Rutgers will have to finish the season without one of its most reliable linemen.
Guard Kwabena Asamoah is done for the year after undergoing surgery for a high ankle sprain, according to 247Sports’ Bobby Deren. The injury ends his Rutgers career as well, since he is out of eligibility after choosing to return for a fifth year.
Asamoah appeared in 48 games for the Scarlet Knights and leaves with a resume that includes team captain honors in 2026, All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition in 2024 and 2025, and second-team All-America status from ESPN in 2025. He also helped pave the way for three 1,000-yard rushers during his time in the program, including Kyle Monangai and Antwan Raymond, who both topped 1,000 yards in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
His final stretch was as steady as ever. Through eight games in 2026, Asamoah logged 498 snaps at right guard and allowed only three total pressures, which is tied for the fourth-fewest in the country among guards who have played at least 400 snaps. He also put together one of the longest streaks of consecutive starts on the roster, starting every game in 2024, 2025, and the first eight games of 2026.
According to multiple reports, Asamoah is expected to make a full recovery and resume football training in January in preparation for the NFL Draft.
Rutgers’ offensive depth is getting tested even further this week. Star wide receiver KJ Duff has also been ruled out for the upcoming game against Wisconsin with a lower-body injury, though the exact issue has not been disclosed.
Duff exited early last week against Michigan because of the injury. With Duff sidelined and starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan also out, Rutgers will face Wisconsin missing several important pieces on offense.
In Other News...
Rutgers Now Faces A Nebraska Offense In Sudden Turmoil
Rutgers is catching Nebraska at an awkward moment, with the Cornhuskers trying to steady an offense that has suddenly lost its footing. Matt Rhule made the move after the loss to Illinois, and the timing matters for a Scarlet Knights defense preparing for a unit that looked far different in September than it does now.
Nebraska had opened the season 5-0, but four straight losses have turned the conversation in Lincoln from momentum to damage control. Glenn Thomas now steps into the play-calling role, and Rutgers will have to sort through what changes, if anything, in an offense that is suddenly in transition. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Faces A Style Fight Wisconsin Might Not Let Them Control
Rutgers is heading into its Nov. 7 matchup with Wisconsin with the kind of game plan that usually sounds simple in theory and gets complicated fast in practice. The Scarlet Knights have spent plenty of time this season trying to find offensive rhythm, and this one comes with the added challenge of a Wisconsin defense built to make opponents earn every inch. Around the Rutgers beat, the conversation has centered on how the Knights can keep the game from turning into the kind of slog the Badgers prefer.
There is also a wrinkle on the other side that changes the feel of the matchup, even if it does not change Rutgers task much. Wisconsin will be leaning on a true freshman at quarterback, and that puts even more emphasis on field position, discipline and avoiding the sort of mistakes that can swing a tightly controlled Big Ten game. For Rutgers, the question is whether it can force the style of game it wants, or whether Wisconsins defense and broader approach will leave the Scarlet Knights chasing the tempo from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Settled Down And Delivered A Win That Meant More Than Usual
Rutgers opened the regular season with a steady 81-54 win over New Haven, and for a team still adjusting to life without Steve Pikiell on the sideline, the result carried a little extra weight. Acting head coach Brandin Knight guided the Scarlet Knights through some early defensive lapses before they settled in, leaned on contributions from Tariq Francis, Jamichael Davis and Rasheed Jones, and used a pressure defense that forced 17 turnovers to take control.
The performance looked like the kind Rutgers can build on, especially because the defense tightened as the game went on and the offense found enough rhythm to separate after the shaky start. For Knight, it was also an important step in a difficult stretch for the program, with Pikiell away during cancer treatment and the Scarlet Knights trying to keep moving forward while the season begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]