Greg Schiano expects rebuilt Rutgers defense to be ‘much better’ in 2026
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Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano expects a significantly improved defense in 2026 after the Scarlet Knights hired a new coordinator, added 10 players to the unit and spent eight months addressing the problems that contributed to last season’s 5-7 finish. Schiano delivered that assessment in a recent NBC Sports interview as Rutgers moved through training camp ahead of its Sept. 3 opener against UMass at SHI Stadium.
“We’ll be much better,” Schiano said. “I was really, really frustrated with a lot of things, and no one to blame but myself. But we knew what needed to be fixed, and we spent the last eight months fixing it.”
Rutgers defense undergoes offseason reset
The defensive upgrades are based on Rutgers’ defensive numbers from last year. They averaged 31.8 points and 432.8 total yards per game. Opponents averaged 209.9 rushing yards and 6.8 yards per carry, as Rutgers allowed 50 offensive touchdowns in 12 games. Rutgers finished 2-7 in Big Ten play and missed a bowl after making postseason appearances in each of the previous two seasons.
Travis Johansen takes over the unit
Rutgers hired Travis Johansen as defensive coordinator in February to lead the reconstruction. Johansen arrived after guiding South Dakota to a 10-5 record and the FCS playoff quarterfinals in his first season as the Coyotes’ head coach. He previously spent six seasons as South Dakota’s defensive coordinator and has directed six top-10 defenses during his coaching career.
In 2024, Johansen led the South Dakota defense to a 7th-place ranking in the FCS in scoring allowed (17.6 ppg) and 17th in the country in rushing defense (116.1 ypg). A proven defensive coach, Johansen will bring experience to a Rutgers defense that Head Coach Greg Schiano believes will determine the success of the team as a whole.
“I think the quarterback position and then the entire defense,” Schiano said. “Those are the two areas where we’ve really spent a lot of time. I’m really encouraged by a lot of other positions on the team, but those two — and the defense, that’s hard to say, it’s not a position, that’s a whole side of the ball — we just need to be better, and we’re going to be a lot better.”
Quarterback competition continues in training camp
The quarterback competition remains unsettled between Dylan Lonergan and AJ Surace. Schiano said he would have preferred to leave spring practice with a starter, but Rutgers will allow the competition to be decided during training camp rather than forcing an early decision. He also did not want to make the contest too long, and considered having two capable quarterbacks as valuable depth in the Big Ten.
The first evaluation of Rutgers’ changes will come against UMass before the schedule strengthens with a Sept. 11 trip to Boston College and a Sept. 19 home game against USC. To return to a postseason-appearing team, the new staff and personnel will need to translate head coach Schiano's newfound confidence into real changes on the defensive side, the ability to score, and consistent wins in the early portion of the season.
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Edward Blair II is a journalist, sportscaster, news producer, and multimedia professional with experience spanning sports journalism, broadcast production, coaching, and digital media. He currently serves as a News Producer for KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota, while continuing to contribute sports coverage across multiple platforms. Blair has covered professional, collegiate, and pro sports as a writer for Sports Illustrated's On SI network, including coverage of the Seattle Storm, Philadelphia 76ers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and other programs. He also wrote for Last Word on College Football, where he covered Michigan Wolverines football and college football storylines nationwide. He is a contributor to Rutgers On SI.
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