By James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

CHICAGO — Rutgers football had a busy day Monday at Big Ten Media Days.

Head coach Chris Ash and players Blessuan Austin, Tariq Cole and Deonte Roberts spent the entire day meeting with reporters and answering questions.

Radio interviews, television interviews, press conferences, appearances at podium, in hallways - you name it, the Scarlet Knights contingent was likely asked it (and answered it) at some point.

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Annie Rice | AP Photo

There are literally hours of audio to go through, and NJ.com will have coverage of all angles in the days to come leading up to Rutgers' first practice of the summer on August 3.

But for now, here's a look at some of the most important things we learned from Monday's talk-a-thon:

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BLESSUAN AUSTIN IS READY TO GO:

Ash said he does not plan to have to ease Austin in this fall after last year's season-ending ACL tear. He'll be good to go from the start of summer camp with no limitations after only doing individual drills in the spring.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

"He's 100 percent right now, he's had a great offseason. He did things in spring practice," Ash said. "I've been around some really good corners, and I think Bless has a chance to be one of the better ones I've been around. He's got length, he's got skill, he's tough. I'm excited to go watch him play. He hopefully will be a difference-maker for our defense."

Austin can't wait for the start of camp on Aug. 3. "I've been waiting for a long time to get back in the full swing of things."

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Rutgers' Chris Ash waiting for credit card fraud charges

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PLANS FOR FRESHMEN PASS CATCHERS:

Ash said he expects some of Rutgers' freshmen to play this fall. One area where some rookies may get on the field is in the receiving game.

Ash said three-star Staten Island recruit Zihir Lacewell will start camp with the wide receivers, while heralded four-star South Jersey recruit Daevon Robinson and early enrollee Jalen Jordan, a three-star, will likely cross-train between wideout and tight end (Jordan was a tight end in the spring). All three players have a chance to get on the field this fall due to their height. Ash said getting bigger pass catchers in the lineup is a priority, but he also feels Rutgers' tight ends group can provide some size as well.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

QUARTERBACK SITUATION:

Ash is sticking to his guns about Rutgers having a quarterback battle in camp. He said redshirt senior Gio Rescigno, who has started games in each of the last two seasons, will take the first snaps under center to open the summer. But it's a three-man race, Ash said, featuring him, freshman Artur Sitkowski and sophomore Johnathan Lewis.

Sitkowski remains the strong favorite to start on Sept. 1 against Texas State, but Ash is not showing any public lean. Ash said Rutgers would like to name a starter sooner rather than later, but he's not going to rush the decision. He had previously suggested Rutgers would name a starter about midway through the preseason.

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ASH'S 'NO. 1 CONCERN'

Health will be key for Rutgers this season, Ash believes. Why? He said he thinks Rutgers has quality Big Ten starters, but he's less sure about what's behind them.

"That's probably my No. 1 concern right now, just the lack of depth in certain spots. I feel really good about the 22 starters or potential starters, what we can put on the field," Ash said. "But it's just about the depth. As you go through this league, there are going to be bumps and bruises and injuries that happen. It's who you're going to replace that guy with. Is he a guy who is comparable in ability and experience and potential, or is there a big drop-off? We've had a big drop-off in some spots.

"This year, hopefully the drop-off isn't as big, but there are still going to be drop-offs at certain spots. We've got to stay healthy."

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WIDE RECEIVER GROWTH:

Ash had some telling comments about the receiving corps.

"I'm excited to watch them. They're young, they're inexperienced, they've worked hard. I would say it's probably, from a culture standpoint, the most improved group on our football team. They've really bought into [new receivers coach Lester] Erb.

"Our first two years, our wideouts just didn't perform very well. We didn't behave very well, we didn't perform very well, it wasn't up to our standards. I'm not saying this one is yet. Time will tell. But I really like the work that they've put in, the chemistry that they've built, the accountability they've got in the room. They're really pushing themselves a lot."

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WATCH: RUTGERS PLAYERS ON BTN:

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BOWL IS THE GOAL:

Ash is not shying away from his spring statement about a bowl game being Rutgers' goal this fall. During his press conference, he said he developed a three-year plan after he was hired at Rutgers. It called for progress in Year 2, which the Scarlet Knights saw, going from 2-10 and winless in Ash's first year in the Big Ten to 4-8 with three league wins in his second.

The plan for Year 3? A trip to the postseason.

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KIY HESTER:

Ash commented for the first time on the return of safety Kiy Hester. Hester was expected to transfer to Florida International as a graduate player and finish his career there after three seasons at Rutgers. But Hester, a former DePaul High star, has not yet completed his degree at Rutgers, which prevented him from becoming tied to FIU.

So when projected started K.J. Gray was dismissed from the program, mutual interest in a Hester return grew. Now he's back.

"Kiy is a guy who has been in this program for many years. He understands our culture, he understands our expectations, he's played good football here," Ash said. "When he made the decision to look at other options, he had a lot of other things going on that played a part in that.

"At the end of the day, we had some mutual interest. We sat down, had a conversation about where he was at, where we were at, and what he wanted to do to finish his career, and what he could do to help us to have a great season in 2018. It just worked out to be the right fit for both of us."

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Chris Faytok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Hester was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honoree in 2017, but he was hampered by injuries. There was some speculation his health played a role in his initial decision to leave Rutgers and look elsewhere. But Ash said Hester is healthy and ready to play.

"Yes, he's healthy. He's been working out," Ash said. "He was going to play somewhere this fall."

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No Rutgers players, but 2 N.J. products make Big Ten watch list

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TRE AVERY:

Rutgers fans might see a lot of Avery, the one-time Ohio State commit and transfer cornerback who sat out last season. Ash said he looks like the favorite to be the Scarlet Knights' punt returner this fall and will also be in the kick return mix with running back Raheem Blackshear and wide receiver Bo Melton.

Ash also likes Avery's upside in the secondary.

"Tre's a very talented individual. He's got a great skill set. He's fast, he's athletic, he's gotten a lot bigger. I'm excited for him to help our football team this year. He's going to help us at corner and on special teams."

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RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE:

Ash said he plans to utilize several running backs this fall. Jonathan Hilliman and Blackshear figure to be the main fixtures in the run game, but Ash also praised Trey Sneed - "he looks great right now" - and Isiah Pacheco could also factor in. Ash also hinted a running back could be looking to move to defense during camp, but offered no names.

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

MICAH CLARK:

Ash told NJ Advance Media the sophomore offensive lineman is with the program and has had a good summer. Clark, a heralded four-star recruit from St. John Vianney, was away from the team for the second half of spring practice for personal reasons.

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NEW REDSHIRT RULE:

The NCAA passed a new redshirt rule earlier this year that will allow players to appear in up to four games and still be able to redshirt. Ash praised the rule and said he believes it will impact Rutgers on the "back-end."

What does that mean? Ash didn't indicate he plans to give players limited playing time early in the season or throughout the season while taking advantage of the rule. But he does think Rutgers will end up using younger players later in the season as injuries take their course. Before the new rule, coaches often had to decide between protecting a player's redshirt year or putting less-capable backups on the field. That will no longer be such a concern.

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4-star OL Saleem Wormley decides between Rutgers, Penn State

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NJ Advance Media

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.