On Thursday, Aug. 20, former Rutgers wide receiver Hunter Hayek announced his commitment to Stony Brook Football as a graduate transfer. Hayek played 27 games for the Scarlet Knights, recording 11 receptions for 79 yards over three seasons. As a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transfer, Hayek will be immediately eligible for the Seawolves.
“Upon graduating from Rutgers University this Fall, I will be finishing out my collegiate career at Stony Brook University! Excited to embark on this new journey,” Hayek said on Twitter.
Hayek entered the transfer portal on Jan. 24, becoming the sixth wide receiver to leave the Rutgers program after 2019. Hailing from Wayne Hills High School, he was a two-star recruit who was ranked as the 52nd-best overall recruit from New Jersey by 247Sports.
During his 2017 freshman season, Hayek played in all 12 games and started two at wide receiver, with his first collegiate start during Rutgers’ Big Ten conference opener at Nebraska, where he caught three receptions for 32 yards. Hayek played another 11 games in his sophomore season in 2018, recording three receptions for 17 yards. In 2019, he played in only four games and was used as a kickoff returner.
The addition of Hayek gives redshirt-senior quarterback Tyquell Fields another weapon to throw to since wideouts Nick Anderson, Andrew Trent and Jean Constant graduated. The trio combined for 77 receptions and 1,455 yards in the 2019 season; Fields threw for 1,957 total yards.
Stony Brook has worked to plug in holes at wide receivers by landing transfers in the position. Khalil Newton, a redshirt-junior wide receiver who spent the last three seasons at Ball State, is immediately eligible as an FBS transfer and led the Cardinals in 2017 with 15.3 yards per reception.
Malik Love, a graduate wide receiver who transferred from fellow Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) school New Hampshire, also looks to be a useful piece for the Seawolves. He was the Wildcats’ leading receiver in 2019 with 542 yards and also turned in a 733-yard season as a sophomore in 2018.
These additions will look to replenish the receiving corps of a strong Stony Brook offense that finished fourth in the CAA last season with 418.9 yards per game. However, through the air, the Seawolves finished eighth in the conference, averaging just 217.8 passing yards per game.
