clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

How have the early enrollees developed since arriving on campus?

By Griffin Whitmer

About a month ago, I wrote about the newcomers to Rutgers Football and how they could make an impact in their first year with the Scarlet Knights. Excluded from that article was the group of early enrollees. This includes LB Jon Pollock, LB Solomon Manning, HB Trey Sneed, and DE Elorm Lumor. Prior to Spring practice, I wrote about these four and predicted how much playing time they would earn.

Alas, it is time to revisit that article and reevaluate these four players based on how they performed in Spring practice.

LB Jon Pollock

Pre-Spring Chance to play week 1: 99%

Before Spring practice, I considered Pollock a near-lock to earn playing time. I also believed he could make a strong push to earn a starting spot at linebacker, given the depth issues. However, looking at the Post-Spring depth chart, Pollock is absent from the two-deep. He is playing middle linebacker and Deonte Roberts is the assumed starter with Isaiah Johnson backing him up. Roberts actually moved over from OLB and will be the week 1 starter barring any unforeseen circumstances. Pollock still has all Summer to earn playing time and there are many open spots on special teams. However, if he can't get time on special teams, he will most likely redshirt.

Post-Spring Chance to play week 1: 50%

LB Solomon Manning

Pre-Spring Chance to play week 1: 70%

Manning is in a very similar situation as Pollock. He had the opportunity to earn playing time in the Spring and didn't do enough to make the two-deep. This essentially means if Pollock or Manning gets playing time this year, it will only be one of them. It does not make sense to burn the redshirts of two freshmen linebacker who offer similar skill sets and would contribute the same. With that being said, I still think either Manning or Pollock earns playing time in week 1. For this reason, I give them both a 50% chance.

Post-Spring Chance to play week 1: 50%

HB Trey Sneed

Pre-Spring Chance to play week 1: 10%

Of any player on the entire roster, Sneed may have boosted his stock the most during the Spring. Rutgers seemed pretty set at running back with Robert Martin, Josh Hicks, and Justin Goodwin holding things down. However, Sneed came out of nowhere with an incredible work ethic and surprised everyone by being one of the first players to have his black stripe removed. The coached deemed him game ready before any other running back on the roster and was the only freshman to have been "knighted". From the looks of it, Sneed has made the coaches think twice about what once seemed like a surefire redshirt. I find it difficult to believe he would be knighted and not play this year.

Post-Spring Chance to play week 1: 85%

DE Elorm Lumor

Pre-Spring Chance to play week 1: 1%

Nothing has changed with Lumor, as he is currently transitioning from linebacker to defensive end. He will take a redshirt year to develop and get coached up by Shane Burnham. However, I can't completely rule him out because camp is so unpredictable.

Post-Spring Chance to play week 1: 1%