PISCATAWAY, NJ–So far this season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have won two of their first three contests including a 45-7 rout of Howard, and a 23-15 victory over Florida International in non conference games. However, the Knights started out dubiously with a ugly loss on Labor Day to defending Big East Champion, Cincinnati (47-15). One of the real bright spots in that loss was Mohammed Sanu.
Sanu, the younger brother of former Sayreville standout, Samir Sanu, was a reserve on the South Brunswick Boys Basketball team that reached the semifinals of the 2007 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, won the Central Jersey Group IV State Tournament Championship over Freehold Township, and reached the Group IV State Final before losing to defending state champ, Linden. However, his better sport is football, where he starred as Quarterback for South Brunswick while also playing wide receiver and safety.
Entering Rutgers University as a freshman this past January, Sanu raised eyebrows over the course of the offseason with his effort at wide receiver for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers, which lost Kenny Britt, who is now playing for the Tennessee Titans, and former Notre Dame of Lawrenceville standout, Tiquan Underwood, was looking for someone to help fill the void there, and Sanu has done that, and more. In the defeat to the Bearcats on Labor Day, Sanu caught 10 passes for 101 yards while rushing one time for 9 yards.
In the two games since against Howard and Florida International, Sanu has performed more modestly. Against Howard, Sanu caught two passes for 22 yards including one 17 yard play, and returned 4 punts for a total of 21 yards. Versus Florida International, Sanu caught three passes for 35 yards including a 19 yard pass play, threw a pass, and returned two punts. In total, Sanu has caught 15 passes for 158 yards for an average of 10.5 yards per catch. Joining him in the receiving corps is former Woodbridge football and basketball standout, Shamar Graves, who has caught two passes for 14 yards this season including a touchdown against Cincinnati. Graves has caught four touchdown passes in his career at RU.