Five underrated recruits that Greg Schiano developed at Rutgers
Rutgers made it official on Sunday, bringing back one-time coach Greg Schiano in hopes that he can revive the program he once built into a regular winner. During his time in Piscataway, Schiano was known for developing talent and turning less-heralded recruits into stars. Today, we take a look at some of his success stories from his last time at the helm of the Scarlet Knights.
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KALEB JOHNSON
As a recruit: A three-star from the state of Florida, Johnson chose the Scarlet Knights over North Carolina, Iowa State and Louisville.
Under Schiano: Johnson only played two seasons under Schiano but showed immediately that he was a terrific evaluation by the Rutgers staff. He stepped into the lineup as a freshman in 2011 and earned freshman All-American honors for his showing. He would be a stalwart over his four years at the school, starting 50 career games. Johnson didn’t get drafted or have the same type of NFL career as some others on this list, but he did spend time with seven NFL teams, most recently Philadelphia in 2018.
BRIAN LEONARD
As a recruit: A three-star linebacker in the 2003 class, Leonard chose the Scarlet Knights over offers from Penn State and Syracuse. Leonard’s older brother Nate was also a member of the Rutgers team and helped with the program's recruiting efforts.
Under Schiano: Leonard never played linebacker for Rutgers, instead he was developed into a dynamic running back. During his freshman season in 2003 he burst onto the scene, rushing for 880 yards and nine touchdowns while also catching 53 passes for 488 yards and five scores. Leonard was a Freshman All-American that season and would go onto account for 4,643 yards from scrimmage and 45 career touchdowns in his four seasons with the program. He went on to be a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2007 NFL Draft and later reunited with Schiano on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a season in 2013.
DEVIN MCCOURTY
As a recruit: A two-star with very few options at the FBS level, McCourty and his twin brother Jason both committed to Rutgers following their senior high school seasons.
Under Schiano: After redshirting as a freshman, McCourty worked his way onto the field and never looked back, playing in 52 career games for the Scarlet Knights. He finished his career with 238 tackles and six interceptions. McCourty went on to be a first-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2010 and has won three Super Bowls with the team while also being a three-time All-Pro selection.
RAY RICE
As a recruit: A three-star in the class of 2005, Rice was a late flip to Rutgers from Syracuse following a coaching change by the Orange.
Under Schiano: Rice paired with Leonard to make quite the dynamic backfield at Rutgers, and behind a 1,120-yard freshman season from Rice, the Scarlet Knights won 11 games and finished the season ranked in the AP Top 25. It was just the start of an amazing college career for Rice, as he would go on to rush for 4,926 yards and 49 touchdowns in just three college seasons. He went on to be a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 NFL Draft and became a star with the team, going to three Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl. His career ended in 2014 following his indefinite suspension by the NFL due to a domestic violence arrest.
MOHAMED SANU
As a recruit: A three-star safety in the class of 2009, the New Jersey native chose to stay home and play for the Scarlet Knights over offers from Penn State, Syracuse and West Virginia.
Under Schiano: Sanu was a very good high school quarterback and as a true freshman he still had a chance to show those skills, even though his primary position was wide receiver. Sanu was one of the few true freshman to ever start at wide receiver under Schiano and he paid back his coach’s trust by catching 51 passes for 639 yards and also running for 346 yards as a quarterback. His best season came during both his and Schiano’s last year at Rutgers, when he caught 115 passes for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns. He went on to be a third-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 and his currently a member of the New England Patriots. Sanu has more than 4,000 career receiving yards in the NFL.