Recruiting never stops, at least that what Rutgers Football Head Coach Greg Schiano always says and that holds true today, as the program has added a new addition via the transfer portal.
The Scarlet Knights have added former Northern Illinois wide receiver Dane Pardridge to the roster today.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound wide receiver hails from Illinois, where he played for Marmion Academy before joining the Huskies in 2022. He would go on to redshirt in his first season, while appearing in three games.
After that, he went on to play in 24 games over the next two seasons, where he hauled in 28 receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns. He also doubled as the program’s main punt returner, where he had 20 returns for 152 yards and one touchdown.
Now returning kicks isn’t something new for the Pardridge family, as Dane’s father Kirk also played for NIU and lead the conference with 483 kick return yards in 1985, while helping them win the MAC Championship. He would go on to be selected by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of 1986 NFL Draft.
Pardridge will have two years of eligibility remaining to play with the Scarlet Knights.
What does he bring to the team?
This addition seems to be similar to the majority of the spring portal adds, with Rutgers continuing to build depth anywhere and everywhere that they can.
Pardirdge was a solid receiver for NIU, as he was the program’s top returning receiver for 2025. He also will add some depth at the slot receiver position, which was a bit of a question mark after starter DT Sheffield.
Expect him to also have a role on special teams, specifically in the punt return game where he could provide a spark that Rutgers hasn’t had in a few years.
