Rutgers HC Greg Schiano Discusses Star RB At NFL Combine
Rutgers Scarlet Knights star running back Kyle Monangai was the heart and soul of the offense over the last two years.
Monangai attended the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis this year and did not put up the best numbers in events.
Monangai logged a 40-yard dash time of 4.60, which was 22nd out of 24 running backs. He also jumped 34.5 inches in the vertical (20th) and 9 feet, 9 inches in the broad (23rd).
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano spoke after the Scarlet Knights' pro day and discussed Monangai's performance.
“I understand guys that are looking for that trait but I hope there’s enough teams looking for the trait that he has and that he’s a really good football player, who’s not slow but he’s not a burner," Schiano said. "Very rarely do you see backs run the long runs. He’s sudden and he’s got short-area quickness that’s rare. Great vision.”
Monangai put together an incredible career at Rutgers. He was a workhorse within the Scarlet Knights' offense over the last two years. In 2023, he led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,262 yards. Last season, he turned in an even better year with 1,279 yards on a conference-leading 256 carries with 14 touchdowns.
Monangai improved as a pass catcher over the course of his career and is talented in pass protection as well. Monangai comes with great experience and a skillset that could translate well to the next level.
“Kyle’s a complete back," Schiano said. "He does it all. The best part about Kyle is that he’s such an intelligent football player. There’s times you can see when he’s changing the protection. He’s beating the quarterback to the punch. For me, that’s a guy that’s an incredibly bright guy period but a really, really bright football player. Then you put his physical skills in addition to that, someone’s going to get a really good back that can do it in that league for a long time.”
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Greg Patuto is a sports writer who covers College Football, College Basketball, MLB, and NBA. He previously worked as Managing Editor at SB Nation's On The Banks, covering Rutgers Athletics, and has also been featured on Fox Sports, NJ.com, ClutchPoints, and FanSided. Greg enjoys spending time with his family while rooting for the Washington Commanders and New York Mets.