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Rutgers Star KJ Duff Takes Center Stage at Big Ten Media Days Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff Jr entered the national spotlight Tuesday during the 2026 Big Ten Football Media Day in Chicago.
Duff represented the Scarlet Kni Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Rutgers student-athlete KJ Duff speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago.
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect.
The Rutgers trio appeared together on the Big Ten Network studio set as part of the programs scheduled media appearances.
Duff talks Rutgers Football at the Rutgers media day event.
He explains why hes staying at Rutgers, his growth within the Rutgers program, and the Scarlet Knights expectations going into the 2026 season.His appearance on Big Ten Network came on the same day that Duff and Raymond were announced as two of the 12 Big Ten players selected to the conferences Preseason Honors list.
The 12 players on the list were selected by media covering Big Ten Conference games and practices.
KJ Duff and Antwan Raymond were both selected to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list.
The group of 12 players were voted on by media members across the league.Along with Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon, Rutgers was one of the few Big Ten teams with multiple players selected.
The selections continued to express anticipation of a return to form for the Rutgers offense with two of the Conferences most prolific skill players returning.
Duff had a breakout 2025 season and, in the process, became one of the top wideouts in the country.
Duff recorded 1,084 yards receiving on the season.He is the 7th Scarlet Knight to record over 1,000 yards in a season.
He was also only the second Rutgers player to reach the milestone during the programs Big Ten era and the first since 2014.
KJ Duff Jr, Rutgers Wide Receiver, talked with the media on Tuesday during Big Ten Media Day in Chicago.
He talked about returning to Rutgers instead of taking another route for his career.KJ Duff Jr returns for the Scarlet Knights and is a very experienced No.
1 receiver who can create big plays and win key balls in the air.
Duff mentioned before that he wanted to stay at Rutgers because of the opportunities for relationships within the program and to leave a legacy when he finally leaves.
He looks to build off of last years average of 90.3 receiving yards per game throughout the season.Globally, that figure ranks 7th in the nation, climbing to 4th in the Power Four and 3rd in the Big Ten.
Duff finished the season with 60 receptions for 7 touchdowns with 18.1 yards per reception.
Fifty of his receptions either produced a first down or resulted in a touchdown.
Duff spoke during Media Day about his record-breaking performance against Purdue.Duff recorded 241 receiving yards on just six catches during Rutgers victory.
That became the 2nd-highest single-game receiving total in program history.
It ended up being the highest total by a Big Ten player for the 2025 season.
Nationally it ended up being the 4th highest single game receiving total for the year.Starting wideout KJ Duff jr, from Riverhead, NY, had three 100+ yard games and 5+ receptions in 8 games.
Duff earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and was an honorable mention All-American according to Phil Steeles list.
He was also named Academic All-Big Ten.
Edward Blair II is a journalist, sportscaster, news producer, and multimedia professional with experience spanning sports journalism, broadcast production, coaching, and digital media.He currently serves as a News Producer for KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota, while continuing to contribute sports coverage across multiple platforms.
Blair has covered professional, collegiate, and pro sports as a writer for Sports Illustrated's On SI network, including coverage of the Seattle Storm, Philadelphia 76ers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and other programs.
He also wrote for Last Word on College Football, where he covered Michigan Wolverines football and college football storylines nationwide.
He is a contributor to Rutgers On SI.