PISCATAWAY, N.J. — As it was this time a year ago, the development of the offense under quarterback Gavin Wimsatt remains one of the big issues of spring practice. So far, head coach Greg Schiano says, things are going progressing with Wimsatt.
The former four-star recruit is no longer the future of Rutgers football. He is, in fact, very much the present for this team.
Rutgers is looking to Wimsatt this spring to take over this offense and truly own it. Following flashes of growth and development this past fall, Wimsatt is expected to not just take another step forward but to begin taking ownership of the unit.
This is a crucial spring for Wimsatt, his second spring in the program. Ahead of what will be his third year with Rutgers football, the time is now for Wimsatt to begin piecing together his potential on the field.
“He’s developing. Like most young quarterbacks it is usually a couple steps forward, one step back and a couple steps forward and a step back,” head coach Greg Schiano said on Saturday following practice.
“So he’s learning. There’s a lot to learn. And our goal is, you know, can we eliminate making the same mistake twice? There’s plenty of new mistakes to make, let’s go make those and learn from those. But he’s getting better. He’s getting ready to go and more quickly, more decisively – more command of the offense, so it’s positive.”
Last season, Wimsatt struggled through some injuries during a season where he threw for 757 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
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In a tough 27-21 loss at Michigan State in mid-November, Wimsatt showed that promise and potential. Completing 20-of-34 passes for 236 yards, Wimsatt threw two touchdown passes and didn’t turn the ball over once.
That was the kind of performance that Wimsatt, who appeared in four games and was a redshirt in 2021, needed to showcase his ability to play in the Big Ten.
This spring represents a slew of challenges for Wimsatt, with none perhaps bigger than learning a new offense. This offseason, Schiano hired Kirk Ciarrocca to take over as the offensive coordinator.
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A veteran coach, Ciarrocca’s scheme is different than the one Wimsatt played in his first two years at Rutgers.
“I think they’re doing a good job with it. I do. I think one of the things is Kirk’s system and the coaches understand that system and they’re really coaching it well,” Schiano said.
“And I think the players are working really hard to understand it, not just memorize it. There’s a whole concept (of) learning (that) if you know the why, and you can kind of figure things out and work problems out on your own. If you memorize it, it’s got to be just what you memorized. So we’re really trying to get these guys to understand the why. Takes longer on the front end, but I believe pays dividends on the back.”
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