Isaiah Iton is getting another shot in New England.
The former Rutgers defensive tackle has signed a one-year contract with the Patriots, according to multiple reports, and he’s back with the team where he spent the 2025 preseason. Iton first landed in New England last spring after a tryout at rookie minicamp, following a run with the Tennessee Titans that began when he signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent time on Tennessee’s practice squad before the Titans let him go in the spring of 2025, opening the door for the Patriots to add him to the 90-man roster.
Iton got into two preseason games for New England, taking the field against the Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings. He logged 44 defensive snaps, made three tackles and added one tackle for loss.
His season ended after a hip injury against Minnesota, and he was placed on injured reserve. This offseason, the Patriots did not tender him as an exclusive rights free agent.
Now healthy again, Iton is back in the mix on a one-year deal. The move comes after New England released undrafted free agent defensive tackle Travis Shaw, creating the roster opening Iton now fills. When training camp opens for the Patriots on July 24, he’ll be battling for a depth spot along the interior of the defensive line.
Before his NFL journey, Iton spent one season at Rutgers after transferring in as a senior in 2023. He started all 13 games at defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights and finished with 38 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He had multiple tackles in nine games and also contributed in Rutgers’ Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami.
Rutgers was one stop in a longer college path that also included Northern Colorado, Hutchinson Community College and Ole Miss. At Ole Miss, Iton played in 10 games as a junior in 2022 and recorded seven tackles and a sack. The Pearland, Texas, native became part of a larger wave of defensive tackle transfers who found success with the Scarlet Knights.
In Other News...
Rutgers Veteran Earns Off-Field Honor That Says Plenty About This Program
Rutgers has plenty of reasons to value consistency in the kicking game, and O'Connor has been part of that equation while also building a reputation well beyond the field. The veteran long snapper, now a graduate student at Rutgers Business School, has been nominated for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, an honor that spotlights college football players for what they do in community service, academics and athletics.
The nomination fits the profile Rutgers has been trying to cultivate under its current program identity: players who show up in the classroom, in the community and on Saturdays. O'Connor has been active with Chop4Change and Special Olympics New Jersey, and his work around the program has helped reinforce the idea that the Scarlet Knights' most dependable contributors are not always the ones touching the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Faces A Homecoming Test Against College Footballs Hottest Coach
Homecoming weekend brings a familiar kind of pressure for Rutgers, but the opponent on the other sideline makes this one feel bigger than the usual celebration. Indiana arrives with Curt Cignetti, whose track record has quickly put him among the most talked-about coaches in college football, built on a national championship pedigree and a long run without a losing season.
For Rutgers, the matchup also carries some recent comfort against the Hoosiers. The Scarlet Knights have split the Big Ten series down the middle overall and have taken the last three meetings, which gives this homecoming date a little more intrigue even with Cignettis history of fast starts and sustained success following him into New Jersey. [Read more 🡒]