PISCATAWAY -- So many times these past three years, Jeremy Zuttah has pulled up from another successful run-blocking assignment on the Rutgers' offensive line and turned his eyes downfield.

The familiar sight of Ray Rice barreling deep into an opposition's secondary usually awaited him, and immediately, Zuttah felt another moment of satisfaction for a career spent opening holes for such a talented running back.

"It's an honor and a privilege to block for a player like Ray," Zuttah said after Rutgers practiced Tuesday, his sincere words offered without a hint of hyperbole. "He makes my life easy. We give him a crack and he's going to take it. And he plays with such emotion and joy. I'm not an NFL scout but I really haven't seen too many kids like him. He's just on another level."

Which is why, this time next year, Ray Rice should be playing his football on a different day, at a different level. The professional one.
SCARLET KNIGHTS NEWZER

Aditi Kinkhabwala blogs the buzz, the chatter, and the news from Rutgers Stadium and the RAC -- and everywhere in between.

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Rutgers fans should cheer for Ray Rice long and loud during Saturday's home finale against Pittsburgh, because a year from now, they might be sitting on their couches watching him on Sundays. Whether Ray Rice does well enough at the NFL combine to be a first-round draft pick or whether he falls into the second round, he has earned the right to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft. There's nothing more for him to prove in Piscataway, no more reason for him to subject his 5-foot-9, 200-pound body to 30-plus carries a game, no reason to stick around while three of his starting linemen graduate into the NFL.

"I would tell him what any college professor would tell a student who has a chance to go earn millions before finishing their degree," said Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey, who gave up his final year at Miami to become New York's first-round pick in 2002. "Go. Go to the NFL."

Shockey was sitting at his locker stall after a recent Giants practice when I asked him about Ray Rice, and he couldn't get the words out fast enough. Much as he loved his own college experience, joking that he intends to return to Miami's campus eventually as a modern-day Rodney Dangerfield of "Back to School" fame, Shockey has zero regrets about leaving early for the NFL.

With incredulity written across his face, Shockey said he couldn't believe a newspaper story he'd read recently in which Southern California junior linebacker Brian Cushing of Park Ridge declared his intention to return for a senior season because "the thing about the NFL is it's always going to be there."

"Is he kidding?" Shockey asked. "The NFL isn't waiting for anyone. One injury and that's it. They'll forget about you real fast."

In fairness, Cushing, the former Bergen Catholic star, has fought through injury this season and clearly wants to return and help USC erase the disappointment of this uncharacteristic two-loss season. But as much as Ray Rice might be disappointed this Rutgers season fell from the BCS-hopeful perch to a current 6-4 record and third straight bowl game best-case reality, he already has done his part in bringing the Scarlet Knights into perennial football respectability.

Standing in the tunnel at Rutgers Stadium after practice Tuesday, a subdued Ray Rice was visibly wary of talking about his personal future. He's too concerned with playing well Saturday for his seniors, particularly the three linemen who have paved his way the past three years -- Zuttah, Pedro Sosa and Mike Fladell. But one quick glance to the nearby end zone was reminder enough of what he's helped create.

"We have extra stands now," Ray Rice said, looking at Rutgers' temporary answer to eventual stadium expansion. "This program has come a long way. And it's going to continue to build."

But the time has come for Ray Rice to hand off the football, whether it be to Kordell Young with his surgically repaired knee, Mason Robinson with his blinding speed or incoming freshman Rashad White of Teaneck with his uber-confidence. Ray Rice owes Rutgers nothing. He's not going to get any bigger or faster by playing one more season, but he surely will get a lot more tackled. And with one recent NFL Players Association report putting the average career of an NFL running back at 2.3 years (the lowest among all position groups and well below the 3.2 overall average), why wouldn't Ray Rice want to start out as fresh and healthy as possible?

As one NFL executive put it recently, "Ray Rice should go before [coach Greg] Schiano gets him killed."

Ray Rice will never complain about averaging 29 carries a game this season, knowing his role in the center of the Scarlet Knights' offense has earned him plenty of praise, including this year's very-much-alive Heisman Trophy campaign. Rutgers' four losses likely make it impossible for Ray Rice to win the coveted trophy, but he is coming off a school-record 243 yards in last Friday's win against Army and his career average of 126.1 yards per game is the NCAA's best among active players.

And those numbers are but a small sampling of the record-breaking resume Ray Rice could bring into an NFL locker room next year. With a chance to represent his alma mater not only with exceptional skill on the field, but also for an engaging and thoughtful personality off it, it is time for Rutgers to let him go.