Rutgers slips to No. 56 in ESPN’s projection of power-conference futures for 2027

ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg released his annual “future power rankings” for the 2027 season, and Rutgers landed at No. 56 in the projection of which programs look most promising in the years ahead. Rittenberg’s top of the list went to Notre Dame, with Ohio State and Texas following immediately, while Rutgers sits in the middle of the pack of Power Five teams as the sport’s calendar moves toward the 2027 title picture.

Rutgers’ placement is also notable for its movement from the previous year’s version of the same exercise. According to reporting that summarized Rittenberg’s rankings, Rutgers came in 13 spots lower than it did when ESPN released the comparable list a year earlier. In this ranking framework, the intent is not to measure what a team has done recently, but what each roster and program build appears poised to deliver.

Rittenberg’s evaluation was broken into categories, including quarterback outlook, offensive and defensive line strength, coaching staff, roster management, and star power. For Rutgers specifically, the quarterback category centers on a transition after Athan Kaliakmanis’ departure. The analysis described Kaliakmanis as having developed into a “very solid” Big Ten quarterback, particularly as a senior, when he improved his accuracy and produced 3,124 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. That production gives Rutgers a meaningful recent baseline, but it also sets up a change at the top of the depth chart for 2027.

The projections also emphasize that the next Rutgers starter may come from a competition rather than a single handpicked solution. Rittenberg’s assessment, as relayed in subsequent coverage, points to transfer Dylan Lonergan from Boston College and AJ Surace, who backed up Kaliakmanis but saw limited action, as the leading challengers for the quarterback job. Both are described as having remaining eligibility, which, in Rittenberg’s view, adds upside and uncertainty in the same breath: flexibility for development, but no automatic guarantee of immediate continuity.

On the roster management side, Rittenberg framed Rutgers as having “checked the boxes” in recruiting and retention in recent years. The analysis highlighted keeping two key playmakers, including running back Antwan Raymond and receiver KJ Duff, as particularly important going into a new era at quarterback. Rutgers’ roster pipeline also enters the picture through recruiting, with Rittenberg’s methodology noting that the program signed the nation’s No. 38 recruiting class (as described in the category recap) to support its projection of near-term stability and talent inflow.

The Rutgers ranking, therefore, looks less like a verdict on coaching or overall program health and more like a reflection of where the Knights appear strongest and where the variance is highest. A quarterback room with multiple plausible options can produce a rapid climb, but it can also mean the team’s 2027 ceiling depends on how quickly the new starter gains command of the offense and timing.

What to watch next is how Rutgers uses its quarterback competition to define the identity of the 2027 offense, while also sustaining the recruiting and player-retention momentum that Rittenberg’s roster management category credited. Because these are “future” power rankings, the most important follow-up will be not just who emerges at quarterback, but whether Rutgers’ returning pieces and recruiting class translate into a clearer, more complete roster profile as the 2027 season approaches.

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