The Rutgers Scarlet Knights enter the 2024 college football season with high expectations. Off the heels of a win in the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl over the Miami Hurricanes, Rutgers will begin play in a revamped Big Ten that now features Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. For the first time since joining the Big Ten over a decade ago, the Scarlet Knights will play a schedule that doesn’t feature perennial Big Ten powers Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights are returning a veteran-laden team that includes 16 starters from 2023 including four of five offensive linemen and eight players on defense. 

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2024 Season Preview

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2024 Offense

Rutgers will once again lean heavily on the run game featuring last season’s Big Ten leading rusher, Kyle Monangai. Monangai rushed for 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns for the seven-win Scarlet Knights. The fifth year running back will be running behind an offensive line that returns seven key contributors from 2023 including Bryan Felter, Gus Zilinskas, Hollin Pierce, Kwabena Asamoah, Reggie Sutton, Taj White, and Tyler Needham. 

While Monangai was the Scarlet Knights’ workhorse in 2023, the quarterback position was a glaring problem for Rutgers. To alleviate the quarterback issue, head coach Greg Schiano tapped into the transfer portal bringing in former Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. A starter of 17 games in the Twin Cities, Kaliakmanis unseated former four-star recruit Gavin Wimsatt as the starting quarterback in the Spring. The Illinois native spent two years under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca in Minnesota and is very familiar with the Scarlet Knights offensive system. Kaliakmanis will bring consistency to a Rutgers’ passing game that was anything but in 2023.

Like the quarterback position, Rutgers also tapped into the transfer portal to improve the wide receiver position. The Scarlet Knights added the speedy Dymere Miller to the receiver room. Miller –who led FCS play with 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns– will be making the 35-mile trip up Route 18 from Monmouth University to Piscataway. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights should have the services of transfer wide receiver Naseim Brantley who was held out in 2023 due to NCAA related issues. Rutgers will also be returning wide receiver Christian Dremel, Chris Long, and Ian Strong to round out the receiving corps.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2024 Defense

Plain and simple, the Scarlet Knights defense has a chance to be one of the best in program history heading into 2024. Head coach Greg Schiano used the Scarlet Knights’ NIL money to retrain players at key positions including eight starters from the 2033 season. The unit was to be anchored by linebacker Mohamed Toure; however, it was announced the second-year captain will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. 

In fact, if there were one area of weakness for the Rutgers’ defense it would be the linebacker position. In addition to Toure, the Scarlet Knights will likely be without former Butkus Award watch list member Tyreem Powell as he rehabs from a torn Achilles tendon. Schiano and defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak will lean heavily on a young linebacker group that includes Dariel Djabome and Moses Walker. 

But, again, the Scarlet Knights defense will be able to make up for the linebacker corps’ relative inexperience thanks to veteran leadership on the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Returning key d-linemen include Aaron Lewis, Kyonte Hamilton, Troy Rainey, and Wesley Bailey. On the backend, the Scarlet Knights return a defensive backfield that includes veterans Desmond Igbinosun, Flip Dixon, Robert Longerbeam, and Shaquan Loyal. 

The Scarlet Knights, who finished No. 7 overall in the Big Ten in 2023 in total defense, will look to creep into the top five of the conference in 2024.

Expectations are that high for this veteran Rutgers defense in 2024.

Rutgers Football Ticketing Facts & Stats

The most expensive game to get in the gate to see Rutgers football in 2024 is the huge out of conference matchup against Virginia Tech on September 21 at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. The get in price for the Rutgers-Virginia Tech contest is $82 on the secondary market.

As far as seeing the Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium this Fall, you can get into a Big Ten Conference game for just $40 when the 2023-24 College Football Playoff finalist Washington Huskies travel to Piscataway. The most expensive Big Ten Conference game is the Scarlet Knights next home game against Wisconsin. That game has a get in price of $43 on the secondary market.

• The average get in price for Rutgers regular season home games in 2024 is slightly over $25 ($25.14)
• Attending a Big Ten Conference game in Piscataway will only cost slightly more with the get in ticket price being right around $33 ($33.20)
• Seeing the Scarlet Knights on the road will save you some money. The average get in price to see the Scarlet Knights away from New Jersey is just $20.
• It would cost just $337 to buy a ticket to every regular season Rutgers football game in 2024

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2024 Schedule

BOLD – Big Ten Conference Games

Streaming Options to Watch Rutgers Football in 2024

As sports fan’s viewing habits change, there will be a variety of options to choose from to stream Rutgers Scarlet Knights football in 2024.

• DirectTV Stream

• Fox Sports App

• FuboTV

• Hulu + Live TV

• Peacock

• Sling TV

• YouTube TV

Streaming FuboTV

FuboTV offers access to numerous channels airing Rutgers Scarlet Knights games, including ESPN, FOX, Big Ten Network, and ABC. It also provides local channels within the market.

Streaming Hulu

Hulu + Live TV provides various channels that air Rutgers Scarlet Knights games and access to Hulu’s extensive on-demand library.

Streaming YouTube TV

YouTube TV provides extensive sports coverage, including channels that broadcast Rutgers Scarlet Knights games. It’s a flexible choice for cord-cutters, featuring a multi-picture setup for fans who want to watch multiple games simultaneously.

Radio Broadcasts for Rutgers Football in 2024

• The Rutgers Scarlet Knights can be heard on the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network including WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM and Fox Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM.
• Streams of the radio broadcast are also available on the Audacy app, the Scarlet Knights app, and the SiriusXM app.
• Chris Carlin will once again call the play-by-play with Eric LeGrand and Mike Teel as analysts, and Anthony Fucilli reporting from the sidelines.
• WRSU 88.7-FM will once again be the home for Rutgers student radio with Eddie Kalegi, Philip, Jaccoma, and Mo Golubtchik