Rutgers’ 2026 season has opened with a jolt of bad news, a three-game skid, and plenty of outside noise aimed at Greg Schiano and the program. But inside the Hale Center, the players say the message is a lot simpler: keep the walls closed, stay together, and block out everything else.
After the Scarlet Knights dropped their first three games - their first 0-3 start since 2008 - the criticism has been relentless. Rutgers has become a frequent target on social media, and even a competitive showing in Saturday’s loss to No. 12 USC did little to quiet the chatter around the team or Schiano’s standing.
Still, some signs of life showed up against the Trojans. Rutgers went toe-to-toe with Lincoln Riley’s offense, which was a much better look than what the Scarlet Knights had shown in earlier losses to UMass and Boston College. They still couldn’t string together enough stops and costly turnovers hurt them again, but the performance at least gave the team something to build on.
“It’s definitely tough, you know, everything going on, but like we always say when we’re sitting in this (team meeting) room, it’s only us between these four walls,” star wide receiver KJ Duff told NJ.com following the loss to the Trojans. “Being able to stick together and stay by each other’s side, there’s no concerns about the locker room at all. I think everyone’s in the right head space.”
Quarterback Dylan Lonergan echoed that sentiment, pointing to the encouraging parts of Saturday even if the result stayed the same.
“I think we’re being as positive as we can,” starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan said. “We’ve showed a lot of good signs today and we’re looking forward to building off that. But at the end of the day, we just got to do better.”
Rutgers now turns to Howard on Friday in search of its first win of the season, and the players say the approach doesn’t change. For linebacker Abram Wright, the answer is staying locked in on the work in front of them.
“Dealing with it (by) handling our business: next day, next play, keep chopping,” linebacker Abram Wright said. “We’re going out there to practice to win, and we’re going out there to play to win, so we just got to keep going.”
In Other News...
Rutgers Coaching Rumors Just Made Schianos Situation Feel Much Bigger
Brian Kellys name has started to circulate in the coaching market again, and that alone has turned a tense Rutgers start into something with a little more weight. Kelly, now working as a CBS Sports analyst after head coaching stops at Notre Dame and LSU, is reportedly motivated to get back on the sideline, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Rutgers tries to steady itself after an 0-3 start.
For Rutgers, the intrigue is not just about whether Schianos seat is warming, but about how complicated any change would be if the school decided to go there. Contractual and financial issues would factor into any move involving Schiano, and those hurdles make the situation feel bigger than a simple hot-seat discussion. For now, the speculation is just that, but it has added another layer to a season already searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Cant Afford More Drama In A Game Fans Expect To Win
Rutgers comes home this week with a matchup that should, on paper, give the Scarlet Knights a chance to reset after an 0-3 start. Howard is the kind of opponent Rutgers is expected to handle, and the setting adds a little extra weight for Greg Schiano, who could collect his 100th win at the school if the game goes the way most people assume it will.
For a program still searching for its first victory of the season, though, the margin for anything messy feels thin. Rutgers does not need a tight finish or a second-guessing kind of afternoon here, just a clean performance that lets the Scarlet Knights move forward and avoid turning a game fans expect to win into another round of frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Finally Has One Encouraging Sign But A Costly Problem Remains
Rutgers finally got the kind of night up front it has been searching for, and it came against a top-12 opponent. The offensive line turned in its best performance of the season against USC, allowing just one sack and one tackle for loss while helping the Scarlet Knights pile up 460 total yards. Antwan Raymond took advantage, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown and posting season highs in both yards per carry and longest run.
Greg Schiano acknowledged the progress, but he also made clear the larger issue is still hanging over the program. Even with the improved line play, Rutgers has been hurt by turnovers throughout the season, and that remains the costly problem it has to clean up quickly. The Scarlet Knights now turn to a Friday night matchup with Howard, where Schiano said there are key players on the other side worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]