— Sam Hellman
In a recent article on Rivals.com, the Rivals.com staff ranked the Rutgers football team’s defensive line as the 12th best in the nation.
“BUZZ: Three starters are back. The new starter is Jonathan Freeny, who had 9.5 sacks last season in a reserve role,” the article said.
Could the line be that good this year? Starting left end Alex Silvestro says yes.
Is the unit that good now? No way, Silvestro said.
“That’s a pretty big accomplishment, but people have told me they think we can be pretty good this year,” Silvestro said when told about the rankings. “I always tell them you can say that before the season, but during the season is all that really matters. The only way we can really be one of the best is to go out there and play. That’s all that really matters.”
Senior Alex Silvestro returns for his third season as a starter and second season as a starting defensive end for the Scarlet Knights. (Sam Hellman)
The first scrimmage was a definite success for the defensive line and a sign that Rivals.com may not be too far off. Sophomore defensive tackle Scott Vallone essentially bought real estate property in the offensive backfield, forcing one of two safeties on the day and causing some serious problems for an inexperienced offensive line. Silvestro added two sacks.
“I think as a whole, the defense was pretty solid,” Silvestro said. “We came out on fire, pretty intense and, for a first scrimmage, it wasn’t bad. There were a couple of things that we need to improve on. I just think that we can go off that scrimmage and use it as a good start to propel us forward.”
The only Scarlet Knight the article mentioned by name, Freeny, is technically a new starter as he replaces George Johnson at right end. But Freeny is about as experienced and seasoned as a non-starter can be.
He is a second-team All-Big East selection by both Phil Steele and Athlon and has 33 games under his belt as a second-team pass rusher and one career start.
Freeny started the PapaJohns.com Bowl as a sophomore when Jamaal Westerman, now a New York Jet linebacker, couldn’t play with a torn bicep.
He has 13.5 career sacks with 9.5 of them coming last season, but ask Freeny and sometimes he still feels like a freshman.
“To be honest, I definitely feel like I’m a first-year starter,” Freeny said. “I mean, all of the action I saw before was great for me, but being in there every play is completely different. I know I can do it. It’s just about making adjustments and getting better each day.”
The challenge for Frenny throughout camp and throughout the season will be to prove he can stuff the run and not just be a pass-rusher.
When asked if he thinks teams will target Freeny in the run game, coach Greg Schiano responded, “I hope so.”
Freeny agreed.
Jonathan Freeny
“The only way I can prove that I can do it is to do it,” he said. “So whether it’s a scrimmage or drills with the team or against Norfolk State, I want them to run it at me so I can do my best to stop it.”
Behind the starters, the Knights boast decent depth with junior Eric LeGrand being one of the best backup defensive tackles out there and junior Justin Francis hungry for more playing time on the edge.
“This is some of the strongest depth we’ve had,” Silvestro said. “We’ve only really replaced one starter and Freeny played a lot last year anyway. I would consider him almost like a returning starter anyway. Every backup behind that has had experience too. That’s something special about being a starter on this line. You’re going to get tired at some points, but you don’t have to worry about any of our backups going in. They can all do the job.”
Knight Note: North Carolina finished second overall in the same rankings. The Scarlet Knights host the Tar Heels in their third game of the year.
