Five Rutgers Players to Watch in Boston College Football's 2026 Red Bandanna Game

In just over 24 hours, Boston College football will look to capture its first win of 2026 with a home matchup against Rutgers in the program's annual Red Bandanna Game.

The Scarlet Knights are also entering the contest 0-1 after falling to UMass, 37-21, in their season opener on Sept. 3 in Piscataway, N.J., in which former BC quarterback Dylan Lonergan — who was named the Week 1 starter for Rutgers — threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, finishing the game with a total quarterback rating (QBR) of 11.7, the worst single-game mark of his career.

Earlier this week, head coach Greg Schiano announced that he was making a change at the position, benching Lonergan for junior AJ Surace, who went 6-for-9 through the air for 77 yards and a touchdown in the limited action he saw against the Minutemen.

Here are five key players on the Scarlet Knights’ roster who BC fans should be aware of for Friday night’s affair:

Five Rutgers Players to Watch in BC's 2026 Red Bandanna Game

1. WR KJ Duff

While he entered the season as one of the nation’s top wide receivers, Duff made his case as arguably the best in the country despite losing to UMass in the first week of the season.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound 2025 Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree, who amassed 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions last year, was simply unguardable against the Minutemen, hauling in nine receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

KJ Duff is the only Rutgers player who showed up tonight

9 catches, 196 yards, 3 TDs pic.twitter.com/Rkn2gjM0HR
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 4, 2026

Additionally named a 2025 honorable mention All-America selection by Phil Steele, Duff led the nation last season in contested catches with 22, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and he kicked off his junior campaign with some ridiculous grabs in many contested scenarios, including a 78-yard touchdown reception that saw Lonergan making a complete desperation throw down the sideline just hoping for Duff to make something out of it.

“He’s got great length,” BC defensive coordinator said. “Great catch radius. He can run. He’s a problem. He’s a problem for everybody. He’s gonna be an NFL receiver. So it’s something that we have to be aware of, wherever he is.”

2. RB Antwan Raymond

While he only ran for 42 yards on 14 carries in the Scarlet Knights’ season-opening loss, the Montreal, Quebec, native is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he led the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,241) and generated 13 rushing touchdowns, in addition to collecting 18 receptions for 225 yards and two receiving scores.

Raymond was awarded the 2025 Jon Cornish Trophy as the most outstanding Canadian player in NCAA football, and was selected as one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker National Running Back Award, on top of receiving a fourth-team All-America nod from Phil Steele and being voted Second Team All-Big Ten.

For a team that dealt with numerous missed tackles last week, Raymond is a bit of a nightmare matchup, as he routinely breaks through initial contact and stays on his feet exceptionally well. The “dead-leg” juke is his speciality in one-on-one situations, and the Eagles are going to need a well-executed defensive gameplan in order to limit his production.

3. QB AJ Surace

He evidently wasn’t named the starter by Schiano despite serving as the Scarlet Knights’ backup last season to Athan Kaliakmanis, who is listed as the third-string quarterback for the Washington Commanders entering the 2026 NFL regular season.

But the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Surace can certainly be more than just a serviceable quarterback carried by the weapons around him.

Also here's a look at back at AJ Surace's first touchdown pass to KJ Duff for Rutgers Football.

👉 https://t.co/N2l5TBZvuD pic.twitter.com/p37SJdOVYv
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | The Knight Report (@RutgersOn3) September 4, 2026

In his lone drive against UMass, Surace navigated the pocket well, threw over the middle accurately, and gave Duff some pristine opportunities to make plays, which he did. Surace’s feet often go stagnant after his dropback, which can lead to sacks, but his throwing power and touch are certainly not issues.

4. LT Tyler Needham

Over the past two seasons leading up to 2026, Needham played in 23 total games for the Scarlet Knights with 10 starts in each, 18 at right tackle, nine at left tackle, and one at tight end (I know, crazy).

He is now the full-time blindside protector of Rutgers’ quarterbacks at left tackle, where he made his first start of the year against UMass, and is far and away the most experienced offensive lineman on the roster.

At 6 feet 4 inches, 305 lbs., Needham isn’t necessarily big for a tackle, but he plays with a ferocity and edge that massively contribute to his success in the trenches.

Needham particularly excels in the run-blocking department, especially when he gets to the second level aiming to prey on linebackers and safeties who contain much less girth and strength than he does.

But if BC can put a double team to matchup with Needham off the edge, they might find success in terms of rushing Surace, because Needham doesn’t have the length to stop two players at once.

4. LB Sean Allison

The Scarlet Knights’ defense underwent a complete makeover this offseason after ranking worst in FBS in 2025, and their most important addition through the portal was most likely Allison, who spent the last four seasons at Drake.

In 2025 alone, the Hinsdale, Ill., native totaled 126 tackles with eight for loss and two sacks, leading the conference and finishing sixth in FCS in stops per game (10.5). He ranked seventh in the entire country in total tackles — FBS included — and was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best FCS defensive player in the country.

Allison finished his career for the Bulldogs with 289 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks, doing so in just three years of action, and his impact was immediately felt in the Scarlet Knights’ first game of 2026, in which he recorded eight tackles (6 solo) against the Minutemen.

Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok for the latest Boston College news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google