NO BIG DEAL Linebacker Longa not fazed by position change
PISCATAWAY — Rutgers’ leading tackler by a wide margin is changing positions, and everyone involved says it’s not a big deal.
Steve Longa, who moved to middle linebacker last spring, has returned to the weakside, where he started his career. He racked up 123 tackles last year, 7.5 for a loss. He said he accepts the change. “We’re football players,” Longa said Tuesday. “We’ll play regardless of where we’re playing or what position we’re in. Whatever’s best for the team, we’re willing to do it.”
Senior Kevin Snyder inherits the middle after playing along the weakside in 2013. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he might be better suited physically in the Big Ten. He will also play less in space.
In the middle, Snyder will mostly be responsible for playing more in front of the nose tackle, freed up to help support in run defense.
“It’s really where we think those players can be most productive,” head coach Kyle Flood said Monday. “Steve was really productive for us last season at the middle linebacker position and now he’ll get an opportunity to go into the position where (two-time Big East Co-Defensive MVP) Khaseem Greene played and hopefully be even more productive.”
Longa called himself the fastest linebacker in the American Athletic Conference last season. If that’s true, he’ll have a field day playing a position most agree has the most freedom to run on instinct.
Greene, a former safety, totaled 277 tackles, 26 for a loss, and 9.5 sacks in two seasons at WILL. Longa is not Greene, but he benefits from similar size and quickness.
A new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach will mold him.
Joe Rossi, the interim play caller in Rutgers’ Pinstripe Bowl, has added more detail, player say. Longa’s position coach, Bob Fraser, was Rutgers’ defensive coordinator in 2011.
“We have terminology for everything,” Longa said. “From saying ‘under’ to ‘push’ to ‘end’. If somebody is coming from the backside, you can’t see it, so the MIKE is there to let you know.”
“He brings a lot of energy to the back end, just running to the football,” Snyder said of Rossi.
Three other new assistants joined them. Mike Teel, statistically the most prolific quarterback in school history, is a graduate assistant working with wide receivers. Ben McDaniels, brother of Patriots play caller Josh McDaniels, flanks him.
Offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen worked with the team’s five co-starters at quarterback for the first time.
“I thought watching Ben and Mike work with the receivers, I thought they had a good plan,” Flood said. “They utilized the manpower and the individual attention they were able to give and seeing Ralph work with the quarterbacks. ... It’s not the first time any of them worked with a new staff.”
Flood wasn’t impressed by the first glimpse at the Scarlet Knights’ quarterback competition. Five players shared reps, including 28-game starter Gary Nova. “I don’t want to overreact to today, but I also don’t want to live in denial of it, either,” Flood said. “It wasn’t good enough. If we’re going to start really make progress as an offense, we have to start limiting the reps everybody takes.” ... Flood said redshirt freshman Myles Nash and freshman Kam Lott caught his attention with a pair of turnovers they created.
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