Rutgers’ offensive line made clear progress
PISCATAWAY – Hollin Pierce arrived at Rutgers in 2020 still relatively new to football and not in the physical condition he needed to be in if he was going to eventually become an impactful member of the Scarlet Knights’ offensive line.
But Pierce, at that point a walk-on, was willing to put in the work. He lost weight, transformed his body, and in the years since has developed into Rutgers’ starting left tackle and a legitimate NFL prospect. The 6-foot-8 Pierce showed steady progress.
It’s been a journey that’s emblematic of the Scarlet Knights’ entire offensive line.
A unit that was in needed work when coach Greg Schiano returned has taken steady strides toward consistency and stability, particularly last season under offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, a twotime Super Bowl champion from his time working in the same role with the New York Giants.
The Scarlet Knights under Schiano built up quality depth at the position. They now have a line they can compete with.
There’s still plenty of room for growth – something both Schiano and Flaherty have acknowledged. But the progression has been undeniable, especially considering Rutgers had a 1,000-yard rusher last season in Kyle Monangai and allowed just 14 sacks, the lowest in the Big Ten.
The challenge heading into the 2024 season is to take the next step.
“The offensive line last year, we started off just kind of feeling our way as a group,” Flaherty said following Rutgers’ spring practice on Tuesday. “From Day One, they’ve been really locked in in the meetings. They want to learn, they want to learn the different techniques that we’re teaching them. Now as a coach it’s your job to make sure that we’re doing it with consistency day in and day out. That’s the hardest thing for any football player.”
The state of Rutgers football’s offensive line heading into 2024 season
The Scarlet Knights return Pierce, who started every game in 2023 at left tackle, while Gus Zilinskas, who also started all 13 games last season, is back at center. Bryan Felter, who started eight games at left guard, is also back. Reggie Sutton started the final six games at right tackle and is back for another season, while Kobe Asamoah, who started five games at right guard, also returns.
Rutgers, which does need to replace Curtis Dunlap at guard, will also have Tyler Needham back healthy. Needham started the first two games at least season at right tackle before a season-ending injury.
There’s stability at the position. The importance of that cannot be overstated.
“Chemistry in an O-line room is one of the top, if not the top, thing you have to get,” Zilinskas said. “I feel like now this is kind of our second year with the four, five, six guys in the mix, we’ve all been here for a year or two, three, four, I feel like we’ve really grown to understand each other. On the field and off the field, understand each other’s background stories. We know how to push each other and bring each other up when somebody’s having a bad day.”
Pierce said the difference in the Oline room from when he arrived to now is noticeable.
“Just the way we care about each other, everything we do with each other, we go out with each other, on the field we’re always looking out for each other,” Pierce said. “Our goals and what we want to do is completely different, and just how we approach the field.”
Younger depth showing improvement
An offensive lineman in the Big Ten typically needs time to develop before being able to contribute at a high level. Aside from the physicality and size of the defensive fronts throughout the conference, a new system requires time to learn and understand.
The goal, Flaherty said, is to build day by day.
“I try to get them to understand that every day can’t be a new day,” Flaherty said. “We have to progress from what we did yesterday. So what we teach today is not going to be new to you. Them hearing the play call, they understand the play call now. When they were first here, they said they understood it, but they didn’t understand it.”
Rutgers has a group of younger, developing lineman that includes Taj White, who played in 11 games in 2023 as a second-year lineman, Emir Stinette, Dominic Rivera, Dantae Chine and Nick Oliveira, among others.
“I feel like the room is really mature already,” Zilinskas said. “The young kids who just got here or who have been here within a year, they’ve all matured really well. They’re doing a great job.”
Still, consistent progress is the key – accelerating that progress, Flaherty said, begins in the weight room and meeting room.
“The young guys are good prospects,” said Flaherty, who also lauded Rutgers’ stout defense for helping to make the Oline better in practices. “Really good prospects. It’s my job to make sure they get ready to play. Now when? You ask some players, if they got here last year, they like about two or three years to get settled in. Well today’s football now, in college, they’ve got to be ready to go.”
Pat Flaherty making a difference
Ask any of Rutgers’ offensive linemen, and they’ll tell you how much they’ve learned from Flaherty, the value of his insight and his experiences.
“Coach Flats does a really good job with the techniques, making sure everybody’s doing it right,” Zilinskas said. “But I think he’s best at continually coaching something. So his big thing is, if he’s going to teach it, he’s going to coach it. I feel like that is what he excels at.”
Pierce said his development under Flaherty last season contributed to his decision to return for one more season, knowing how much better he could be after yet another year working with Flaherty.
The entire unit showed progress. It still needs to show more heading into next season.
But for the Scarlet Knights, the development has been encouraging.
“From Day One, they’ve been really locked in in the meetings,” Flaherty said. “They want to learn, they want to learn the different techniques that we’re teaching them. Now as a coach it’s your job to make sure that we’re doing it with consistency day in and day out. That’s the hardest thing for any football player.”