Monangai joins
Robert Longerbeam and
Kyonte Hamilton to make it three Scarlet Knights drafted today. This marks the most picks for the program in the same year since a school-record seven selections in 2013.
Career: Played in 52 games with 35 starts at running back ... a two-time All-Big Ten selection ... became the first Rutgers running back to earn All-America status since Ray Rice in 2007 ... rushed for 3,221 yards on 669 carries with 27 touchdowns ... ranks second in program history in rushing yards as one of three Scarlet Knights to reach 3,000 yards ... set the program record for most touches (669 rushing attempts, 38 receptions) without a fumble ... also leaves second in the Rutgers career record book with 669 rushing attempts, third with 14 100-yard rushing games, seventh with 3,473 all-purpose yards, seventh with 27 rushing touchdowns and tied for eighth with 4.81 rushing yards per carry ... had 13 games with at least 20 carries, eight with 25 or more and a high of 31 rushing attempts ... posted two of the top six rushing seasons by yards in school history and the two highest rushing seasons for RU in the Big Ten era ... one of four players in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons ... ranks fourth in the Rutgers season record book with 1,279 rushing yards in 2024, fifth with 256 rushing attempts in 2024, tied for fifth with 1,262 rushing yards in 2023, tied for seventh with 13 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and tied for seventh with 242 rushing attempts in 2023 ... led the Big Ten in rushing yards in 2023 ... added 38 receptions for 252 yards and a touchdown in the passing game ... became the first Scarlet Knight to earn First Team All-Big Ten on offense in both the coaches and media votes in 2024 ... had six games with at least 150 rushing yards, including a career-high 208 rushing yards in 2024 versus Akron, tied for 10th-most in a game in program history ... compiled five games with multiple touchdowns and three with three trips to the end zone ... merited MVP of the 2023 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl ... named All-ECAC each of the past two seasons ... twice earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week ... a two-time captain ... a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2024 Highlights: Started 11 games at running back ... invited to the NFL Scouting Combine (1/28) ... named
Phil Steele Fourth Team All-America (12/31) ... became the first Scarlet Knight to earn First Team All-Big Ten on offense in both the coaches and media votes (12/3) ... also named first team all-conference by
Phil Steele (12/31) and
Associated Press (12/10) ... selected to All-ECAC Offense (12/20) ... carried the ball 256 times for 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns ... compiled the fourth-most rushing yards in a season in program history, fifth-most rushing attempts and seventh-most (tied) rushing touchdowns ... ranked second in the Big Ten with 123.1 all-purpose yards per game, second with 116.3 rushing yards per game, third in scoring with 7.6 points per game and fourth with 13 rushing touchdowns ... totaled 16 more rushing attempts than any other Big Ten player and 10th-most nationally ... rushing yards per game average also finished ninth-best nationally ... had at least 100 rushing yards in 6-of-11 games, a touchdown in nine different games and at least 18 carries in all games played ... added 14 receptions for 75 yards and a score ... racked up a team-high 1,354 all-purpose yards ... carried the ball a career-high 31 times, a Rutgers individual Big Ten game record, for 129 yards and a score in victory at Michigan State (11/30) ... rushed for 122 yards on 28 carries with first career receiving touchdown against No. 24 Illinois (11/23) ... surpassed 1,000 yards for the season with 97 on 25 carries with two scores in the win at Maryland (11/16) ... scored three rushing touchdowns to match the Rutgers individual Big Ten game record in totaling 106 yards on the ground versus UCLA (10/19) ... picked up 132 yards on 25 attempts with a touchdown in the win over Washington (9/27) ... added 84 yards on 26 carries with a score at Virginia Tech (9/21) ... posted a career-high 208 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries against Akron (9/7) ... named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (9/9) for the second time following the performance ... also selected as the East-West Shrine Bowl "Breakout Offensive Player of the Week" ... rushed for 165 yards on 19 attempts with a touchdown versus Howard (8/29) ... voted a team captain for the second time (8/20) ... selected to the Doak Walker Award (8/6) and Maxwell Award (7/29) watch lists ... became the first Scarlet Knight since joining the league to earn a spot on the Big Ten Preseason Honors list (7/23).
Draft History: Monangai becomes the first RU running back drafted since Isiah Pacheco was taken in the seventh round, pick No. 229, in 2022 by the Kansas City Chiefs … other previous Scarlet Knight running backs to sign NFL contracts include Jonathan Hilliman (2019), Gus Edwards (2018), Robert Martin (2018), Jawan Jamison (2013), Joe Martinek (2012), Ray Rice (2008), Brian Leonard (2007) and Dennis Thomas (2002) … Khaseem Greene was the last Rutgers player to be drafted by the Bears (2013, fourth round, pick No. 117).
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