Tag: mike teel

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.”

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.

Former Rutgers QB Mike Teal reflects on his experiences with Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll

Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel reacts to the firings of Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll.

In the past 48 hours, the NFL world has seen two legendary runs come to an end. On Wednesday, the Seattle Seahawks parted ways with Pete Carroll as their head coach. On Thursday morning, Bill Belichick and the Patriots decided to part ways after a 24-year run that included six championships and an era of dominance never seen before.

As both franchises prepare for a new chapter, former and current players have taken to social media to share their appreciation for the two icons. That includes former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teal, who played for both during his two years in the NFL.

In a post on his X account, Teal said, ” I got to be in locker rooms and meetings with Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll. There was a reason why they have been two of the best in the ever changing NFL year after year. Leaders of men in their own ways. Sacrifice to the betterment of the team wins. Congrats on great runs.”

 

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While Carroll and Belichick need no introduction, Teal was able to cross paths with two men who have etched themselves into the record books. During Carroll’s tenure, he became the winningest coach in Seahawks history. In 2014, he led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title.

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During his time in New England, Belichick became one of the greatest NFL coaches the game has ever seen. With Belichick at the helm, the Patriots won 308 games, including the postseason. From 2001 to 2019, the Patriots won 17 of 19 AFC East titles, including an NFL record of 11 consecutive division crowns.

While Belichick is now searching for a new team, Carroll’s run in Seattle is not over. His role will change from head coach to advisor. However, their impact goes beyond the stat sheet, and as Teal said in his Twitter post, they are two of the best the NFL has ever seen.

Former Rutgers football quarterback Mike Teel wants fans to show up for No. 1 Ohio State

Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel wants fans to show up on Saturday.

The top team in the nation, Ohio State, is coming to Rutgers on Saturday. And former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel wants there to be a home-field advantage at SHI Stadium.

On Tuesday night, Teel tweeted about the need for Rutgers fans to turn out for the game and support their team. Rutgers (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) hosts Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) on Saturday at 12:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

His tweet came just moments after Ohio State was named the No. 1 team in the nation in the College Football Playoff rankings. If it wasn’t already, this becomes a measuring stick game for Rutgers, given that Ohio State is now the standard nationally in the CFP rankings.

Rutgers staying competitive and playing well would be a big testament to this program’s growth under head coach [autotag]Greg Schiano[/autotag].

 

Ohio State is a program that historically travels very well. Being placed atop the CFP rankings will only encourage alumni in New Jersey and New York to come out and support the Buckeyes.

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Rutgers is bowl-eligible following a win two weeks ago at Indiana. The Scarlet Knights have not been bowl-eligible since 2014.

Rutgers is also chasing its first winning season since 2014, a year that was their first in the Big Ten.

How good has Kyle Monangai been for Rutgers football this year?

Rutgers football running back Kyle Monangai has played a big role in the Rutgers offense.

Kyle Monangai has turned himself not only into the starting running back at Rutgers but also into one of the top running backs in the Big Ten. Not too shabby for a player who had just two Power Five offers coming out of high school.

And consider that former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel knows a thing or two about running backs. At Rutgers, he lined up next to Brian Leonard and Ray Rice, arguably the best two running backs in program history.

Through eight games this season, Monangai has 744 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He is one of the top rushers in the Big Ten in 2023.

“He’s been the catalyst to make things go so far this year and the success of the Rutgers offense is based on the success that he has running the ball,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.

The development of Monangai into an elite running back has been crucial for Rutgers, who are 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten) and are off to their best start since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

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Last week, Rutgers became bowl-eligible with a 31-14 win at Indiana.

Monangai rushed for 109 yards on 24 carries.

The week before in a win over Michigan State, Monangai had nine rushes for 55 yards as Rutgers methodically killed the game.

Rutgers took possession of the ball up 27-24 with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter. They ran Monangai till the clock ran out.

What is impressive about Monangai is that despite playing for a powerhouse program at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Monangai was lightly recruited. Cal and Rutgers were his only offers, and Rutgers came in late in the process.

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Ironically, Rutgers offered Monangai just days after head coach Greg Schiano accepted the job in 2019.

“Kyle continues to prove people wrong. He has really done a great job of becoming an every-down back,” Teel said.

“You can see the improvements in the weight room translate to the field this year. You have seen Kyle run away from some people, which didn’t happen last year.”

 

Mike Teel: You can see Kirk Ciarrocca’s impact on the Rutgers offense and Gavin Wimsatt

Mike Teel sees significant improvement from the Rutgers offense this season.

It is a season for Rutgers football that not many on the outside envisioned. But with bowl eligibility clinched, it is obvious that Rutgers is obviously building and trending in the right direction.

And count Mike Teel among those who see the maturation and development of the program, in particular on the offensive side of the ball.

A season ago, Rutgers was squarely bottom two in the Big Ten in nearly every significant offensive category. Now, Rutgers is middle of the pack in those same categories.

And a 6-2 start to the season is a testament to offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca’s work on the offensive side of the ball. A unit that remains largely unchanged from a year ago in terms of personnel has looked very much changed in becoming a competent and functioning group.

“Rutgers has been able to play complementary football so far this year. As far as the offense goes, I think that they’ve made huge strides from where they were last year,” Teel told Rutgers Wire this week.

“They obviously still have a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, they have an identity. They are going to run the football. Teams have filled the box to stop the run, but they stick to it and have eventually worn teams down. The passing game is a work in progress. There have been some bright spots and as a lot of these young players continue to play, I think it’ll only get better.”

Teel now serves as a radio analyst for Rutgers football. He certainly knows a thing or two about what a good offense looks like at Rutgers.

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The best quarterback in the history of the program, Teel was the quarterback of a Scarlet Knights offense in 2007 that featured dual 1,000-yard wide receivers in Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood.

During that season, Teel completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,147 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

As for this current quarterback, Gavin Wimsatt has steadily grown and progressed.

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The Rutgers quarterback is completing 50.2 percent of his passes and has seven touchdowns. Both are on pace for career-bests.

He only has four interceptions on the season after seven last year (and just five touchdowns). He has 362 rushing yards, nearly triple his first two years combined.

And Wimsatt’s seven rushing touchdowns account for all the rushing touchdowns of his college career. Impressive uptick from Wimsatt this season to say the least.

“He obviously has a game plan in his mind and for the most part has taken care of the football. He’s done a nice job of when to either throw it away or tuck it and run it,” Teel said.

“At times, it looks like the game is moving really fast for him and then other times, it looks like it’s slowed down. That’s kind of expected from any young player. The influence of Kirk is obvious though and he’s definitely made strides to be a better player this year.”

Mike Teel reacts to Gavin Wimsatt being named the Rutgers football starting quarterback

Former Rutgers football quarterback Mike Teel reacts to Gavin Wimsatt being named the starting quarterback.

Last week, Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano announced that Gavin Wimsatt will go into training camp as the starting quarterback. It was a big announcement from Schiano, ushered in by an endorsement of the quarterback’s growth this offseason.

Considering that Schiano didn’t announce his starting quarterback until hours before the season opener at Boston College, this was a big move from Schiano.

Wimsatt is coming off a 2022 season where he struggled with injuries, but he showed some flashes including in a tight loss at Michigan State. All the tools are there for Wimsatt to be a Big Ten-caliber quarterback, and this was an offseason where he seemed to take another step forward in his development.

It is a sign that under new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, Wimsatt has found some solid footing at Rutgers.

Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel believes that the move from Schiano to make this announcement prior to training camp is the right call.

“I wasn’t surprised. We have heard all spring that Gavin has made considerable strides. I think having Kirk in the quarterback room has been important for all the quarterbacks on the roster,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.

“More than anything for Gavin and Evan (Simon) for that matter, they know their roles. Obviously that can always change, but I think when your role is defined you don’t have to worry about the uncertainty of the unknown.”

The most accomplished and successful quarterback in program history, Teel was the quarterback of a Scarlet Knights offense that, in 2007, featured dual 1,000 yard wide receivers in Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood.

That season was likely the most prolific offense in Rutgers history. Teel completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,147 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Unlike the last offseason, Rutgers now goes in completely settled under center. Wimsatt, who has a lot of physical tools, seems to have taken the next important step in his ability to run an offense.

Ciarrocca’s maturity and experience likely plays some factor in this. But it is easy to forget that just two years ago, Wimsatt arrived on campus in September not yet an 18-year-old.

And here he is now, set for a second season opener as the Rutgers football starting quarterback. It is a message that Teel says is also sent to the rest of the roster.

“I think the same goes for the team in this instance. They know that Gavin is the guy and they are able to rally around him,” Teel said.

“There is no doubt who the guy is moving forward so all the noise can be blocked out and they can focus on getting ready for Northwestern (on) Labor Day weekend.”

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