Rutgers Football 2026 Early Position Breakdown: Tight End

Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights tight end Mike Higgins (88) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J.

Rebilas-Imagn Images Our 2026 early position breakdowns for Rutgers football aim to talk about the positions, besides quarterback, that have the most question marks surrounding them heading into the 2026 season. The first one was about the linebackers and what their rotation is going to look like. The second focused on who will be the No.

2 running back behind Antwan Raymond. However, it is hard to think of a position on the team that has more question marks surrounding it than tight end. As of right now, the tight end position lacks any player who truly stands above the rest.

Logan Blake and Mike Higgins, the elder statesmen of the group, have performed decently well as blocking tight ends, but their receiving game leaves a lot to be desired, as Blake has only caught three passes over his three seasons at Rutgers, while Higgins has only caught five over that same amount of time. Ben Rothhaar, a sophomore, appeared in six games for Rutgers last season but did not record a single stat. According to Rutgers tight ends coach Scott Vallone, they like where he is in practice right now and how hard he has worked, so it wouldn’t be a total surprise if he sees a decent amount of playing time this season, given how up in the air the position is.