​Rutgers football has endured and overcome several long droughts in recent seasons, posting a series of notable milestones that have energized the program. In 2023, the Scarlet Knights finally produced a 1,000-yard rusher in Kyle Monangai, the first to reach that mark in 11 years, and earned their first traditional bowl bid in nearly a decade. The following year, 2024, brought a different kind of milestone: Athan Kaliakmanis became the program’s first 2,000-yard passer in ten years, Monangai achieved back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and Rutgers secured a winning record and another bowl bid for the second consecutive season for the first time since joining the Big Ten.
The momentum continued into 2025, when Kaliakmanis joined Rutgers’ elite company as the third 3,000-yard passer in program history and the first to reach 2,500 yards in back-to-back seasons since 2007 and 2008, a period when Rutgers had its peak offensive production. Running back Antwan Raymond joined the 1,000-yard rushing club, and wide receiver KJ Duff became the program’s seventh 1,000-yard receiver—the first in 11 years.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Rutgers aims to convert this progress into broader success, hoping to disrupt some long-standing patterns both as a team and for its star players, Duff and Raymond, who could join even more exclusive clubs in Rutgers history. The long-standing skids Rutgers could address in 2026 include several high-profile milestones and challenges.
As a team, Rutgers has not been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 since the final week of the 2012 season, when it stood at No. 22, marking 217 consecutive weeks without a ranking—the longest active drought among Power Five programs. By comparison, the next-longest drought belongs to West Virginia, which was last ranked in the Week 2 poll of 2018. Rutgers also has not defeated a ranked opponent since Nov. 12, 2009, when it beat No. 23 South Florida in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights are 0-43 against ranked opponents since that upset, with an average margin of defeat of 29.2 points per game, representing the longest drought of ranked wins among all Power Five programs.
In 2026, Rutgers could also secure its first-ever win over three teams that have traditionally dominated against them: USC (0-1 all-time vs. Rutgers), Wisconsin (0-6 all-time), and Nebraska (0-7 all-time). A separate opportunity looms in the Big Ten for a breakthrough against Penn State, a program Rutgers has not defeated as a Big Ten opponent, with the all-time record against the Nittany Lions at 2-32. The Scarlet Knights almost snapped that streak in last season’s finale, falling 40-36 in a heartbreaker.
Another season-long objective is to begin 3-0, a feat Rutgers has achieved in five of the last six seasons as the program continues to build on recent momentum. Achieving this start again would extend a growing program record after last season’s 3-0 start. Supporting these team-wide goals will be a critical factor: maintaining the current trend of non-conference regular-season success under coach Greg Schiano’s leadership since his return in 2020. Rutgers has shown resilience and potential, and the 2026 season could be the one that translates that potential into sustained national relevance.