Smart, instinctive and versatile, Brandon Renkert might be ready to blossom in the NFL. Recruited as a quarterback, his grasp of the playbook led to the coaching staff experimenting with him as a wide receiver and strong safety before converting him into a strong-side linebacker.

That move earned Renkart a starting job the last two seasons, where he generated six quarterback sacks, 18 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 10 pressures over the last two years. In addition to his performance on the field, he also excelled in the classroom, where he was a finalist for the prestigious Draddy Trophy, college football's version of the academic Heisman Trophy.

Renkart earned third-team All-County honors at Piscataway High School, where he competed at quarterback, leading the team to a 12-0 record and the Group IV State title as a senior. The three-year varsity letter-winner on the gridiron also lettered twice in baseball and added two more letters in basketball.

On the baseball diamond, Renkart received first-team All-Area and second-team All-County honors during his final season. He was named the school's Scholar-Athlete and earned the Edward J. Bloustein Scholarship. He was also a member of the National Honor

Society.

Renkart's first three seasons at Rutgers resulted in minimal playing time, as he redshirted as a quarterback in 2003 and shifted to receiver in 2004, where he appeared briefly in four games on special teams, but did not produce any statistics. He then moved to strong safety, coming up with two tackles, a pass deflection and an interception in 12 games as a reserve strong safety.

Renkart continued to shift positions, finally settling down at strong-side linebacker as a junior. In 13 starts, he ranked sixth on the team with 54 tackles (25 solo), including 3 ½ sacks, 11 ½ stops for losses and two pressures. He caused one fumble and recovered three others, including one in the end zone for a touchdown.

Renkart garnered second-team All-Big East Conference honors as a senior. He finished fourth on the team with 67 tackles (22 solo), posted 2 ½ sacks, 6 ½ stops behind the line of scrimmage and eight pressures. He caused one fumble, recovered two others and broke up three passes. He also came up with an interception.

Positives: Has good muscle mass in his arms and legs with room on his frame to carry another ten pounds of bulk … High-effort type who might lack experience, but considering all of his position changes, he has done a good job of grasping the concept of playing in a Cover-2 scheme … Highly intelligent player who will have no problems grasping the playbook … Best making tackles on the move, he does a good job of slipping past and avoiding blockers to make big plays in the backfield … Shows a sudden burst coming off the edge to make plays in backside pursuit … Called by the coaching staff the hardest worker on the team … Made strides in his rehabilitation from shoulder woes after his junior year … Also showed marked improvement in 2007 with his ability to recognize blocking schemes … Competitive and aggressive player who shows no hesitation taking on bigger blockers to step up and fill the lanes vs. the run … Showed better field awareness as a senior, and was effective moving fluidly towards the perimeter to neutralize outside run plays … Has the hand quickness and power to jolt and reroute tight ends on the short-area routes … Has very good cut-off speed to push the outside running game back inside and is good at moving through traffic … Bounces back quickly when knocked down and with his shoulder woes behind him, demonstrated better tackling strength to rock ballcarriers back upon contact as a senior … Shows effective depth in his pass drops, making proper switch-offs in his area … Has soft hands to secure the ball … Has the sudden burst off the snap to sneak past an offensive tackle in attempts to collapse the pocket coming off the edge … Displays the body control needed to make open-field tackles … Has the foot speed and balance in his turns to stay with receivers in the short area … His natural athletic ability compensates for a lack of technique and experience … Roams the field like a defensive back, utilizing his quickness to always be around the ball (five fumble recoveries) … Plays with a good feel for angles to shorten his path and knife through traffic to flush the quarterback out of the pocket … Has become effective on stunts and blitzing from the edge and is also good at hitting the stunts at full speed from the inside … Uses his hands well to keep blockers away from his chest (made big strides in this area, as he had struggled mightily to shed).

Negatives: Gained valuable experience the last two years but still a work in progress due to a lack of overall experience … Has good upper-body strength, but is a bit top-heavy (adequate ankle and calf definition) … Seemed fully recovered in 2007, but has had a history of shoulder problems … Has very good timed and straight-line speed, but looks a bit stiff shifting his weight and attempting to flip his hips playing in space … Has a better grasp for recognizing blocking schemes, but is doesn't have a natural feel and will bite on misdirection … Has just adequate size for the strong-side position and his good speed and lack of bulk might be a better fit for a Cover-2 scheme on the weak side … Good tackler, but most came from chasing from behind (needs to do a better job of getting into position to make plays in front of him) … Has a good hand punch to redirect, but must keep his hands active because he struggles to shed when working at the Xs … Still working on his wrap-up technique, as he will "ankle bite" or take a side more often than get into position, leading to more than a fair share of missed open-field tackles.

Compares To: LEROY HILL-Seattle … Rempart is an impressive-looking athlete, even if he is a bit undersized. He is still a work in progress and must develop a better grasp for recognizing blocking schemes and reading pass routes, but he continues to improve with playing time. He will probably be drafted late, based on his athletic skills alone. You put him in one position, especially on the weak-side in a Cover-2 scheme, get him patient coaching and he becomes a find for minimal payout.

2004: Underwent surgery in May to have bone spurs removed from his left ankle.

2005: Underwent arthroscopic surgery in May after spraining his left shoulder AC joint in April camp.

2006: Suffered a right shoulder AC joint sprain early in September, but did not have surgery to repair it until after the season.

2007: Left the Navy game (9/07) with a knee contusion.

Campus: 4.59 in the 40-yard dash … 1.57 10-yard dash … 2.65 20-yard dash … 4.1 20-yard shuttle … 11.48 60-yard shuttle … 6.73 three-cone drill … 36-inch vertical jump … 10'1" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times … 365-pound bench press … 500-pound squat … 314-pound power clean … 32 7/8-inch arm length … 9 5/8-inch hands.

Attended Piscataway (N.J.) High School, playing for head coach Joseph Kurongi … Earned third-team All-County honors, as he competed at quarterback, leading the team to a 12-0 record and the Group IV State title as a senior … The three-year varsity letterwinner on the gridiron also lettered twice in baseball and added two more letters in basketball … On the baseball diamond, Renkart received first-team All-Area and second-team All-County honors during his final season … Named the school's Scholar-Athlete and earned the Edward J. Bloustein Scholarship … Member of the National Honor Society.

Civil Engineering major, earning school, conference and national academic honors with a 3.71 grade point average … Born 12/29/84 … Resides in Piscataway, New Jersey.