Sometimes when schools do not have the best team, players go severely unnoticed by the general fanbase. That being said, players on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights fall victim to this quite often. While there are numerous players on the Scarlet Knights that deserve recognition, there is one player who comes to mind as underrated in college football. That is tight end Johnny Langan. Of course, those who watch this team will appreciate Langan, but with the more general audience, he does not always get the recognition he deserves. Here is a look at Langan’s time at Rutgers so far and why more college football fans should appreciate him during the 2023 season.
Langan’s Time at Rutgers
Langan is a 6-2 tight end who can also play quarterback. Langan actually started as a quarterback for the Scarlet Knights, which could be the main reason that he has been overlooked. In his first year, he rushed the ball for 391 yards and three touchdowns, according to Sports Reference, but he did not have one reception. As a quarterback, Langan did struggle. He completed just 80 passed out of 159 attempts. His four touchdowns, compared to nine interceptions in year one, were not great.
Rutgers QB/TE Johnny Langan (21) – Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media
As the years went on, Langan played less at quarterback and more at the tight end position. In four years, he completed 98 passes for 183 yards and eight touchdowns. While he threw nine interceptions in one season, in four years, he has only thrown ten interceptions total. Of course, when comparing his stats in four years to his stats in 2019, there is not too much of a difference. Switching to a tight end was a smart move for the Rutgers player.
His title officially switched to tight end in 2022. He definitely had more time rushing and receiving as the years went on. In 2019, Langan had zero receptions. In 2020, he had two. By the time 2021 hit, he had 18. It was better for Langan to be on the field than on the bench, and this was one of the best ways to solve it. In the past four years, Langan has rushed the ball for 840 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has had 51 receptions, but interestingly only one touchdown catch.
Langan’s 2022 Season
There are numerous players on Rutgers that go underappreciated, especially on the offense. The team has been getting more love for their running backs, but because they have had offensive struggles, the other playmakers are going unseen. This includes Langan. Because it took a while for the tight end to produce, he is disregarded. So are many players, but he is a crucial part of this team. In 2022, Langan demonstrated why he is a good player, and in 2023, college football fans should take notice.
Rutgers QB/TE Johnny Langan (21) – Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media
In the 2022 season, Langan was purely a tight end. He blocked, he received, and he even rushed the ball. When you have an offense that struggles, especially with the injuries they were hit with, playmakers like that are important. In the 2022 season, Langan rushed the ball 31 times for 139 yards and one touchdown. He also had 31 receptions for 296 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 9.5 yards per reception, helping his team stay on the field and giving the strong Rutgers defense a break.
His numbers made a big jump from the year prior. He only completed two out of three passes for Rutgers, but he did end up with 43 yards and a touchdown from those two completed passes. With Langan returning for one more year, it will be his chance to use this momentum and produce more for the team. When the offense went through three quarterbacks in 2022, Langan was always the player they could rely on when needed. This is an important trait to have in a player.
This is not an argument on if Langan is the best player, just that people should pay more attention to him as he plays. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have numerous members on the offense that have gone unnoticed by the general audience when they should be talked about more. Hopefully, he can take the 2023 season and use it to his advantage. The Scarlet Knights offense will have higher hopes, going into the season healthy as of now. Langan has only gotten better with experience and will need to make it count. The 2023 season for Rutgers will begin September 3rd vs Northwestern.
