Rutgers football will hold their 2023 Scarlet-White game this weekend. Despite starting off fairly well, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights won just four games in 2022. Now, they are looking to improve that poor record. Here is a look at what to watch for during the 2023 Scarlet-White game.
2023 Scarlet-White Game
Rutgers DB Kessawn Abraham (5) – Gabby Ricciardi/Rutgers Athletics
Defense
While, of course, in a spring game, neither the offense nor defense will go as hard as they can, the Rutgers defense was strong in 2022. The team will be losing a couple of key players, such as Christian Braswell and Christian Izien, but still expected to do just as well as last year. This makes the defense important to watch this weekend.
The teams are not divided yet, but this will be a chance for the young defensive backs to show why they can take the place of the former players. Aside from the young players, there will still be Scarlet Knights returning in 2023 such as Kessawn Abraham. The defense will also have Wesley Bailey back in 2023, which is a big thing for this defensive line. Rutgers does not always have the best reputation as a football team, but if their defense stands strong, they may win a couple of games.
The Quarterbacks
In 2022, Rutgers never figured out their quarterback position, which was a big issue. This was a big reason the team could not win. Hopefully, in 2023, they can figure this out sooner than later. Perhaps the 2023 Scarlet-White game will be a chance to decide who the starter should be. The two players they rotated between that will be returning were Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt.
The team currently has five quarterbacks listed, including Gavin Rupp, a junior who has yet to see the field. A full list of the roster can be found here, but it can still be assumed the starter will be either Simon or Wimsatt. This can be a chance not just to see who the best quarterback is, but who has the most chemistry with the receivers. It is also important to note that there are a couple of freshmen coming in who could surprise everyone and become the new Scarlet Knights quarterback.
Rutgers QB Evan Simon (3) – Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports
The Punter
While it sounds odd, the team needs to watch their punter during the 2023 Scarlet-White game. Adam Korsak is expected to be drafted this weekend, and he played a crucial role with the Scarlet Knights. Now they will need to replace him; luckily, they have a punter on the roster ready to go.
Rutgers currently has sophomore punter Flynn Appleby, who, just like Korsak, is from Australia. Appleby did not play in any game during 2022 but still had practice time. Appleby can be just fine and not cause any concern, but Korsak was valuable enough last season that this position does need to be closely monitored.
Health
While this is just a spring game, the hope for the team is to come out of the 2023 Scarlet-White game completely healthy. There were a couple of players in 2022 that, once they got going, ended up injured. There is a lot of time before the 2023 season, but the team will want to go into the year as healthy as possible. Non-contact injuries happen, and this is something the team will need to be careful of.
The 2023 Scarlet-White game will be on April 29th at 3 pm Eastern. The 2023 season for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will take place on September 2nd against Northwestern. Hopefully, this spring game is a chance for the team to figure out what they need to do in order to win more than four games next year.
