Rutgers football will be well represented at this year’s NFL Combine.
The Scarlet Knights announced Tuesday that five players secured invitations, the most since earning six in 2013.
Running back Kyle Monangai, linebacker Tyreem Powell, left tackle Hollin Pierce, cornerback Robert Longerbeam and long-snapper Austin Riggs are all headed to the event, which takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from Feb. 27 through March 2.
Players will go through on-field workouts, tests and drills and will have the chance to meet with NFL executives and evaluators ahead of April’s NFL Draft.
This is the strongest group of pro prospects Rutgers has had since Greg Schiano’s return to Piscataway in 2019.
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Monangai, a Don Bosco Prep product, developed into one of the top running backs in college football in that time, surging up the Scarlet Knights record books – he came one of just three players in the team’s history to rush for at least 3,000 yards and the fourth to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 252-pound Powell, a Vineland native, is an intriguing NFL prospect. Injuries (a broken wrist in 2023 and then a torn Achilles last winter) hindered him the last couple seasons, but Powell’s largely overcome them. He had 57 tackles (3.5 for loss) in 10 games this past season.
Had he not suffered the wrist injury last year, Powell almost certainly would’ve declared for the NFL Draft in 2024.
Pierce had a remarkable journey in a Rutgers uniform after arriving in 2020 as a walk on weighing close to 400 pounds.
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The Trenton native lost weight and now at 6-8, 344 pounds, Pierce has a good chance of being drafted in the early rounds – Schiano has frequently said Pierce has potential for a strong NFL career.
Pierce started every game for Rutgers at left tackle the last two seasons after starting 12 games at right tackle in 2021 and 2022.
He came a stabilizing force for a developing offensive line.
The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Longerbeam became one of them most formidable cornerbacks in the Big Ten while with the Scarlet Knights. Originally committed to Virginia Tech, he flipped to Rutgers following the hiring of Schiano.
This past season, Longerbeam had 45 tackles (1.5 for loss) with two interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Riggs played in all 13 games this past season after transferring from BYU.
The five players join a group of recent Rutgers Combine attendees that includes cornerback Max Melton (second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2024) and Isiah Pacheco (drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022).
