Rutgers Football receives another dull projection for 2026 season

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What are the expectations for the 2026 Rutgers Scarlet Knights?

Like any team around the nation, fans should be excited for the start of the season as we enter the second half of June. The NBA season has ended, the World Cup will be done in July, and the itch for college football begins right now.

The only issue might be — there is a small percentage that believe Rutgers will be able to win six games.

That has become the goal for head coach Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights. Despite offensive improvements last season, the defense floundered enough to keep the team out of the postseason. That is the expected outcome once again.

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports made projections for all Big Ten teams for the upcoming season. He predicted Rutgers finishing with a 4-8 record and 1-8 in conference play.

“Rutgers has enough offensive firepower in KJ Duff, running back Antwan Raymond and a few emerging skill players to generate weekly highlights in 2026, but that alone won’t translate into wins. The Scarlet Knights are staring at one of the Big Ten’s most punishing schedules and remain overmatched in the trenches against elite competition. Defensively, there are still too many question marks to trust Rutgers against the best teams on the slate. Greg Schiano’s program competes hard, but depth issues push the ceiling down. Four wins feel like the realistic outcome in a season defined by growing pains.”

Rutgers will play a difficult schedule in the fall. The non-conference slate of UMass, Howard, and Boston College will come in the first four weeks of the season. Crawford predicted wins in all three games, which means a long losing streak would be on the way.

The other win predicted is against Michigan State, which is the final game of the regular season.

The Scarlet Knights will take on the likes of reigning National Champion Indiana, USC, Michigan, and Penn State. There will also be swing games with Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Maryland. While they could be viewed as swing games, many believe Rutgers will be on the wrong side of the outcome.

This should not dissuade fans from the 2026 season. KJ Duff is back, Antwan Raymond is back. The offense has a chance to be high-scoring once again. If the defense can make improvements, there could be a chance for an upset or two this season.

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