Rutgers’ Chin and Walker Make 2026 Comeback Player Watch List

What Happened

Rutgers offensive lineman Dantae Chin and linebacker Moses Walker were named to the 2026 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List. Both are returning from season-ending injuries suffered early in 2025. Chin won Rutgers’ starting left tackle job during training camp and played in two games before being injured against Miami (Ohio). He appeared in all 13 games in 2024 and made four starts at left guard. Walker started Rutgers’ first four games in 2025, recording 17 tackles, two tackles for loss and one pass breakup before suffering a non-contact injury against Iowa. No official Rutgers comment is included in the available source.

Why It Matters

• Chin’s return reopens Rutgers’ left tackle competition after he won that job before his 2025 injury.
• Walker’s return gives Rutgers a player with a starting role and 17 tackles from the opening four games last season.
• The watch-list recognition changes neither player’s depth-chart status nor snap count; their 2026 roles must be reclaimed on the field.

THE PATE STATE READ

Rutgers gets two meaningful returns, and both players have a credible case for important work because each held a starting role before the injury. The task comes first: Chin has to reestablish himself at left tackle after spending time at guard, while Walker has to regain his place in a linebacker group that played without him. This moves Rutgers’ personnel outlook a spot, not the earth. Chin’s first training-camp reps and Walker’s early defensive snaps will show whether the old roles are actually back.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• Rutgers’ 2026 training camp: watch Chin’s left tackle reps and Walker’s linebacker rotation.
• Rutgers’ 2026 season kickoff: track whether either player returns to a starting role.