Tag: Athan Kaliakmanis

Greg Schiano says Athan Kaliakmanis won the Rutgers starting job due ‘to his accuracy’

Greg Schiano on why Athan Kaliakmanis won the starting job at Rutgers.

BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY — The decision to name [autotag]Athan Kaliakmanis[/autotag] the starting quarterback following spring football was born from what Rutgers football head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] said was a tough competition.

But it was a competition where Schiano said that Kaliakmanis showed differentiation in his accuracy. It was this attribute that saw the transfer from Minnesota win the starting job at Rutgers outright.

In winning the starting job, Kaliakmanis supplanted incumbent starter Gavin Wimsatt. A former four-star quarterback recruit, Wimsatt led Rutgers to a 7-6 record and a bowl win for the first time since 2014.

He completed 47.1 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Rutgers head coach spoke prior to the start of his ‘Greg Schiano Charity Golf Classic.’

“Athan won the job this spring. And it was very, very good competition. I was really pleased because the quarterback room supported each other throughout the entire competition and that’s what I would expect,” Schiano said on Monday.

“But you know what – when you get into those things, it can get dicey. These guys…they were great together, they supported each other. Athan clearly won the job.

“So that’s why we announced when we did—also wanted to make sure that whoever didn’t win it, in this day of modern college football with the transfer portal that they had a chance if they wanted to look (around). I think that’s the wave of the future. And I think if if your team knows that you’re definitely there to win and make sure they get their degree but you also want to try to help them individually in their pursuit.

“I was hopeful that Gavin might stick around but I understand why he left and wish him only but the best because he’s a special kid and a special family.”

Last season for Minnesota, Kaliakmanis completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,831 yards. He had 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

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When asked what separated Kaliamkanis from Wimsatt, the answer from Schiano was pretty clear.

“I think his accuracy, Schiano said. “I mean, it’s, it was pretty substantial the difference.”

Athan Kaliakmanis preparing to lead Rutgers offense

Athan Kaliakmanis has the skillset to help Rutgers football this season.

When Rutgers football opens its season against Howard on August 31, there will be a new quarterback under center in Athan Kaliakmanis. The former Minnesota starting quarterback was named the starter after his performance this spring on May 1.

In his first season as the starter in Piscataway, Kaliakmanis will be looking to help Rutgers take the next step following a winning season last year that was capped off by a bowl win. Kaliakmanis joined Rutgers out of the transfer portal during the offseason.

The Scarlet Knights beat Miami last year in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl to finish the year 7-6.

During his career as a Golden Gopher, he recorded 17 touchdown passes and 2,784 passing yards. The talented sophomore only threw 13 interceptions and was a threat at times on the ground, rushing for 234 yards. While Kaliakmanis is still adjusting to a new team, he has had a familiar face to lean on in offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who recruited him to Minnesota as a three-star high school prospect and coached him in 2021.

Although Rutgers took some steps forward last year, they struggled in the passing game. That is where Kaliakmanis is expected to provide he biggest upgrade. During the 2024 campaign, he posted a 53.1 completion percentage. Rutgers ranked last in the Big Ten last season with a 48.3 percent completion rate.

Brotherly Love ‼️

Athan Kaliakmanis hits Dino Kaliakmanis for the touchdown! pic.twitter.com/MW2btjeJRI

— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) April 27, 2024

In Rutgers’ spring game, Kaliakmanis’ accuracy was on display. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards, including a 42-year touchdown pass to Naseim Brantley. His performance was a preview of what Rutgers hopes to see when the regular season begins.

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While Kaliakmanis’s last few months have been full of change, he has already built trust with his new coaches, such as Greg Schiano.

“You know, the portal can be a scary place,” Kaliakmanis said in March. “I was very fortunate that a lot of schools (were) interested but very thankful that coach Ciarrocca and coach Schiano (head coach Greg Schiano) were interested in me. But yeah, I mean, our relationship is very, very tight -it was at Minnesota. And just picking his brain, I think he’s a very, very smart coordinator. He’s very intelligent, and I trust him.”

 

Who does Mike Teel think has the inside track to be the Rutgers backup quarterback?

Mike Teel chimes in on the Rutgers football backup quarterback competition.

With Rutgers football having named Athan Kaliakmanis as the starting quarterback two weeks ago, one of the most interesting depth chart competitions is settled.

But the battle for the backup role behind Kaliakmanis is a potentially fascinating one, featuring rising sophomore Ajani Sheppard and true freshman A.J. Surace. Gavin Wimsatt, the starting quarterback for Rutgers last year, entered the transfer portal and committed to Kentucky last week.

Sheppard, who enrolled at Rutgers last spring, is the only other quarterback on the roster (other than Kaliakmanis) with college snaps on his resume. Surace, a former three-star recruit, enrolled at Rutgers in January.

For former quarterback [autotag]Mike Teel[/autotag], the decision to name Kaliakmanis the starter following spring practice sends a message about the quality of the depth in the quarterback room.

“You always want that for every position, especially when you’re playing in the Big Ten. Guys get beat up, guys. you got to go in for play. So it’ll be interesting,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.

“I think two things are there for them to be confident in – the fact that they are going to name a starter, number one – I think you’re confident in that decision. But I think that they’re also confident in the development of that room in general.”

Teel is the all-time leading passer in Rutgers football history. He was a sixth round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2009 NFL draft.

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Last season as a true freshman, Sheppard played in the win over Wagner. He was 2-of-2 for 23 yards in that lone appearance last year.

In the spring game, Sheppard was five-of-nine for 63 yards.

“Ajani – I think when he had a very brief opportunity in one of the games last year – he came in very well and I thought he operated things very well for being a freshman who probably didn’t get many reps that week prior to the game,” Teel said.

“I’m sure he’s gotten better as he’s been in the program. And I’m sure he developed in the program so I’m sure that they feel comfortable with him. And then when you have a real highly recruited young kid like (A.J.) Surace in the race – you want him to be able to come in.

“I’m sure it’ll be an open competition, but I’d be shocked if Ajani doesn’t win it as a backup because I was impressed with him. He’s been in the program for a little while now. And there’s some familiarity with the system. But again, competition breeds the best and that’s what you want. You want competition across the board.”

Former Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt commits to Kentucky in the transfer portal

Gavin Wimsatt is heading from Rutgers to Kentucky.

Former Rutgers football quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has committed to Kentucky, ending his brief entry into the transfer portal.

Wimsatt, who visited Kentucky over the weekend, is a former r four-star quarterback who joined Rutgers in September of 2021. Originally from Owensboro, Kentucky, Wimsatt entered the transfer portal last week after [autotag]Athan Kaliakmanis[/autotag] was named the starter at Rutgers.

Last year, he was the starting quarterback as Rutgers finished the season 7-6 (3-6 Big Ten) and won the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl over Miami. In that game, Wimsatt was 7-of-15 for 84 yards and also added two rushing touchdowns.

On the season, Wimsatt showed some moderate growth from 2022. He threw for 1,735 yards, completing 47.8 percent of his passes. His nine touchdowns and eight interceptions marked the first time in his collegiate career he had more touchdowns than interceptions.

Wimsatt posted his commitment to Kentucky on social media on Tuesday afternoon:

 

Perhaps the biggest area of growth for Wimsatt last year was his athleticism.

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Last year he posted a career-high 497 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns

How does Athan Kaliakmanis make the Rutgers football more balanced?

Rutgers football is better positioned to throw the ball in 2024.

With the announcement that Athan Kaliakmanis is the new starting quarterback at Rutgers football, the offense is invariably going to look different this fall. For former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel, this change might work to benefit the pieces that have been brought in to augment this offense via the transfer portal.

With Rutgers now able to insert [autotag]Nyseim Brantley[/autotag] and [autotag]Dymere Miller[/autotag] via the transfer portal at the wide receiver position, there is certainly some potential for the offense to be more prolific in the passing game. Last year, the offense was improved for Rutgers but the passing game still struggled in the Big Ten.

And Teel believes that Kaliakmanis, who beat out Gavin Wimsatt this spring to become the starting quarterback, has the skill set to maximize these talented wide receivers.

Last year, Wimsatt had the fourth-lowest quarterback rating in the nation. Kaliakmanis was eight spots higher but is considered the better pure pocket passer.

But with Brantley and Miller, the potential is there for Kaliakmanis to progress the offense.

“I think as time goes on down there and they continue to get better and better players – coach Schaino was showing that,his first go around as time went on better, better players came and the second go around better and better players are starting to come as as time goes on,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.

“So you look at your personnel every year. Truthfully, they really look at it every week because things change during the course of the season. To your point you have some weapons and you understand that. To get to that next level in the Big Ten, you’re not Iowa where you’re just going to pound the ball for fifty times a game. You’re still developing a program and developing an offensive line and unit stuff like that.”

Teel, the all-time leading passer in Rutgers program history, believes that is where Kaliakmanis can help balance the offense in a way that the Scarlet Knights have been unable to do effectively for almost a decade.

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“So you now have the ability to throw the football and open things up a little bit for the run game and you want to take advantage of that, you want to be able to take advantage of your personnel on the outside,” Teel said.

“You have the best running back coming back in the Big Ten. So I think you look at it from a holistic standpoint, how do I get the best players on the field? And how do you get the best players on the ball? You have two or three receivers that are two or three of the best players on the offense and you have to find a way to get those guys the ball.”

How does Athan Kaliakmanis (as the starting quarterback) change the Rutgers football offense?

Rutgers football quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is the new starting quarterback, and Mike Teel believes the offense is likely to change.

With the naming of Athan Kaliakmanis as the starting quarterback, the Rutgers football offense is certainly set to change. And with that, former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel believes that the change will be tailored to their new quarterback’s skillset.

Kaliakmanis, a multi-year starter in the Big Ten, is certainly not lacking for Power Five experience. And there was and is a belief around the Hale Center that he had a significantly better spring than any other quarterback on the Rutgers roster.

So the former Minnesota quarterback takes over an offense brimming with potential and will be protected by a veteran offensive line. All of this means that there is a chance that the Rutgers offense can take the next step in what will be their second season under offensive coordinator [autotag]Kirk Ciarrocca[/autotag].

And Kaliakmanis, who was recruited and coach by Ciarrocca to Minnesota, knows this system well.

This leads Teel, a legend of the Rutgers program, to believe that the offense with Kaliakmanis taking the snaps is likely to look different than the past two years under [autotag]Gavin Wimsatt[/autotag].

“I think you call plays, you draw ups plays and you scheme up plays as an offensive coordinator to benefit your personnel,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.

“Rutgers has the best running back in the Big Ten returning, Kyle Monangai He’s supposed to run the football right?  It’s always great when a quarterback can run the ball because it adds that extra number to the run game that the defense has to account for and I think there were times when Gavin did a great job of adding that extra dimension to the offense last year.

“But at the end of the day, I think if you can use the pass game, meaning the quick game, to supplement some of those quarterback runs whether it’s through RPOs or whether it’s through that three-step concept -the hitches, the slants, the quick outs…you have an off corner to the boundary throw…the quick hitch…right now I think you’ll see a lot more of those type plays to offset the quarterback run.”

Wimsatt entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.

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Teel is the all-time leading passer in Rutgers football history. He currently works as an analyst on Rutgers football broadcasts.

In the spring game, Kaliakmanis was more athletic than advertised, showing the ability to move around in the pocket and carry the ball downfield. But he is first and foremost a pocket quarterback who has a quick release as well as the ability to make plays down the field.

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That, Teel believes, is likely to be an asset in balancing this offense.

“So at the end of the day, if teams are going to stack the box, going to put nine guys, eight guys in the box – I think you have to make them pay,” Teel said.

“You can do that by throwing the ball and using the quick game which is what I think they will try to do as the season comes.”

 

Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel believes Greg Schiano did right by Gavin Wimsatt

Mike Teel talks about the quarterback competition at Rutgers.

Wednesday’s announcement of Athan Kaliakmanis as the starting quarterback for Rutgers football certainly surprised Mike Teel. The all-time leading passer in Rutgers football history, Teel was not expecting a decision to come so soon in the quarterback competition.

But at the end of the day, Teel said that the decision by Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] to announce a starter now did right by not just his team but also Gavin Wimsatt.

Shortly after Kaliakmanis was named the starting quarterback, Wimsatt entered the transfer portal.

A multi-year starter at Rutgers, Wimsatt led Rutgers to a bowl win last season, something the program hadn’t done since 2014. The former four-star recruit took a big gamble when he joined Rutgers in 2021.

Wimsatt played through lots of pain during the 2022 season and always conducted himself with high character.

Teel, who played four years at Rutgers under Schiano, thinks that the head coach did right by his player.

“I was surprised with the timing. On the flip side, I think the timing of this is the most beneficial thing for all parties involved,” Teel told Rutgers Wire on Wednesday night.

“And it’s hard because when I was in school, it was so much less of a business on the player side. Right now, it is a business on the player side. And for Gavin, I think the fact that the coaching staff was able to make a decision and – unfortunately for Gavin it wasn’t going to be him. But it gives him the opportunity to get into the portal, to find another place to play and then find another place to make money.

“And I think coach Schiano did it the right way and I don’t know if there’s precedent on how it’s supposed to be done right now, but I think he did it the right way. It gives Gavin an opportunity to get in the portal. Hopefully, he gets to a team before training camp and has a chance to compete wherever ends up.”

The decision by Schiano to act in his player’s best interest, and not necessarily that of the team, is in stark contrast to some of the things taking place in Colorado this week with head coach Deion Sanders. Schiano very easily could have put up a facade of a quarterback competition through camp so that Wimsatt wouldn’t leave the team.

In this scenario, Wimsatt would have been boxed in due to the calendar and stayed with the program in the fall. It would have given Rutgers an experienced back-up quarterback but would have left WImsatt in a tough spot.

Last year, Wimsatt accounted for 20 total touchdowns and threw for 1,,735 yards.

The nod for Kaliakmanis is big for the team too.

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A transfer portal addition this offseason out of Minnesota, Kaliakmanis came to Rutgers because of the presence of offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Now in his second year at Rutgers, Ciarrocca had previously been at Minnesota.

It was there that he recruited and coached Kaliakmanis.

“For the team itself, I think it does answer any questions or any concerns that there might be,” Teel said.

“The decision was made. This is how we’re moving forward. And, you know, it’s a business decision that is in the best interests of the team and the offense, and that’s how they’re going to look at it. That’s how we’re going to move forward.”

The quarterback competition very easily could have dragged out until training camp but it was clear that Schiano and Ciarrocca saw something in Kaliakmanis that would make him their starter.

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In announcing the starter now, it affords Wimsatt the opportunity to enter the transfer portal now when there are more opportunities rather than in the summer when the choices would not be as ideal.

What Greg Schiano told the Big Ten Network on Tuesday about Rutgers football’s quarterbacks

Greg Schiano talked Rutgers football quarterback competition with the Big Ten Network.

There is change coming to Rutgers football, with Greg Schiano announcing Athan Kaliakmanis as the starting quarterback on Wednesday. Incumbent starter Gavin Wimsatt will enter the transfer portal, a source confirms.

Just a day prior to the news (which was broken by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday morning), Rutgers head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag] was asked about the state of his quarterback competition. Kaliakmanis and Wimsatt were engaged in a quarterback battle that appeared destined to drag out until the summer.

But on Wednesday, Kaliakmanis was named the starter heading into fall camp and Wimsatt, who has two years of eligibility left. Last season at Minnesota, Kaliakmanis completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,831 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He had previously played for Rutgers offensive coordinator [autotag]Kirk Ciarrocca[/autotag], who three years prior had recruited him to Minnesota.

In speaking on Tuesday to the Big Ten Network, Schiano perhaps foreshadowed the coming change in the quarterback room during his interview with Anthony Herron.

“Well, I think it starts with coach Ciarrocca,” Schiano told the Big Ten Network during an interview on Tuesday.

“You know, coach Ciarrocca recruited him and worked with him at Minnesota so we knew exactly what Athan is and what he was going to be able to do. His brother Dino (Kalaiakmanis) came with him, which he had a good spring as well. So I’m excited.

“You know, I think our quarterback room is as strong as it’s ever been in all my years as the head coach here at Rutgers. And I know that it’s a very fluid thing when you talk about college personnel, right? Because there is a transfer portal there is NIL, there’s all those things that make it that way. So what you do is you literally take it day by day you have a plan, but you got to be ready to adjust. And I feel really good about Athan and I feel good about Gavin and I feel good about our other two quarterbacks as well. You know, they’re doing a good job. So we have some depth at the position. But you know, you don’t know how long that lasts all the time.”

Wimsatt is coming off a third season at Rutgers where he completed 47.8 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 11 touchdowns.

 

Greg Schiano talks quarterback competition with the Big Ten Network

Athan Kaliakmanis and Gavin Wimsatt are the center of Greg Schiano’s interview with the Big Ten Network.

Greg Schiano is pleased with the depth he finally has throughout his Rutgers football roster. And for the head coach, that includes having the deepest quarterback room he has had across his two tenures with the Scarlet Knights.

On Tuesday, Schiano talked on the Big Ten Network with Anthony Herron, where he fielded two questions about the status of the quarterback competition at Rutgers.

Incumbent starter Gavin Wimsatt is facing something he did not encounter last year and that is a true, open quarterback competition during fall camp. Wimsatt was named the starting quarterback last June.

He struggled at times in Big Ten play but was effective enough to guide Rutgers to a bowl game (and a bowl win over Miami).

But Rutgers still sought to deepen the position, bringing in Athan Kaliakmanis in the transfer portal. Recruited to Minnesota by current Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, Kalaiakmanis has significant Big Ten experience.

Last season as a sophomore, Kaliakmanis completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,831 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

“Well, I think it starts with coach Ciarrocca,” Schiano told the Big Ten Network on Tuesday.

“You know, coach Ciarrocca recruited him and worked with him at Minnesota so we knew exactly what Athan is and what he was going to be able to do. His brother Dino (Kalaiakmanis) came with him, which he had a good spring as well. So I’m excited.

“You know, I think our quarterback room is as strong as it’s ever been in all my years as the head coach here at Rutgers. And I know that it’s a very fluid thing when you talk about college personnel, right? Because there is a transfer portal there is NIL, there’s all those things that make it that way. So what you do is you literally take it day by day you have a plan, but you got to be ready to adjust. And I feel really good about Athan and I feel good about Gavin and I feel good about our other two quarterbacks as well. You know, they’re doing a good job. So we have some depth at the position. But you know, you don’t know how long that lasts all the time.”

Wimsatt remains the most intriguing player of the two quarterbacks vying for the starting position at Rutgers. A former four-star recruit, his potential remains high although he needs to take a big step forward this fall.

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While he continued to struggle with accuracy as well as his reading of defenses, Wimsatt did show improvement in his third year with the team. Schiano said that “he’s made great strides.”

Wimsatt saw his completion percentage go up a tick last year while throwing more touchdowns than interceptions for the first time in his career.

And with his legs, he ran for 11 touchdowns, a not-insignificant part of his game.

“He’s grown his understanding of the game. He’s grown in his ability to use his mobility to his advantage,” Schiano said.

“I think coach Ciarrocca has done some good things that have allowed him to do that. So he’s been a weapon both with his legs and his arm. But most importantly, the growth he’s made as a quarterback is what excites me the most.”

What did Greg Schiano say about the Rutgers football quarterback competition?

Rutgers football’s quarterback competition will extend into the summer.

There is a quarterback competition for Rutgers football, and Saturday’s spring game made it a whole lot more interesting.

And the frontrunners in the starting quarterback competition, incumbent starter Gavin Wimsatt and transfer portal addition Athan Kaliakmanis, only underscored their differences in the spring game. Both players bring a unique skill set to the Rutgers football offense.

Wimsatt with his legs (five rushes for 68 yards and two rushing touchdowns) and Kaliakmanis with his arm (10-of-17 for 147 yards and two passing touchdowns) fully showed their differences in the game.

Last year, Wimsatt was named the starting quarterback by head coach Greg Schiano prior to the start of training camp. The decision itself wasn’t a surprise as Wimsatt was seen last spring and summer as the likely heir apparent.

But unlike last year, it looks like Schiano will let this quarterback competition play out a bit longer for Rutgers.

“There’s been different times, different things that we’ve heard for sure,” Schiano told reporters on Saturday following the conclusion of the spring game about the quarterback competition.

“I’m not going to get into it. You know, when I finally make the announcement who it is then we’ll know. But until then it’ll just be what it is – it’s competition. I like all four of our quarterbacks – I think they’re all in their own way improving. It’s just going to be a matter of making a decision of who gives us the best chance to win. The who and the when, I don’t know.”

This spring, it might well be Kaliakmanis who has the inside track on being named the starting quarterback.

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A transfer portal addition, Kaliakmanis played for and was recruited by Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca when the duo was previously at Minnesota.

Like Wimsatt, there is legitimate Big Ten starting experience on the resume of Kaliakmanis.

“I think Athan is blended very well. Now he has a head start in the fact that he knows our system. There’s some vocabulary things that were different but not extremely, that can be achieved in a month, couple of weeks really,” Ciarrocca said.

“But what he needed to do is get back on the same page with Kirk and learning exactly what Kurt wants done. You know, you can even call the play the same thing and you can draw it the same on paper.

“But coaching is those finer points, those anticipatory points, those things that get you ready to make the play – and I think Kirk is the best I’ve been around in teaching that. So to have Athan back in the room with the other quarterbacks was great. And you know he’s made progress in spring.”