UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any Big Ten school. The conference as a whole saw 10 different national titles to its name in the most recent competitive cycle. Daily Bruin Sports will preview the football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other top programs of each Big Ten rival.
Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond carries the ball for a run. Raymond was third in the Big Ten last year in total rushing yards with 1,241. (Courtesy of Rutgers University Athletics)
Football
2025 record: 5-7, 2-7 Big Ten
Coach: Greg Schiano
Player to watch: Antwan Raymond
An offense can only provide so much.
Especially when its counterpart is one of the worst in the nation.
After back-to-back seasons with a bowl game appearance, the 2025 campaign was a down year for the Scarlet Knights, but it was not without some positives.
Coach Greg Schiano’s offense finished in the top seven in total yards in the Big Ten, and quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis finished fifth in the conference with 3,124 passing yards. The Scarlet Knights’ go-to running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff finished third overall in the conference in rushing and receiving yards, respectively.
And both top offensive weapons will return to Piscataway for their junior seasons.
Raymond is coming off a breakout campaign where he led the team with 1,466 all-purpose yards and scored a touchdown in 10 of their 12 games. He most recently earned a spot on the Maxwell Award Watch List – given to the best all-around college football player – after he finished 14th in the country in total rushing.
Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff reaches back for a one-handed catch. Duff was third in the Big Ten last year in total receiving yards with 1,084. (Courtesy of Rutgers University Athletics)
Duff, who was recently voted to the 2026 Big Ten Preseason Honors List, also had an explosive sophomore year where he led the Scarlet Knights with 60 receptions and seven receiving touchdowns. The Riverhead, New York, local was one of just three players in the conference to reach 1,000 receiving yards.
With Kaliakmanis graduating and getting drafted into the NFL by the Washington Commanders, the spot is now up for grabs, with AJ Surace and Dylan Lonergan currently leading the competition during training camp.
Surace was Kaliakmanis’ backup last season but only saw action three times, where he completed four passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Lonergan enters the competition with more in-game experience after transferring from Boston College in the offseason, where he made nine starts for the Eagles. The Snellville, Georgia, local posted a 66.9% completion percentage for 2,025 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca will have a tough decision to make before the Scarlet Knights take the field September 3, but all eyes will be on first-year defensive coordinator Travis Johansen, who has the task of improving one of the worst defenses in college football last season.
The Rutgers defense that was led by previous co-defensive coordinators Robb Smith and Zach Sparber allowed 7.6 yards per play during the 2025 campaign, good for the worst mark in the nation. The Scarlet Knights defense allowed 31.8 points per game, which tied for the second-most in the Big Ten. Schiano fired both defensive coordinators in the offseason.
To fortify the defensive line, Schiano picked up defensive linemen J’Dan Burnett from Tulsa and Malachi Davis from Toledo.
The former led the Golden Hurricane with 9.5 tackles-for-loss while collecting 6.5 sacks and finished with 28 tackles overall. Meanwhile, the latter started 12 games at defensive end and accumulated 36 tackles throughout his last season.
The Scarlet Knights will need to continue to produce offensively and depend on Johansen to stabilize the defensive front to make sure they do not repeat the 2025 season.
Rutgers guard Tariq Francis attempts a contested jumper. Francis is entering his second year with the Scarlet Knights after leading them last season with 17 points and 2.9 assists per game. (Courtesy of Rutgers University Athletics)
Men’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 14-20, 6-14 Big Ten
Coach: Steve Pikiell
Player to watch: Tariq Francis
Not every program can rebuild in a single season.
But Rutgers men’s basketball may be able to achieve it in two.
After finishing in the bottom half of the Big Ten last season, the Scarlet Knights may have their best chance at finishing in the top half of the conference for the first time since 2022.
Eleventh-year head coach Steve Pikiell returns four of his top six scorers from last season and has bolstered his roster with international talent in the offseason.
Guard Tariq Francis returns as the Scarlet Knight’s best offensive weapon from the 2025 campaign, totaling 578 points in the year. In his first season in Piscataway, Francis led the team with 17 points per game, shooting 41.9% from the field. The Pittsburgh local was the most efficient Scarlet Knight from the free-throw line, shooting 91.1% from the charity stripe and knocking back 164 overall.
Guard Jamichael Davis will also return as Pikiell’s longest-tenured player and as a second-year captain. Davis shot a career-high 35.8% on his 3-pointers and averaged 7.5 points with 2.5 assists last season. The Chattanooga, Tennessee, local brings back his veteran presence on the court, which will continue to aid the program’s rebuild.
Pikiell emphasized his need for global recruitment this offseason as he wanted to add more versatility and pro-level experience to his roster, snagging international talents who provide height and experience to his frontcourt.
Forward Martin Tonejc joins Rutgers as a versatile 6-foot-7 forward who developed within the Cedevita Olimpija system in Ljubljana. Tonejc helped KK Cedevita Olimpija capture the Slovenian National Championship on June 1. The Jesenice, Slovenia, local had a breakout 2024-2025 campaign, where he averaged 17.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists during the season.
Forward Mervedi Miteo became the youngest player to represent the Democratic Republic of Congo at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket. Miteo averaged 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the field.
To round out the international signings, guard Diego Garavaglia joins Pikiell’s squad as one of the most decorated prospects out of Europe. Garavaglia already boasts three seasons of professional play in his repertoire in addition to international experience. He helmed Italy to a bronze medal at the 2025 FIBA U18 European Championship, where he led the team, averaging 14.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Pikiell will need to mesh his returners with his new international additions to develop team unity and help them find their way back to March Madness for the first time since 2022.
Women’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 9-20, 1-17 Big Ten
Coach: Gary Redus II
Player to watch: Mia Pauldo
After a bottom-of-the-barrel finish in the Big Ten last season, the Scarlet Knights have nowhere to go but up.
Previous head coach Coquese Washington was fired in the offseason after completing the fourth season of her six-year contract. Washington finished with a 42-84 overall record, losing 21 of her last 23 conference matches.
First-year head coach Gary Redus II has an important task at hand as he attempts to restore a storied Rutgers women’s basketball program. Redus brings national-championship-level experience coming off a four-year assistant coaching stint for LSU, which secured its first national title in 2023.
Redus is known as one of the nation’s top recruiters, and that did not change in Piscataway. His first transfer portal class consists of seven players and is headlined by the “Twin Backcourt” of Mia and Mya Pauldo.
The Tennessee transfers are experiencing a homecoming after growing up in Paterson, New Jersey. Mia earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors after turning in a season where she averaged 10.4 points per game and 2.5 assists per game. She also led the Lady Vols with an 85.5% free throw percentage. Mya joins the Scarlet Knights with the opportunity to develop after averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game last season.
Purdue transfer guard Tara Daye could also make a big contribution to the squad this season. Daye led the Boilermakers with an average of 12.4 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game last year.
In addition to transfer portal acquisitions, Redus was able to retain six players from last year’s squad. Guard/forward Zachara Perkins headlines the returners as the Scarlet Knights’ second-highest scorer after putting up 284 points overall. Perkins was also the team’s second-best 3-point shooter, knocking down 36.8% of her attempts.
The Scarlet Knights have nowhere to go but up. But with Redus at the helm, the program has an opportunity to produce a winning season for the first time in five seasons.