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Spring practice was supposed to help bring clarity to the quarterback position under new offensive coordinator Jerry Kill. One main competitor, rising sophomore Tylin Oden, has been dismissed from the program. In a press release, Rutgers cited a violation of team rules for his dismissal. Here is the statement from head coach Chris Ash.
“We wish Tylin nothing but the best in his future decisions.”
A 3-star recruit from Columbia, Tennessee was part of head coach Chris Ash’s first recruiting class last year. Oden was considered an instant threat in the ground game, but his lack of arm strength kept him out of serious contention to play significant time as a freshman. He appeared in six games last season and mostly ran the ball, rushing 144 yards on 37 attempts for 3.9 yards per carry. He completed just 1 of 8 pass attempts for 2 yards.
Oden was competing against returning starter Gio Rescigno and TCU grad transfer Zach Allen for the top spot at quarterback this spring. While Rescigno was considered the favorite, Oden’s potential to develop into a true dual threat signal caller was something fans were keeping an eye on. Sadly, Oden will no longer have an opportunity to fulfill that potential at Rutgers. It appears he has no one else to blame but himself.
Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Advance Media also reported of his dismissal here and wrote the following:
“Oden struggled with off-field adjustments to college life and to meet program expectations, sources said.”
These things can happen with young adults and we wish Oden the best of luck in his future endeavors. Hopefully, he can learn from this and have a successful college career, both on the field and in the classroom.
In terms of depth at the quarterback position, heralded 3-star recruit Johnathan Lewis will join the program this summer. Also, Rutgers added former Temple QB Tommy Wyatt as a walk-on this past weekend.
Rutgers also got more bad news earlier today, as wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell was diagnosed with a torn ACL. Despite the injury that will require surgery, he has not yet been ruled out for the entire 2017 season.