I figured another move was in the works after Fabian Ruiz moved from tight end to defensive end last week. Evan Lampert's getting a look, which makes sense, even if it thins the DL depth somewhat.
I did not expect, at all, that quarterback D.C. Jefferson would be the one making the switch. If Jefferson wanted to play TE, he could have gone to LSU or any number of schools. He's one of the more talented players on the team, and this could help him get on the field, but...wow. By all accounts, Jefferson was having a promising camp, and he's only a freshman. Rutgers basically will need him as a quarterback next year if only for depth purposes. This move, if made permanent (and Schiano's comments seem rather hesitant), would be a mistake, severely limiting Jefferson's long term development at the QB position.
And, yeah. After two weeks of being shielded from the media, the Tom Savage hysteria officially kicked into gear yesterday. The moment Dom Natale makes any mistake, or even before he has a chance, the crowds will start calling for Savage. That's a mistake, putting unbelievable pressure on the kid considering that even blue chip quarterbacks bust about half of the time. Savage is the future, but Rutgers isn't a rebuilding team. Until proven otherwise, Natale gives them the best chance to win, at least initially. The upshot from moving Jefferson is that now Savage will get all of the #2 reps.
In other news, George Johnson is still a little nicked up, which is a concern. Adam Zagoria also passes along that Steve Beauharnais has leapfrogged Marvin Booker for a second string LB gig near the end of his report. I am optimistic about Beauharnais, but wasn't exactly sure whether he or Glaud would be a better bet to see time early.
Limited tickets remain for the Cincy opener, so order already if you haven't, and yell at your friends and family to get tickets in time. Get your 2009 road tickets (season ticket holders: be SURE to buy through the RU ticket office first, which is essential to helping the team's travelling numbers): Maryland, UConn, Army (requires purchase of Duke or VMI tickets), Syracuse (heh, "Celebrate New York Day" gets me every time), and Louisville (on sale Thursday).
Ray Rice scored a touchdown last night against the Jets. Brian Leonard will have a chance for revenge this Thursday against the Rams. Titans receiver Nate Washington will miss the rest of the preseason with an injury, giving an opportunity for Kenny Britt to Wally Pipp him as a starter.
Get your Twitter on: @CGreene37, and @RayRice27. On the otherhand, @MoveTheSticks is another L.J. Smith critic. Like our esteemed coach, I'm going to continue to sit this one out.
Seven '09 USF recruits already didn't make it to campus, and now three more are being held up from practicing with Clearinghouse issues.
New Jersey residents continue to transfer back to in-state schools in record numbers.