Steelers send scouts to Friday's Rutgers-Washington game

In a sentence that only 2024 could write: Who's ready for a Rutgers-Washington battle on a Friday night? The Pittsburgh Steelers will be keeping an eye on it and sending personnel to the game. according to Rutgers beat writer Brian Fonseca.

After leaving the Pac-12, they are now in the Big Ten and face the likes of the Scarlet Knights and Huskies on the table. Tonight is only the third time these two teams have met, the other two being recent in 2016 and 2017. Washington won both meetings, but enters tonight as a slight underdog.

From a draft perspective, the Huskies are still the top names to watch. They are led by RB Jonah Coleman, a stocky and powerful runner who stands 5-9 and weighs 229 pounds. A transfer from Arizona, he leads the team with 56 carries for 373 yards and 4 rushing scores, an average of nearly 7 yards per carry. Even though he's a junior, he'll likely have a strong remaining season like many running backs. He's a name to consider should RB Najee Harris sign elsewhere in the offseason.

Senior wide receiver Giles Jackson lacks size, but he's having a career year and is now seeing playing time after the school's starting talent from last year was taken in the draft. Jackson leads Washington with 27 receptions, 342 yards and a score. Michael Penix Jr. will be replaced at quarterback by Will Rogers, who is off to an impressive start with 8 touchdowns and no interceptions. He starred at Mississippi State and threw 35 touchdowns in 2022 before struggling last year and transferring.

Rutgers has a notable running back in Kyle Monangai. A year ago, he rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and rushed for 457 yards in just three games. That included a 208-yard outing against Akron. Like Coleman, he's stocky at 5-9, 200 pounds and lacks a resume, but could be considered a center field defenseman in April's draft. Paving the way for him at the top is senior left defenseman Bryan Felter, another name to keep an eye on.

Although it means little, the Steelers have only drafted one Rutgers player in the Mike Tomlin era. That happened in his first year in 2007, when he defeated OG Cameron Stephenson in the fifth round. He never appeared in a regular season game for the team and is ranked 160th out of the 183 picks Kevin Colbert was involved in during his tenure with the team.

Washington and Rutgers square off tonight at 8:00 pm/EST on Fox.