Rutgers football entered the offseason with one clear mission: keep the offense together. That meant retaining Antwan Raymond, Ian Strong, and KJ Duff.
Losing Strong to the transfer portal stung, but the news that Raymond and Duff are staying delivered a much needed win for a fan base used to bad portal breaks. In today’s college football, retention is a victory.
Strong’s departure wasn’t shocking. After a breakout season, one of RU’s top playmakers was bound to test the market, especially as Duff seized the No. 1 receiver role down the stretch.
Duff’s return may be the biggest statement of all. It’s a vote of confidence in quarterback AJ Surace, someone Duff knows better than most fans. Elite receivers don’t stick around unless they believe the ball is coming their way.
New athletic director Kelli Zinn deserves early credit. In her first football offseason, she locked down two cornerstone players, no small feat in the transfer era.
With the offense stabilized, Greg Schiano and Zinn can now focus on the real problem: fixing a defense that ranked among the program’s worst in years. Coaching vacancies still need to be filled on top of the harder part, finding answers on the field.