Where does Rutgers rank nationally ahead of 2026 season?
The 2026 season kicks off next week. Here is where Rutgers ranks nationally ahead of it.
As the 2026 season approaches, national analysts are releasing their final predictions for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are currently ranked in the 60s by most national preseason rankings, with only two dropping them below that range. On the computer rankings, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has Rutgers at 67th, while ESPN’s SP+ rankings place them at 61st. The Massey Ratings also have them at 61st, considering 44 different polls.
In terms of human rankings, Rutgers did not receive any votes in the Top 25 poll by the Associated Press for the 2026 season. The Athletic has them ranked 79th, CBS ranks them at 62nd, USA Today places them at 89th, and Sporting News has them at 84th.
Despite these rankings, Rutgers has some promising players to build around. Running back Antwan Raymond and receiver KJ Duff are considered good players, with Raymond rushing for 1,241 yards and Duff contributing 60 catches for 1,084 yards last season. The addition of Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan has also bolstered the team, making Rutgers feel like one of Greg Schiano's past plucky Big East teams.
However, Rutgers fans may be tired of these rankings highlighting the team's past struggles against top-25 teams in the College Football Playoff era, with a 0-37 record. Nevertheless, the article hopes that Schiano's 2026 team will provide both hope for the future and renewed optimism for the Scarlet Knights.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
