Rutgers Defensive Tackles Coach Luke Carrezola Hosts Spring Practice Press Conference

TL;DR

Luke Carrezola, the new defensive tackles coach at Rutgers, addressed the media for the first time, discussing his connections with staff and standout players like Zaire Angoy and Keshon Griffin. He emphasized the need for improvement in run defense after a disappointing 2025 season.

After giving the media a chance to speak to head coach Greg Schiano, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, and defensive coordinator Travis Johansen, the program has started the press conferences where members of the media can ask questions to position coaches. This time, it was new defensive tackles coach Luke Carrezola’s turn at the podium, having the chance to speak publicly in front of the media for the first time since being promoted to the role. The first question had to do with how he is adjusting to the new role and his connection to the other staff members. He spoke on the long history he has with defensive line coach Dennis Dottin-Carter and how him and defensive coordinator Travis Johansen clicked as soon as Johansen got on the banks and how special something like that is when you click with someone that quickly. When he was asked what defensive tackles stood out so far this spring, Carrezola opted to go with the veteran players. He talked about how Zaire Angoy attacks the work in front of him and how they will lean heavy on him and Keshon Griffin to be the leaders of that group. A later question asked Carrezola to expand on his relationship with Dottin-Carter in particular and what there relationship has been like since they are now coaching together. “He’s somebody that I’ve been in contact with my whole coaching career. So, I mean, bringing him back when I found out the news from Coach, you know, because obviously Coach asked me about him. And, you know, I just knew that he was the right guy. You know, you look at the players that he’s developed in his past and you look at the production that the defensive lines that he’s, you know, been in charge of in the past. It’s been outstanding. So I know that, you know, working with him and developing guys like Travis Jones back in the day at UConn and everything and Eric Watson, a couple of professionals that we worked with together, you know, us coming back together. It’s just it’s been seamless.” He also spoke about Doug Blue-Eli and how he is working his hardest to get back on the field in full capacity and how transfer portal pickup Rondo Porter has an explosive nature to his game on top of a lot of veteran experience. When he talked about what specifically the defensive tackles have to be better at this season, he said they need to be better at stopping the run and being more violent than they were last season. In 2025, the Scarlet Knights had a run defense that set records for poor performance. Changing that starts with the guys up front. To watch the full press conference, click the link here:

Q&A

Who is Luke Carrezola and what is his role at Rutgers?

Luke Carrezola is the newly appointed defensive tackles coach at Rutgers, recently promoted to this position to enhance the team's defensive line performance.

What improvements does Luke Carrezola want to see in the Rutgers defensive tackles this season?

Carrezola aims for the defensive tackles to improve their run-stopping abilities and to play with greater aggression compared to the previous season.

Which players did Luke Carrezola highlight as key contributors for the Rutgers defensive line?

Carrezola mentioned veterans Zaire Angoy and Keshon Griffin as crucial leaders for the defensive tackles group this spring.

Rutgers Defensive Tackles Coach Luke Carrezola Hosts Spring Practice Press Conference

TL;DR

Q&A

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