Less than two weeks after leaving Rutgers, Savon Huggins has found a new campus to finish his playing career.
On Instagram, Huggins confirmed that he has transferred to Northern Iowa. Because he is a graduate transfer, Huggins would’ve been eligible immediately at an FBS football program, but decided instead to use his last season of eligibility at the FCS level.
“Now it’s time to start the next chapter of my life #comebackseason #2015,” the running back wrote in his post.
In an interview with nj.com, Huggins expounded on his decision.
“Northern Iowa is the best fit for me, the best opportunity,” the player said. “It’s a great atmosphere. The campus is really small. I don’t need it to be too big. The (master’s) program that I’m looking for, they have. Everything just fell right into place. I get to play with two of my high school teammates too, so everything just fell in line. It was the best thing for me. ...
“The stadium (the UNI-Dome) is beautiful. It’s actually an indoor stadium. The facilities are just like any other Division 1 program. They’ve got state-of-the-art stuff. They’ve got everything. I was very impressed. It was better than I thought it would be. I just fell in love with it. I was like, ‘This is where I can see myself playing and this is where I’m going to be.’”
Northern Iowa finished the 2014 season 9-5, losing to Illinois State in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Huggins was a four-star member of RU’s 2011 recruiting class, rated as the No. 7 running back in the country and the No. 1 player at any position in the state of New Jersey. Other recruiting services, such as Scout.com, had Huggins as a five-star prospect.
Thanks in part to injuries, Huggins finished his Scarlet Knights career with 842 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 261 carries. His best season came in 2012 as he rushed for 410 yards as a sophomore.
An injury forced him to take a redshirt this season.