Welcome to the next installment of the Rutgers Fall Preview Series. In the FPS we will take you position by position to give the rundown of who is battling for the starting position, how the position shook out over the spring, and where the position will be trending over the summer as we head towards the fall. Today the Scarlet Insiders bring you inside the wide receiver and tight end positions for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This is a mixed bag of a group that has shown some flashes over the years, but with the loss of superstar Leonte Carroo how will the receiving corps bounce back? Read on to find out.

Andre Patton hopes to regain his form from late 2014

Where the position was before the spring:

With the loss of Leonte Carroo to the NFL and the underwhelming seasons of Andre Patton and Carlton Agudosi, it appeared that the wide receiver group for Rutgers would be unable to take advantage of the new power spread offense being implemented by offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. There was some hype surrounding an expanded role for all world returner Janarion Grant, but how well he would adjust to the offense remained to be seen. The tight ends, a somewhat under the radar bright spot of the Rutgers offense in 2015, were set to return all three main contributors from the season.

How the position shook out over the spring:

Andre Patton seemed to reassert himself over the spring, with some strong showings that harkened back to his coming out party from the later portion of the 2014 season. The lanky senior has shown the ability to get open down the field, and is proficient in dig routes. Carlton Agudosi continued to be an up and down receiver who has yet to truly break out. While an impressive looking athlete that dwarfs corners, the receiver found himself unable to truly cement himself as a top option over the spring. His ceiling is very high though, so if he is able to take advantage of his size in a meaningful way he could become a prime target for Rutgers quarterbacks. The surprise of the spring was walk on Vance Matthews. The hard working junior is seen as a leader of the receivers despite his walk on status, and showed to be a strong contender for playing time over the spring. The hype for Janarion Grant in the new offense was real, as the dynamic senior showed improved hands and was able to create plays from the wide receiver and even running back positions. If the spring game was any indication, Grant will be one of the focal points of the offense.

The tight end position was less prominent over the spring, as it seems that its role will be somewhat deemphasized in the new offense. Nick Arcidiacono used his athleticism to separate himself from the pack and also become an useful H-back, while Matt Flanagan was able to stay pace as a steady hand both blocking and receiving. Walk on Charles Scarff fell behind both and opted to transfer after the spring session. Redshirt Freshman Nakia Griffin-Stewart has yet to break out despite his large frame and tremendous athleticism.

Heading towards the fall, and the addition of an All-Big Ten Freshman:

The depth chart at wide receiver still has some settling to do, and the addition of All-Big Ten Freshman (in baseball) Jawuan Harris will only serve to muddy the waters even further. The late bloomer in high school chose Rutgers over offers from Michigan State and Louisville, and is aiming to be a two athlete star in college. He’s already become one in baseball as the speedster led the Big Ten in stolen bases. He may be finding himself quickly in a battle to decide who is the other outside receiver opposite of Andre Patton, or may be the man to spell Janarion Grant as his speed and body type makes him an interesting candidate for a slot receiver role. The tight end position seems to be settled unless Griffin-Stewart can make a run during the summer.

Prediction:

Janarion Grant is able to mask a lot of offensive and defensive deficiencies as a return man, and his newly expanded role on offense will hopefully mask some of the deficiencies in the Rutgers receiving corps this fall. The addition of Harris will help alleviate some of the load that will be placed on Grant’s back. Overall, this unit will be a weakness of the Rutgers offense. The starting lineup will be, as predicted by the Scarlet Insiders, to be Janarion Grant in the slot with Andre Patton and Carlton Agudosi starting on the outside. The tight ends will continue on as they have, with Arcidiacono up first and Flanagan spelling him.