Blogs > Rutgers Rundown

Devoted to the daily goings on with Rutgers football, both at High Point Solutions Stadium and behind the scenes.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Proving it in Piscataway (No. 10 — Rutgers' Taj Alexander)

By Tyler Barto
Twitter: @Tyler_Barto
tbarto@trentonian.com

Less than two weeks remain until the start of Rutgers training camp. This top-25 countdown will run infrequently, documenting who's got the most to prove in 2014.

No. 10 — RT Taj Alexander (6-foot-4, 290 pounds)

Why Alexander's on the list: The senior has appeared in games spanning three seasons, including 14 starts, but has labored through injuries.

Alexander (lower body) sat out spurts of spring practice, a year after a patchwork 2012 season. Should concerns persist, a depth-challenged offensive line will be tested.

Will Bryan Leoni, a former walk-on backup, be called upon?

Still, the one-time defensive lineman possesses the athleticism Rutgers' staff hopes carries it through a physically demanding first Big Ten season. 

During training camp, keep an eye on: how offensive line coach Mitch Browning distributes reps.

Leoni saw plenty of time with the first-team offense in the spring. With little experience, including Leoni, behind Alexander, bank on Rutgers keeping close tabs on its starters.

2014 outlook: Long arms and a solid base are positives for Alexander, who started 10 games a year ago.


He and left tackle Keith Lumpkin should form one of the Big Ten's more mobile tandems.

More from the countdown: No. 9 — Kenneth Kirksey

No. 11 — Julian Pinnix-Odrick

Labels: , , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home