising running back who runs with force and tires out the defense.
Brown is another bruising running back, and he showcased his elite vision and ability to break tackles in limited minutes last year. He was a highly touted prospect going into last year, as he ranked as the No. 34 running back in the 2022 class.
Brown had his breakout game in a 24-17 win over Indiana last year. He had 28 rush attempts, in which he gained 101 rush yards, scored a touchdown and helped lead the Knights to their only Big Ten victory of the season.
In the win, Brown suffered a season-ending foot injury, which cut his freshman season short. As of now, it's unclear if he will be ready for the start of the season. When uninjured, though, Brown is Rutgers most talented running back and will most likely be the starter.
Salaam is another offensive weapon to keep an eye on in the backfield. Last year, he netted 210 yards on 57 attempts with two touchdowns. Salaam also showcased his quick agility, most notably in a narrow 22-21 victory over Boston College when he scored the game-winning touchdown from 22 yards out.
The newest addition to the running back room for the Knights is Ja'Shon Benjamin out of Pahokee, Florida. The three-star recruit will battle for touches in a crowded running back room.
Benjamin ran for 1312 yards on 157 carries and scored 14 times in his senior season for the Pahokee Blue Devils. While averaging 109.3 rushing yards per game, he caught the ball 30 times, gaining 688 yards in the air and adding four touchdown passes in the same season.
In addition to these stats, Benjamin helped his team to a 9-3 regular season record, including an appearance in the FHSAA 1R State Championship, where he ran for 57 yards and scored a touchdown in the loss to Hawthorne.
In addition, spectators should expect junior running back Aaron Young to feature in the backfield more this season, especially in a receiving role. The player battled through injury for most of the 2022 season, which led to limited playing time.
Rounding out the running back room, freshman wide receiver Rashad Rochelle got 27 touches in the backfield. It remains unclear if Rochelle is going to play at running back, wide receiver or both this season.
Overall, the Knights have a crowded but talented selection of running backs that has the potential to lead them to success in the 2023 season.
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