Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers
Size:
Height: 5082
Weight: 211
Arm: 28 ¾”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
Big Ten Rushing Leader (2023) • Second Team All-Big Ten (2023) • Pinstripe Bowl MVP (2023) • Team Captain (2023)
“Kyle Monangai is a skilled RB prospect with the quickness, contact balance, and suddenness needed to generate big plays.”
Strengths:
Dynamic and explosive playmaker
Compact, bowling ball frame
A blend of burst and open-field speed
Forcing missed tackles
Football IQ, vision, and instincts
Concerns:
Short-yardage effiency
Not involved in passing offense
Consistency in pass protection
Touchdown-to-touch ratio
Film Analysis:
Kyle Monangai is a two-year starter in Rutgers backfield. In 2023, he was able to turn his talent and potential into production. Monangai offers a volume running back who gets stronger and better with more touches. For the Scarlet Knights, Monangai is the engine of their offense.
Monangai plays with good mental sharpness. He blends vision, instincts, and an overall feel for the game. He is a strong leverage reader and processor, identifying whether the edge is soft or hard and adjusting his run path accordingly. Monangai is great on inside zone and duo run calls, where he reads the DL and LB leveraging to pick the right running lane. He has a plus-level vision to find lane openings before pressing too far outside on stretch zone calls.
Monangai runs hard behind his pads with great core and lower-body strength. He packs a punch upon contact downhill with his shoulders squared. Monangai is a forward faller when running with a head of steam. He has a compact, bowling ball frame to bounce off tackles on contact.
He possesses electric quick feet to change directions on a dime. After identifying a hard edge, he makes sudden and sharp cuts upfield. His lateral agility is great, Monangai cuts laterally to evade defenders and change run lanes. He strings together cuts in the open field. He is one of the most elusive runners on tape with an innate ability to generate forced missed tackles. He catches the ball well in space and can create yards after the catch.
Monangai is a willing participant in pass protection. His efficiency is hit or miss. He doesn’t sustain blocks consistently and struggles to stonewall free runners with downhill momentum. Improving this aspect of his game will ensure third-down snaps at the next level. Rutgers doesn’t factor Monangai in the passing offense. He looks functional at worst in limited touches, but more opportunities are needed to paint a clear picture.
Monangai will probably lose snaps on short yardage and red zone situations to a bigger RB at the next level. He went five games straight without a touchdown. Cashing in on red zone opportunities and running hard between the tackles will be a key development in 2024.
Monangai projects as a dynamic and productive zone running back at the next level. He has the skill set to be a heavy all-purpose or yards-from-scrimmage RB. Monangai will be a nice target for teams that do not value the position early in the draft. At worst, he will be a nice RB2 in the NFL.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Michigan (2023), Michigan State (2023), Miami (2023), Ohio State (2023)
