Antwan Raymond walked into Big Ten Media Days with more than a breakout season on his résumé. He arrived in Chicago as Rutgers’ Canadian standard-bearer, fresh off a 2025 campaign that put him in the spotlight and made him the first player from Quebec to win the Jon Cornish Trophy.
For Raymond, that part of the story matters just as much as the numbers.
“I’m from Canada,” Raymond said. “I was originally born there.
I’m from there. I grew up there my whole life.
My loved ones are there. My mother and my grandmother are there.
Just being that staple for Canada, it means everything and more to me.”
Raymond was one of four Rutgers representatives at the 2026 Big Ten Football Media Day, joining wide receiver KJ Duff, offensive lineman Kwabena Asamoah and head coach Greg Schiano. The three players also appeared together on the Big Ten Network studio set during the opening day of the three-day event.
The junior running back spent much of his time talking about the work behind the production - not just the production itself. After carrying the ball 244 times in 2025, he said keeping his body right has become a major priority.
His routine includes stretching, recovery work, and time in hot and cold tubs. On the mental side, he leans on family conversations and breathing exercises to stay centered.
That same breathing work has become part of how he helps teammates, too. Raymond said he uses four-corner breathing when things get tense, a habit that fits neatly with Rutgers’ “CHOP” approach.
“No matter if it goes up or down, we just keep chopping,” Raymond said. “I try to reiterate that to the players and to myself.”
Raymond also spoke about the pressure and opportunity that come with being an international player trying to carve out a path in American college football. He said he has followed other Canadians chasing the same dream, and he understands the hurdles that can come with that journey. He also noted that his status affects NIL opportunities in the United States, though Rutgers’ NIL and Social Media Team helped him connect with promotional events while he was home in Canada.
The identity piece clearly sits at the center of how Raymond sees himself as a player.
“I don’t have to be nobody else but Antwan Raymond,” he said. “I just have to be myself.”
A lot of that confidence, he said, comes from running backs coach and associate offensive coordinator Damiere Shaw. Shaw previously helped develop Kyle Monangai before guiding Raymond through one of the most productive rushing seasons in Rutgers history. Raymond said Shaw has drilled into him the physical demands of Big Ten football.
“You got to be relentlessly violent in everything you do,” Raymond said. “If you keep being relentlessly violent on that field, not a lot of people are going to be able to stop you.”
That idea connects to another Rutgers phrase, “Body blows.” Raymond described it as a way of wearing defenses down, even if the big run doesn’t show up right away. The point, as he put it, is to keep pounding until the front starts to break and the explosive plays come later.
The results backed up the approach in 2025. Raymond finished with 1,466 rushing yards and 15 combined scores, good for third in the Big Ten and eighth all-time at Rutgers in single-season rushing yardage.
His biggest day came against Maryland, when he ran for 240 yards on 41 carries in a school-record-tying performance. He picked up 105 of those yards in the fourth quarter and earned Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honors.
He closed the season with four 100-yard rushing games and found the end zone at least once in 10 of Rutgers’ 12 games. The awards followed: Second Team All-Big Ten from both the coaches and media, Fourth Team All-American from Phil Steele, and a semifinalist spot for the Doak Walker National Running Back Award.
Now, heading into his third season with the program, Raymond is looking to build on that production and remain one of the key faces of the Rutgers offense.
In Other News...
Greg Schiano Just Drew A Hard Line For Rutgers This Season
Greg Schiano did not spend much time soft-pedaling Rutgers standard for this season. The head coach pointed back to last years 5-7 finish as a line the program cannot accept, then said the offseason was used to push the Scarlet Knights toward a better version of themselves. Schiano also emphasized that the people steering the program are aligned, from the top of the university through the athletic department, and he sounded convinced the roster now has the kind of depth and talent that can make that message matter.
The pressure point remains on the defensive side, where Rutgers never looked settled enough a year ago. Schiano said the unit has to improve, especially in the areas of takeaways and overall chemistry, and the staff has already made a change to help address it. For a team trying to turn a frustrating record into something sturdier, that side of the ball may end up defining whether Schianos hard line becomes a turning point or just another reminder of how much work is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Schiano Heads To Media Days With Rutgers At A Crossroads
Greg Schiano heads to Chicago this week with Rutgers still trying to sort out what kind of team it can be in 2026. The Scarlet Knights are sending their coach and representatives to Big Ten Media Days at a moment when the program has real questions to answer, from who takes over at quarterback to whether the offense can keep building around KJ Duff and Antwan Raymond after a season that showed both promise and the need for more consistency.
There is also a bigger-picture test looming for a staff entering Schianos seventh year in his second stint. Rutgers has pushed to raise its NIL budget, a move that could matter in keeping and attracting talent, while the defense now turns to new coordinator Travis Johansen after a rough year on that side of the ball. Media days will not solve any of it, but they should give a clearer read on how Schiano plans to steer a team that finished with five wins and is still looking for a firmer footing in the Big Ten. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Just Got Meaningful Big Ten Respect Before The 2026 Season
The Big Tens preseason honors list is out, and it gives Rutgers a little more to point to as summer turns toward camp. The leagues annual group includes 12 players from across the conference, with Indiana leading the way with three selections, and eight of those honorees are slated to be on hand for Big Ten Media Days this week.
For Rutgers, the takeaway is a positive one: the Scarlet Knights landed two names on the list in wide receiver KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond. It is the kind of preseason recognition that does not change a season by itself, but it does signal that Rutgers has players who are drawing real conference attention before the 2026 campaign gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]