Rutgers receiver arrested for assault, dismissed from team

Rutgers receiver Tahjay Moore was dismissed from the team after he was arrested for assault Sunday morning, per NJ.com. The school has yet to release details from the incident, though police records showed that Moore was also charged with driving without a license last month.

The receiver spent the past two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, appearing in only one game during that span. He did not play the entire 2021 season. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Moore came to Rutgers as an athlete with the chance to play either offense or defense. He was primarily regarded as either a tight end or defensive end at the time, but later made the switch to receiver.

A three-star recruit, Moore ranked as the No. 32 player in New Jersey in the 2020 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. A late addition to the class, he chose the Scarlet Knights over offers from Massachusetts and New Mexico Highlands. Because he was not heavily recruited, he ended up being a late addition to the class that year.

Rutgers is coming off of a 5-8 finish to the 2021 season that included a loss in the Gator Bowl to Wake Forest. The Scarlet Knights lost Bo Melton, their leading receiver from last season, to the NFL, so Tahjay Moore might have had an opportunity to move up prior to his dismissal for assault. Both Shameen Jones and Aron Cruickshank, who finished second and third respectively in receiving last season, will return to the team in 2022.

Rutgers completed its eighth spring practice on Tuesday and will look to move forward without Moore. The Scarlet Knights host their annual spring game on April 22 at 7 p.m. at SHI Stadium. It will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.