PISCATAWAY – Rutgers football is less than three weeks away from its season-opening game against Howard, which will kick off a campaign that could be a big one for the Scarlet Knights.

Greg Schiano’s team returns plenty of talent and experience from last season’s 7-6 team and it’ll look to build more success in 2024.

How will that happen?

Rutgers will need contributions from everyone who sees significant playing time, but here’s a look at five players (and in one case an entire position group) who will have the chance to play major roles in determining the success of Rutgers football’s 2024 season:

5. Dymere Miller, WR

Miller transferred from Monmouth, where he established multiple records at the FCS level, and brought him the potential to be Rutgers’ No. 1 receiver. He boasts outstanding speed, something the Scarlet Knights have continued to add more of. Schiano and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca have not hidden how much they’ve been impressed by Miller from what they’ve seen in spring practices and now in training camp. Rutgers needs more production from its wide receiver corps, which is deep with talent, and Miller is going to play a big part in making that happen.

4. Mohamed Toure, LB

Toure’s decision to return for one more season was huge for a Rutgers defense that was among the best in the nation last season. In his first full season as a linebacker, Toure finished with 93 tackles (9½ for loss) with a team-leading 4½ sacks. It was simply a dominant season for the Pleasantville native. Toure is a leader for the defense and sets a tone with his relentless motor. He can make life miserable for opposing offenses. He has a ton of Big Ten experience at this point. This is also his final season to boost his stock as an NFL Draft prospect. All of that makes him one of the most important players for Rutgers this season.

3. Kyle Monangai, RB

Monangai’s breakout 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 helped catapult Rutgers to its first winning season in a decade. The Don Bosco Prep product took the rest of the Big Ten by surprise with his tough, physical, hard-nosed running style, routinely moving piles and picking up yards after contact. The Scarlet Knights are always going to want to be a strong running team, and with Monangai back for his final season, they’re poised to do that successfully once again. Does Monangai need to run for 1,000 yards again for this to be a successful season? Absolutely not. For one thing, there are some talented younger backs behind him that are going to get some carries. But Monangai needs to continue to set the tone in the running game and again be an engine for the offense.

MORE Here are 5 key games for Rutgers football this season

2. The offensive line

This “player” is going to be the entire position group. Why? Because the entire line will determine so much about the offense’s success. Pat Flaherty’s unit clearly made strides last season. Hollin Pierce is one of the better left tackles in the Big Ten and is considered a legitimate NFL prospect. Rutgers has Tyler Needham back healthy to compete for the starting right tackle job, while Kobe Asamoah has made strides at guard and the Scarlet Knights also bring back center Gus Zilinskas, who’s been solid at center. Rutgers also brought in Ohio transfer Shedrick Rhodes Jr. to compete for the right tackle spot. The Scarlet Knights have more depth on the OL than they’ve had in a while, though much of that depth is still young and developing. The unit clearly excelled at run blocking last season but its pass protection needs to take a jump.

1. Athan Kaliakmanis, QB

It should come as no surprise that Kaliakmanis, who's quickly earned the respect of his teammates, tops this list. Rutgers needs better quarterback play for its offense to reach the level the Scarlet Knights hope it can reach. Kaliakmanis impressed the coaching staff during spring practices with his accuracy, winning the starting job in the process. Rutgers last season had one of the worst passing offenses in the Big Ten. It can’t afford a repeat performance. The Scarlet Knights need Kaliakmanis to hit his receivers, connect on some explosive plays and getting the passing game going so defenses can’t stack the box to try to limit the running game. This is a big opportunity for Kaliakmanis. Rutgers needs him to deliver.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football: 5 most important players in 2024 season