Rutgers keeps stacking preseason honors, and this latest round puts a spotlight squarely on the right side of the Scarlet Knights’ offense. Offensive lineman Kwabena Asamoah and running back Antwan Raymond have both landed on Pro Football Network’s Preseason All-America teams, with Asamoah earning first-team recognition and Raymond making the second team.
For Asamoah, the award adds to an already busy offseason full of national attention. He started all 12 games at right guard last season and has been a fixture there for the past 25 games.
ESPN already tabbed him as a Second Team All-America selection, and the production around him showed why. Rutgers averaged 389.1 yards of total offense in Big Ten play, its best mark in a season since joining the conference.
That line also helped the Scarlet Knights reach a rare milestone on offense, producing a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and a 1,000-yard receiver for just the second time in program history.
Raymond made the most of that blocking. He rushed for 1,241 yards and 15 touchdowns on 244 carries, finishing third in the Big Ten, 14th in the nation, and eighth in school history in rushing yards.
His biggest outing came against Maryland, when he piled up 240 yards on 41 carries and helped lead Rutgers to the win. That season also earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors.
The preseason buzz around Rutgers isn’t limited to those two. Wide receiver KJ Duff has already been described as entering one of the most anticipated individual seasons in Rutgers football history because of his preseason accolades. The same case can be made for Asamoah and Raymond, who are being projected as major force-multipliers for the Scarlet Knights and, according to the source, among the most dominant players in the Big Ten and across the NCAA next season.
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