3. Johnathan Lewis will be used in offense even if he’s not starting QB
Lewis came in off the bench several times last season and while his passing wasn’t all that efficient or accurate for that matter, he showed how dynamic he can be.
The starting quarterback race will be going down to the wire and if Lewis isn’t selected as the starter, perhaps he can still be utilized in the offense.
The Scarlet Knights are prepared to have a very young receiving group without a dependable go-to target as of yet.
This may be the boldest take of the bunch with the possibility of Lewis factoring into the offense at a position other than quarterback.
This, after all, has been done in the past. Take Ohio State for example that converted Braxton Miller to a receiver after J.T. Barrett assumed command of the offense after Miller’s injury.
Rutgers has also been known to employ multiple quarterbacks in the past–not exactly with a two-quarterback system but rather putting in a quarterback with a different skill set than the starter in certain situations.
For instance, Rutgers did this with Jabu Lovelace, a backup quarterback, who was used in designed running plays. In this particular strategy, there can also be a pass option.
At one point, the Scarlet Knights even installed a package known as the “Wild Knight” which was a wildcat formation that was wildly unpopular among fans. Former Rutgers’ wideout Mohamed Sanu took direct snaps in the formation.
Taking note of Rutgers’ history in dabbling with different formations and personnel, it is plausible to realize that a playmaker like Lewis can still lend his talents to the success of the offense even if he isn’t the starting quarterback.
John McNulty, the new Rutgers offensive coordinator, was on the Rutgers staff while Lovelace was a Scarlet Knight. Perhaps, that’s even more reason to believe he can borrow a trick out of an old playbook this season.