Rutgers Football: Why the Knights Have the Best Defense in the Big East

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will once again field a top-notch defense in 2012.  This season, their stellar defense may even carry them to a Big East title.  With almost every important player returning, a new (but familiar) defensive coordinator and no dreaded West Virginia game, look for the Knights to have the best defense in the Big East.      

First year head coach Kyle Flood will certainly have his hands full this season attempting to duplicate last year's success on the defensive side of the ball.  But he made a move in the right direction when he hired Robb Smith as his defensive coordinator. 

Flood knows how successful Rutgers has been defensively over the last couple of seasons and wants to continue that success.  And he believes Smith is the man to do it. (via NJ.com)

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I couldn't be happier he stayed on staff, Flood continued, The way Rutgers has played defense the past seven years is as good as anybody in the country, and I believe we'll be able to keep that tradition alive with Robb Smith as our defensive coordinator going forward.

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Smith had spent the last three seasons as the Knights' special teams coordinator and knows this aggressive defensive system well.  

In 2012, Smith will be looking to build on last season's outstanding defensive performance.  The Knights were one of the elite defenses in 2011. They were extremely stingy; they allowed the eighth fewest points in the nation and only allowed more than 20 points in four of their 13 games (via ESPN).

Along with being one of the top scoring defenses in the country, Rutgers also ranked No. 12 in yards allowed.  They were especially good against the pass—they gave up just over 170 yards per game, good enough for ninth in college football.

The Knights' success against opponents' passing attacks was, in large part, due to the outstanding play of guys like star cornerback Logan Ryan, Brandon Jones and Duron Harmon—all three are returning for Rutgers.  The lone defensive backfield starter from 2011 who won't be returning is David Rowe, who disallowed countless big plays as the Knights' last line of defense.

With Rowe now gone, the Knights will need to find a replacement.  

Harmon, who had a team-high five interceptions last season, will shift from strong safety to free safety to fill the void left by Rowe. And it seems as if Robb Smith has found his starting strong safety in sophomore Lorenzo Waters.

The aforementioned combination of Ryan and Jones will, once again, be a formidable duo shutting down opposing teams' wide receivers.  Ryan, an All-Big East second team selection last year, had one of the most impressive defensive stat lines in the conference: 67 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.  This kid is an impact player who made plays all over the field for the Knights, and he will have similar success in 2012.

With three out of four starters returning to a defensive backfield that was sixth in the nation with 19 interceptions last season, look for Rutgers to give opposing teams very few opportunities through the air. 

Looking beyond the defensive backfield, Rutgers is returning all three linebackers, which includes Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year Khaseem Greene.  

In 2011, the then-junior linebacker led the conference with 140 tackles and also added 3.5 sacks.  Despite the fact he's coming off a broken ankle in last season's Pinstripe Bowl, you can expect Greene to be ready to play come fall (via NJ.com).

Another returning standout in the linebacker core is senior Steve Beauharnais.  The middle linebacker was a do-it-all guy for the Knights' defense in 2011, rounding up 77 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions.  His versatility will be a valuable weapon for defensive coordinator Robb Smith in 2012.

Add an improved Jamal Merrell to the combination of Greene and Beauharnais, and the Knights will field the No. 1 linebacker group in the Big East.

Now, to perhaps the biggest question mark on the Knights' defense this season: the defensive line.

The team is losing both of their starting defensive ends in Justin Francis and Manny Abreu.  Francis led the Knights in 2011 with 6.5 sacks and was constantly blowing up opposing offenses' plays (13 tackles for loss).  Abreu, in his first season at defensive end after spending the past four at linebacker, sacked the quarterback three times and recorded six tackles in the backfield.  

The Knights were ranked No. 14 in sacks last season, and replacing the two players who accounted for more than a quarter of the team's sacks will be a tall task.  But Rutgers has the personnel to make the transition almost seamless.  Converted linebacker Ka'Lial Glaud has had a very impressive spring and will be counted upon to provide a consistent pass rush.  He has apparently locked in his starting job at that position.  

On the other side of the line, however, things are much more undecided.  

Michael Larrow and Marcus Thompson seem to be the front-runners to take over, but other, younger players will get a chance to show off their abilities. Via ESPN: "Marcus Thompson, Max Issaka, Michael Larrow, and Darius Hamilton are all going to get an opportunity to see where they end up," said head coach Kyle Flood.

Larrow and Thompson certainly bring more experience, but highly-recruited freshman Darius Hamilton could make a major splash in Piscataway.  He was the No. 69 ranked prospect according to ESPN and the No. 11 ranked recruit by Rivals.com.  

No matter how you slice it, this guy is extremely talented.  He shows excellent quickness off the ball and the vastness of his pass rush moves is a testament to Hamilton's focus and hard work.  

In the end, Flood may just decide to split time between multiple players.  The Knights certainly have the depth at defensive end to do so effectively.  

While the defensive end positions are in flux, the middle of the line is solidified with senior Scott Vallone in the trenches.  Vallone tallied 58 tackles last season, of which 8.5 were for loss.  He also sacked the quarterback 2.5 times.  Vallone will be flanked by first-year starter Isaac Holmes, who has had a tremendous spring.

Via NJ.com: "There's no doubt.  It's a big spring for Ike and he's responded well," said Flood.  

Holmes, in previous years, had been known as an extremely talented underachiever.  If he can carry his new attitude through the fall, he will become a force on the Knights' defensive line.  

With one of the most experienced and proven defensive backfields in the conference, a talented and hungry defensive line and a linebacking core that is unparalleled in the conference, the Rutgers Knights will field the most feared defense in the Big East.