Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 27): Rutgers' Mawot Mag Injury Update, Northwestern QB Signing with Jets

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Basketball season is just around the corner, and with that being the case, we've got important injury updates on key players for Big Ten teams.

The one that stands out on Wednesday is Mawot Mag, a lanky forward for coach Steve Pikiell and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Mag tore his ACL in his right knee back in February, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season. On Monday, it was reported by college basketball reporter Jon Rothstein that Mag is "ahead of schedule," and that he's been cleared for non-contact activities.

In football news, Trevor Siemian — a beloved former quarterback for fans of the Northwestern Wildcats — is signing with the New York Jets.

Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:

Mawot Mag Injury Update

Under coach Pikiell, Rutgers' basketball has adopted a hard-nosed defensive identity, as the Scarlet Knights love to drag games down into the mud where it's low scoring and methodical. In 2022-23, a big part of maintaining that identity came from Mag, who starred as a defensive weapon for the team with his long-reaching wingspan.

An ACL tear is a brutal injury, and Mag still cannot practice to a full degree as of yet, but hearing that he is ahead of schedule has to be great news for Rutgers fans.

Rutgers' Mawot Mag (ACL) has been cleared for all non-contact, per Steve Pikiell.

Averaged 7.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG last year prior to injury.

Pikiell on Mag: "He has not been cleared for contact, but is doing great --- everything is way ahead of schedule."
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 25, 2023

As Rothstein noted there in his post, Mag averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. The 2022-23 season was Mag's first as a full-time starter after two years of coming off the bench in Piscataway. Along with Cliff Omoruyi, he's one of just a very few players that will be returning for Rutgers in the 2023-24 season, after much of the roster entered the transfer portal, including veteran wing Paul Mulcahy.

There's no clarity yet as to whether Mag will be 100 percent ready for the team's season opener on Nov. 6, when Rutgers takes on Princeton in a neutral site game. But for a Scarlet Knights' team in a bit of a transition year, it sure would help them if one of their best defensive players could suit up on that day.

Trevor Siemian Signing with Jets

Dread it. Run from it. Trevor Siemian hanging around with a different NFL team arrives all the same.

Jets are planning to add to their QB room: Veteran QB Trevor Siemian is signing with the Jets, pending a physical, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2023

The New York Jets were projected as playoff contenders entering the 2023 season with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. That, of course, only lasted four plays, before the legendary quarterback went down with a torn achilles, bringing a swift end to his season.

In the last two weeks with Zach Wilson back under center in New York, the Jets have looked utterly lost. They've scored 10 points in each of their two straight losses, and in those two games, Wilson has completed just 30 of his 63 passes for a measly 327 yards, and one touchdown to three interceptions.

There's no guarantee that Siemian is coming in to replace Wilson immediately, but it's hard not to see the case for it. The former Northwestern quarterback has hung around the NFL since 2015, and was a starter for the Denver Broncos in 2016 and 2017.

In total, Siemian has started 30 games in his professional career, and he's thrown for 7,027 yards in his career, along with 42 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He's not the world's most precise or talented quarterback, but given how much Wilson has struggled once again given the chance to start in the NFL, it sure seems worth the Jets' time to give "Touchdown Trevor" a run at the starting job.

Mawot Mag Injury Update

Trevor Siemian Signing with Jets

Related Stories on Big Ten: