Weeks in to Coach Flood's first spring as head football coach at Rutgers University, the biggest revelation may well be Andrea Adelson's contrast between Flood and and his immediate predecessor in their coaching demeanors. Greg Schiano had a well-earned reputation as a disciplinarian, and nary a press conference went by where his voice was not extremely hoarse. All that can really be said in that respect is that it will probably be keyed in on after the season with the benefit of hindsight. If things go well, then Flood's respectful treatment of players as mature adults allowed them to play free and loose. If the team struggles, then he coddled them, and they clearly needed a firm hand and more discipline.
The tone is different in that sense, although to this point you would have liked to see more details come out of camp. Part of that is that there's still more to go, and key contributors are sitting out for the spring. That is fun at least to start hearing about some of the younger talent on defense who otherwise would be stuck on the bench waiting for an opportunity. If there is anything close to a given on the roster, it's that the defense is bound to be good, so where is the drama going to be there? There are some tidbits of note thus far, like Kyle Federico being ahead in the kicking competition, various reshufflings along the offensive line, Ka'Lial Glaud starting at end, and Lorenzo Waters at strong safety.
Still, for anyone waiting for definitive answers at the offensive skill positions that generate headlines and highlights, there hasn't been much in the way of resolution to this point. The Gary Nova/Chas Dodd and Jawan Jamison/Savon Huggins competitions do not appear to be anywhere near resolution. D.C. Jefferson is sitting out at tight end, which created some opportunities for Malcolm Bush before a recent injury. Maybe Tim Wright can be the possession receiver opposite Brandon Coleman as a deep threat, so there is that. Still, anyone hoping for a spring chock full of excitement has been in for disappointment in what has been fairly low-key effort as far as what the public has seen.