Where Rutgers Football Lands in ESPN's 2026 FPI Rankings
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Rutgers enters 2026 ranked No. 68 in ESPN's Football Power Index
The Scarlet Knights check in at No. 68 in ESPN’s updated Football Power Index for the 2026 college football season as the program heads into fall camp under the direction of Greg Schiano. Using projected season results, Rutgers anticipates a record of 6-6 or 5-7. They have a 62.3% chance of becoming bowl eligible and a 2.8% chance to win the Big Ten Conference.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has released the latest numbers for each Big Ten team ahead of the start of the season. For Rutgers, they have the team in the middle tier of the conference. ESPN’s FPI is a type of metric that can be used to predict how a team will perform in the future. The calculations include the strength of the roster, recruiting, returning production, coaching, and even the team’s schedule. The result is run through thousands of simulations to come up with an estimated performance for the season.
Rutgers is positioned in the middle of the Big Ten
Among Big Ten programs, Rutgers trails conference contenders including Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, Washington, Nebraska, and Illinois in the preseason FPI rankings. Ranking all the Big Ten teams from best to worst, Rutgers would be ranked above Michigan State, Maryland, Minnesota, UCLA, Northwestern, and Purdue. Each of these teams has the potential to make a postseason run, but each team does not have the potential to win a Big Ten Championship.
Rutgers will finish the season with around 6 wins, according to projections, and has better-than-even odds of reaching the 6 wins needed for bowl eligibility, according to the model. FPI will not project every individual regular-season game and every bowl game for Rutgers, but it does project Rutgers to be mentioned in postseason conversations throughout the regular season.
The schedule provides opportunity
ESPN also ranks Rutgers' strength of schedule No. 85 nationally entering the season, suggesting the Scarlet Knights avoid one of the nation's most difficult slates. This projection is well above for Rutgers, but the model still projects Rutgers to a 6-win season, which will demonstrate enough change in the departure of the current players to allow them to become consistent on both sides of the ball.
Rutgers heads into the season after another strong cycle of recruiting, including a 4-star Running Back Aiden Gibson. As Scarlet Knights’ veteran Wide Receiver KJ Duff returns, they look to find consistency at the position of quarterback as they attempt to find their footing post veteran QB Athan Kaliakmanis.
The 2026 Preseason FPI projections serve as a starting point for where Rutgers stands at the beginning of the year. Rutgers’ projected 6 wins place them in a position to shoot for bowl eligibility while having the upside to potentially exceed expectations and continue to grow under the leadership of head coach Schiano.
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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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