PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers football defensive end Wesley Bailey is building off a strong freshman season. According to head coach Greg Schiano, Bailey is looking and playing like a Big Ten caliber defensive lineman.
It is certainly welcome news for Schiano and his staff as they need someone to stop up along the line and be a dominant presence.
Improving the play along the lines has been a point of emphasis since Schiano returned to Rutgers three years ago. In Bailey, the hope from Schiano is that the sophomore defensive end can build on some solid performances as a freshman and can make an impact along the line.
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Bailey has added muscle this offseason, and it appears to be showing during training camp.
“Wesley has stepped, you’ve seen him physically, right? He looks like a different guy. He’s 250-something-pounds,” Schiano said on Monday.
“He looks like a Big Ten end and he’s playing really, really hard and he’s playing really well. So, we need him to play that way.”
In the Gator Bowl, Bailey had two tackles, part of a season where in seven games last year, he had six tackles and 1.5 sacks.
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Coming out of high school, Bailey chose Rutgers over Power Five offers from Illinois, Minnesota and West Virginia. He was a three-star in the 247Sports Composite.