Former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Back in Big Ten as Coach
A former Rutgers Scarlet Knight defensive lineman is back in the Big Ten — this time as an assistant coach.
CJ Onyechi, who played four years with Rutgers, returns to the conference as an assistant defensive line coach at Northwestern. Onyechi spent the 2024 season as a graduate assistant with Coastal Carolina.
Onyechi was recruited to Rutgers as a three-star prospect by Chris Ash. He was suspended for the 2018 season involving his role in credit card fraud scheme.
The defensive end spent two years with Greg Schiano following his return to the Scarlet Knights. He played in 19 games, making 13 starts. Onyechi totaled 54 tackles, eight for loss in two seasons before entering the transfer portal.
Onyechi entered the transfer portal and landed at Colorado State ahead of the 2022 season. He started all 12 games after transferring, finishing with 58 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Following his collegiate career, Onyechi signed with the Canadian Football League and eventually Japan after being passed on in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Scarlet Knights are not set to face Northwestern until the 2027 season. Rutgers last played the Wildcats in the 2023 season opener. It was a 24-7 victory for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers enters the season with tempered expectations after a big change in many positions. Schiano was aggressive in the transfer portal, making moves to improve both sides of the ball.
The Scarlet Knights will be looking to clinch an appearance in bowl season for the third consecutive year.
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Greg Patuto is a sports writer who covers College Football, College Basketball, MLB, and NBA. He previously worked as Managing Editor at SB Nation's On The Banks, covering Rutgers Athletics, and has also been featured on Fox Sports, NJ.com, ClutchPoints, and FanSided. Greg enjoys spending time with his family while rooting for the Washington Commanders and New York Mets.