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Rutgers football WR KJ Duff building NFL buzz after breakout year
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- Rutgers football WR KJ Duff building NFL buzz after breakout year
PISCATAWAY – KJ Duff doesn't spend time thinking about what his life might be like a year from now, when the Rutgers football wide receiver will almost certainly be a member of an NFL organization after developing into one of the top weapons in the Big Ten.
For Duff, there's still too much work to be done before next year's draft , too much to accomplish this upcoming season for the Scarlet Knights .
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But make no mistake: Duff is a coveted receiver. It's no surprise that when 2027 mock drafts began dropping after this year's edition that Duff's was included in the first round in several of them.
"I don't try and think too far ahead, but that's obviously the goal for everyone, to make it to the next step," Duff said following Rutgers' final spring practice. "But yeah, I don't want to look too far ahead."
Fair enough.
The rest of his team probably doesn't want to think about life after Duff, either.
Nov 29, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Kj Duff (8) reacts after a touchdown reception during the first half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Duff had a breakout season in 2025, catching 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns.
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His best game of the season came in the finale against Penn State when he had five catches for 127 yards and a score – one of his catches was an unbelievable, highlight-reel one-handed reception in the fourth quarter that will be shown on the SHI Stadium videoboard for years to come.
What's ahead for Rutgers football WR KJ Duff in 2026?
Now Duff will try and build on it.
Even having Duff back in the fold for 2026 is a major victory for Rutgers – in the transfer portal era, retaining stars is never easy with money being dangled left and right. But coach Greg Schiano – with an assist to new athletic director Keli Zinn – managed to keep Duff with the program.
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Last season Duff shared the spotlight with Ian Strong , his best friend and former high school teammate at St. Anthony's on Long Island. But Strong transferred and is now at California .
Duff will be the focal point.
"He's done a great job," wide receivers coach Dave Brock said. "You know, obviously his development here and his ability to be productive. But the things that people don't see really are maybe his greatest strengths. How hard he works, how he attacks everything, whether it's learning opportunities, whether it's catching the ball, whether it's individual drills. He's done a fantastic job."
Duff said he's working this offseason on improving at the finer points of his game, finding ways to exploit every advantage he can on the field.
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He goes up against elite defensive backs every week in the Big Ten – good preparation for what he'll face at the next level.
"I'd say the small details," Duff said. "Maybe the top of the route, maybe I'm downfield, I can lean back on the defender here or maybe at the line of scrimmage, I can save space here. So it's kind of just going through it, like microscopic, seeing what details I left out there. So I believe that's what'll take (my game) to next step."
KJ Duff's role as a leader for Rutgers football's wide receivers
Pretty good example for the rest of Rutgers' wide receiver room to follow.
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It's a position group that's steadily improved in recent seasons under Brock and now offensive assistant Jeff Carpenter, who previously was with the Los Angeles Chargers .
Duff, though, has become the clear leader for a room that includes Jourdin Houston, Vernon Allen, Famah Toure and Elias Coke, among others.
"I think KJ's made a huge step as a leader on our football team," Schiano said. "Not just the young receivers. One thing I always remind people of, because they say, 'Oh he's a great leader.' On football teams, not only do you have to do the right things to be a leader, you have to produce. You've got to make plays. That's who players want to follow. They want to be like you because they're really good. KJ Duff really performed at a really high level in '25 and then he came back with a leadership mode about him."
Duff won't catch anyone by surprise in 2026. He's one of the top receivers in the Big Ten, and is poised to be a coveted NFL prospect.
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He's looking to make the most of his 2026 season – he wants to bring the rest of his position group with him.
"Coach Schiano likes to say guys who produce, typically, people want to follow, people want to be like them," Duff said. "Having a year I had last year, I think I came back into a role where I can influence other people."
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football: KJ Duff building NFL buzz at wide receiver
