Rutgers got a major piece back on the practice field this week, and that showed up in the Big Ten availability report: Dylan Lonergan is listed as probable for the game against No. 12 USC.
That’s the headline for Rutgers, but it’s not the only one. The Scarlet Knights also have a key question hanging over Antwan Raymond, who is listed as questionable. Raymond has been one of Rutgers’ most important players this season behind Duff, and his status could shape how the offense looks on Saturday.
Raymond rushed for 134 yards against Boston College. If he can’t play, Clay Thevenin would be the next man up after turning in a solid showing last week with 36 yards on seven carries.
Rutgers’ report includes several other names:
- Dantae Chin
- Dino Kaliakmanis (doubtful)
- Kevin Levy (out)
- Dylan Lonergan (probable)
- Mikey Munn (questionable)
- Antwan Raymond (questionable)
- Jyon Simon (out)
- Abram Wright (questionable)
Lonergan’s return would be a significant development after he missed last week’s loss at Boston College with an injury. He was also taken out in the fourth quarter of Rutgers’ season-opening loss at UMass. In that game, he finished 16-of-29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
The quarterback situation at Rutgers has already been a storyline through training camp, with Lonergan and AJ Surace competing for the job. Surace entered in the fourth quarter against UMass after Lonergan was hurt, and he got his first collegiate start last week. Against Boston College, Surace went 18-of-27 for 230 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Lonergan’s numbers against UMass included a 55.2% completion rate, 242 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He was also sacked four times.
USC’s report brings its own set of notable absences and question marks. The Trojans will be without Trent Mosley, their leading wide receiver. The true freshman has been USC’s top target with 13 catches for 255 yards and four touchdowns.
The Trojans also list Taniela Tupou as out. The freshman tight end has one catch for 25 yards this season.
Madden Riordan, a freshman safety with two tackles, is doubtful. Freshman running back Deshonne Redeaux, who has four rushes for 33 yards, is questionable, and sophomore linebacker Jdayn Walker, who has seven total tackles, is also questionable.
Here is the full availability report for No. 12 USC at Rutgers: Big Ten availability report for @RFootball against USC: pic.twitter.com/PiCvdiSkoY
- Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) September 17, 2026
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Rutgers Offense Faces Its Biggest Test Yet As One Concern Lingers
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The bigger question for Rutgers is still under center, where Dylan Lonergans injury has left the starting job uncertain after AJ Surace stepped in last game. Duffs emergence gives the Scarlet Knights a dangerous piece to build around, but the offenses ceiling in this next matchup may hinge on how smoothly the quarterback situation settles before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
