This Week In Rutgers Athletics (January 12–18)

Jan 21, 2026 - 02:00

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This Week In Rutgers Athletics (January 12–18)

After a hiatus over winter break, I have decided to bring back the This Week in Rutgers Athletics series to highlight all the action around Rutgers sports! From football, basketball, and wrestling to gymnastics, golf, and track & field, a lot is going on in the world of Rutgers sports as the spring semester begins!

🏈 Football Adds J’Dan Burnett

The Scarlet Knights have landed transfer edge rusher J’Dan Burnett, their second EDGE of the portal cycle. Rutgers still needs several pickups to shape out their roster, although the bulk of the portal acquisitions have been made at this point
CHOP 26 has arrived on campus as the spring semester begins!
Rutgers has yet to hire a defensive coordinator, although rumors are swirling that the Scarlet Knights may add a defensive coach from Indiana’s staff. Hiring someone from Miami’s staff or an NFL staff remains a possibility as well as the search continues to roll on.

🏀 Men’s Basketball Falls To Wisconsin

Despite a spirited second-half comeback attempt, the Scarlet Knights fell short against Wisconsin, falling 96-87 against the Badgers. Wisconsin built a 51-29 lead against Rutgers, and although the Knights went on a 21-9 scoring run to cut the Badgers’ lead to single digits, UW was able to respond to close out the victory.

Harun Zrno led Rutgers with 21 points on 5-9 shooting from downtown, while Tariq Francis got off to a slow start but finished with 15 points. Rutgers also rebounded well, with Emannuel Ogbole securing nine boards while Darren Buchanan Jr. brought in seven rebounds.

Rutgers basketball will be back in action tonight, concluding its two-game road trip at Iowa City to battle the Hawkeyes. Coverage for the game will start at 8:30 on the Big Ten Network.

🏀 Women’s Basketball Beats Penn State

Rutgers got its first Big Ten win of the season, a 76-72 victory at Penn State, a major confidence booster in league play. The Scarlet Knights withstood a 27-point, 11-rebound effort from former Rutgers guard Kiyomi McMiller, with Nene Ndiaye leading the team with 20 points, and Imani Lester had 19 points and eight rebounds.

Five Scarlet Knights were in double figures, with Kennedy Brandt knocking down a three-pointer, compared to just two Lady Lions reaching double-digit points. The Scarlet Knights will be back home for a three-game homestand, beginning with #8 Michigan on Thursday at 6 PM (Big Ten Network).

The team also announced its annual Play4Kay game to be hosted against Washington on Jan. 25 — an important event for breast cancer awareness and community engagement.

🤼‍♂️ Wrestling Takes Down Purdue, Falls To UM

No. 17 Rutgers wrestling posted a 24-9 win over RV Purdue on Sunday, its first Big Ten victory of the season, with dominant scoring throughout the lineup. The Scarlet Knights rattled off four victories in the final five bouts to pull off the win.
On Friday evening, the Scarlet Knights suffered a 21-12 loss to #13 Michigan, although Dylan Shawver picked up the 100th win of his collegiate career.

🤸‍♀️ Women’s Gymnastics Narrowly Falls To OSU

The gymnastics team competed in its Big Ten opener on Saturday at JMA, posting a score of 194.100 against Ohio State in a competitive home meet. Unfortunately, it was not enough to secure the victory, as the Buckeyes won the meet with a score of 195.750.
The top performers for Rutgers were Rachael Riley on vault (9.800) and on beam (9.800), Delaney Adrian on bars (9.850), and Elliot Goldsmith/Gabrielle Dildy (9.850) on floor.
Rutgers will travel to Washington on Friday at 9:30 PM for their first Big Ten road trip this season. Coverage will be available on Big Ten Plus.

⛳ Men’s Golf (Alumni Spotlight)

Former Scarlet Knight Chris Gotterup won the 2026 Sony Open on the PGA Tour, marking a big professional accomplishment for the Rutgers alum.
This was the third tour victory of his career, with Gotterup previously winning the Scottish Open over Rory McIlroy last year. Gotterup finished at -16, two strokes ahead of Ryan Gerard (-14) for the victory.

⚾ Baseball

Rutgers baseball held its annual First Pitch Dinner, handing out team awards from last seasonand hosting former MLB great Al Leiter as keynote speaker — a season kickoff moment before the 2026 campaign.

📈 Other Athletics News

Rutgers Athletics and SAMCO appointed Dann Kabala as Vice President for R NIL, underscoring a growing focus on Name, Image, and Likeness strategy and opportunities for student-athletes.
Men’s lacrosse has four preseason All-Americans on the roster, including Ryan Splaine (Second Team), Joe Juengerkes (Third Team), Colin Kurdyla (Honorable Mention), and Cardin Stoller (Honorable Mention)