By the time co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Noah Joseph joined the Rutgers football coaching staff in mid-February, starting strong safety Kiy Hester had been gone from the program for almost two months already. With K.J. Gray slated to fill Hester’s starting role alongside senior and three-year starter at free safety, Saquan Hampton, Joseph was still inheriting a strong front line.
Even so, with Joseph now in charge, the veteran coach, who came from Indiana and had two safeties make All-Big Ten honorable mention last season in Chase Dutra and Jonathan Crawford, saw an opportunity to test out Damon Hayes at safety during the tail end of spring camp.