PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Sometimes a bit forgotten in the Rutgers football quarterback talk, Evan Simon is coming off a spring where the entire offense went through a significant transition.
Hired by Rutgers football in January, Kirk Ciarrocca is the program’s new offensive coordinator. He brings deep Power Five experience and a proven track record of quarterback development.
Last season as a redshirt sophomore, Simon took a step forward in his development despite an offense that was poor at times. He finished last year 79-for-137 for 777 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
This offense from Ciarrocca could be a good fit for Simon, who makes smart, accurate passes and is decisive in the pocket.
“I do think it’s a great fit – coach Ciarrocca brings a lot of things to the table that I think I’m equipped with,” Simon told Rutgers Wire after the spring game. “It’s been a great spring.”
This was a spring where Simon said he has grown and developed. The spring game, given the wet and windy conditions, may not have been the best showcase for his maturation.
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But, Simon belives that even within just a few weeks with Ciarrocca, he has already matured as a quarterback.
“I think one of the things I really think was made important for me was seeing a defense – you know, being able to identify where pressures are coming from, what coverage is coming,” Ciarrocca said.
“I learned a lot this spring and coach Ciarrocca was big on helping with identifying what we’re seeing.”
In the ‘Scarlet-White Game’ on April 19, Simon was 4-of-5 for 19 yards. He had the highest completion percentage of any quarterback in the game.
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