Michigan left Piscataway with a 28-21 win over Rutgers, but the bigger takeaway for NFL evaluators was less about the score and more about the individual tape. The Wolverines moved to 5-3 on Saturday, and while the margin against one of the worst Power Four programs wasn’t pretty, the game still gave scouts a few things to file away.
One of the clearest bright spots came from senior nose tackle Enow Etta. True nose tackles don’t usually draw much draft buzz, and Etta barely saw the field before 2026.
Since stepping into a starting role this season, though, he has settled in as a sturdy two-gapping run defender. He now has nine "stops" -- Pro Football Focus' metric for quality tackles -- which ranks second among Michigan’s interior defensive linemen.
The next step for Etta is pressure. That’s where his stock will really be decided, and against Rutgers he took a meaningful step forward.
Pro Football Focus credited him with a sack and two total pressures, both season highs. Michigan hasn’t had a nose tackle selected in the top 100 since Kenneth Grant in 2025, and Etta is nowhere near that level yet.
Still, this was the kind of outing that counts as real progress.
On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines’ offensive line continues to be a problem, and that’s bad news for draft-eligible tackle Blake Frazier. He hasn’t been able to put together a consistent season, and this weekend was another rough one.
He gave up multiple pressures, and Pro Football Focus graded his run blocking even worse than his pass protection. Michigan did finish with 161 rushing yards, but it took 45 carries to get there, and that inefficiency keeps dragging the offense down while also hurting the draft outlook for everyone up front.
Cornerback Jyaire Hill also had a day that won’t jump off the stat sheet, but that doesn’t mean it lacked value. Rutgers quarterback AJ Surace targeted him only once, and that throw fell incomplete in the direction of wide receiver Vernon Allen III.
Hill played 43 snaps in Piscataway, with almost half of them in coverage, and the fact that Rutgers mostly stayed away from him says plenty. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he brings rare size for the position, and he appears to be learning how to use it to his advantage.
In Other News...
Rutgers Let A Winnable Tournament Game Slip Away Late
Rutgers had a chance to turn a tight Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal into something bigger, but the game never really loosened up until the second half. The Scarlet Knights and Indiana spent much of the first half trading limited looks, and even with Rutgers finishing with a 6-5 edge in shots and a 7-2 advantage in penalty corners, the margin for error stayed razor thin in a 2-1 game.
Indiana struck twice in the third quarter, Rutgers answered to briefly level the match, and the late swing left the Scarlet Knights chasing the result down the stretch. It was the kind of loss that stings because it felt there to be taken, and it closed the book on a season that had enough promise to make the missed opportunity linger a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Women Are Showing The Identity Fans Wanted To See
The Rutgers women kept leaning into the kind of identity their fans have been waiting to see at Jersey Mikes Arena, and it showed in a 75-62 win over La Salle. Rutgers was in front for most of the afternoon, with the kind of steady control that comes from winning possessions, defending with purpose and making the other team work for every look.
Sophomore guard Mia Pauldo provided the spark, and the Scarlet Knights backed it up with a physical effort inside and active pressure on the perimeter. Rutgers created extra chances on the glass and made La Salle uncomfortable from deep, a combination that gave the home crowd a clearer picture of what this group can be when the effort and execution line up. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Schiano Has Become Rutgers Fans Breaking Point
Michigans visit to SHI Stadium offered a blunt snapshot of where Rutgers football stands right now. The atmosphere was sparse, the visiting fans were loud, and the home crowds frustration was easy to read in a season that has already turned into a slog. With a weak defense and an offense that has been stuck in the middle, the Scarlet Knights have given their supporters little reason to believe the program is moving in the right direction.
Greg Schiano has become the center of that unease, because the conversation around Rutgers is no longer just about one rough Saturday. It is about a fan base that has grown tired of the same problems showing up again and again, and a program that feels increasingly disconnected from the energy it needs to build. The question hanging over Rutgers now is whether this is simply a bad stretch or the point where patience finally runs out. [Read more 🡒]