SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano said Tuesday that star running back Kyle Monangai will not play in Thursday’s Rate Bowl against Kansas State.
Monangai – along with other players looking to pursue the NFL after this season – had the option to sit out the game to avoid any injury risk that could dent their draft stock.
But Monangai will still be plenty involved.
“He’s decided not to, which I fully understand,” Schiano said during the Rate Bowl Media Day at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort. “Kyle’s done so much for Rutgers. Excited for his future. He’s been awesome. He’s helped coach, he’s been at every meeting. If you didn’t know it, you’d think he was playing. That’s just the way that he’s prepared. But that’s Kyle. If he’s going to do something he’s going to do it all out.”
During an open portion of practice here on Monday, Monangai was in street clothes assisting running backs coach Damiere Shaw.
With Monangai not playing, that closes the book on a stellar career in a Scarlet Knights uniform, as the Don Bosco Prep product went from an underrecruited running back to among the best in the country.
This past season he rushed for 1,279 yards on 256 carries (5.0 yards per attempt) with 13 touchdowns.
Monangai is one of just three players in program history to rush for 3,000 career yards along with Ray Rice and Terrell Willis. He’s also the fourth player in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Perhaps most remarkably?
Monangai never committed a fumble in his career – 669 carries and 38 receptions.
With Monangai not playing against Kansas State, Antwan Raymond and Ja’shon Benjamin will both get big opportunities.
Raymond, a true freshman, this season has rushed for 344 yards on 82 carries with five touchdowns, while Benjamin has rushed for 67 yards on 12 carries in three games – Benjamin maintained his redshirt, something Rutgers had planned coming into the season.
Monangai missed the team’s win over Minnesota and Raymond (73 yards on 22 carries) and Benjamin (66 yards on 11 carries) both played well.
“They should have some confidence because this exact situation happened in the Minnesota game and they both came out and played very well,” Schiano said. “Had that not happened, there’d be a little uneasiness. But I think they both really practice. Coach Shaw does a great job in developing our running backs. That running back room is a special room, and it’s all because of the position coach. He sets the tone in that room.”
And so does Monangai, who battled multiple ailments throughout the season but missed just that one game.
“Again, I thank Kyle, because you guys don’t even know some of the stuff that he played through this year and had the production that he had,” Schiano said. “I mean, it’s amazing. The fact is he wanted to play the one game he missed. He wanted to play. But sometimes, you got to protect Kyle from Kyle. He’s that tough. I know it’s hurting him not to play in this game, but I also know why he’s not and I understand.”
