Rutgers’ Struggles in ESPN FPI Rankings as They Eye Rebuild

Low Rating Highlights Big Ten Trouble

The Scarlet Knights sit at a dismal -.2 in ESPN’s College Football Power Index, landing them at No. 67 nationwide and second‑lowest among Big Ten teams. Only Purdue sits below Rutgers, holding the No. 71 spot. This placement underscores the uphill battle Rutgers faces in a league where most teams rank well above the 50s.

The preseason FPI is built almost entirely from prior‑season data, including returning starters, past performance, recruiting rankings and coaching tenure. Each team’s rating is broken into offensive, defensive and special‑teams components that predict points contributed on a neutral field against an average FBS opponent. The model later down‑weights older seasons but never discards them, a practice similar to the way Vegas incorporates priors when setting its lines.

Defensive Overhaul and Offensive Retention

Rutgers is bringing in a wave of defensive transfers and a completely new coaching staff, hoping to reverse a season in which the defense was among the worst in the FBS. On the offensive side, key pieces like WR KJ Duff, RB Antwan Raymond and OL Kwabena Asamoah are staying put, providing a sturdy foundation. The quarterback battle remains uncertain, but the eventual starter will inherit one of the more stable environments Rutgers has offered in recent years.

Since the 2016 ESPN piece that first outlined the preseason FPI, the index has added the transfer portal as a factor, reflecting the growing mobility of players. Even with all this data, a high degree of uncertainty remains, especially given the extensive turnover on defense. The combination of new talent and familiar offensive contributors creates a scenario where improvement, while not guaranteed, appears more plausible than a continuation of last year’s struggles.

What the Rankings Mean Going Forward

Being the second‑lowest Big Ten team in the FPI does not seal Rutgers’ fate, but it does highlight the numerous adjustments needed to compete at the conference level. The influx of defensive talent and the stability on offense give the program a platform to climb the rankings in the upcoming season. Fans and analysts will watch whether the new defensive system can translate the influx of transfers into on‑field gains, potentially moving Rutgers out of the bottom two in the next FPI update.