(AP photo)

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

Steve Longa finished with nearly 30 more tackles than anyone else last year at MIKE, and he already has a firm grasp of the WILL linebacker position.

Now? Rutgers' top linebacker is looking to master the entire defense.

"Being a good linebacker is alright, but it’s not alright with me," Longa said. "I want to know everything that’s going on with the defense. I want to know my position, the MIKE, the WILL. I want to know what’s going on with the front guys and the safeties. It helps me understand the defense a lot better.”

Longa spent his true freshman season in 2012 shadowing two-time Big East Defensive MVP Khaseem Greene before he inherited the middle a year later. It has expedited his growth in a new position.

"Overall it really did help and playing MIKE, too, isn’t really that much different," Longa said. "Our base defense, cover 6, that changes a little, but all of the blitzes go hand in hand. The (run defense) fits also are different, but it’s really not that big of a difference.”