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The addition of Gavin Wimsatt has been a bolt of enthusiasm for Rutgers football, the four-star quarterback surprising the college football world two weeks ago by playing his third high school game of the season and then enrolling at Rutgers that very same weekend.
Former Rutgers head coach Terry Shea, now a quarterback consultant, said that Wimsatt needs to continue to work on his accuracy and mechanics as well as tightening his spiral but he has some intriguing pieces to develop.
Shea was asked to watch highlights of Wimsatt this 2021 high school season as well as tape from his camp workout at ‘Elite 11.’ He sees a player who needs time to develop but has tools that translate well to the Big Ten.
“Gavin’s physical stature is a plus…ball speed is a plus,” Shea told ‘Rutgers Wire’ this week.
“Gavin displays a ‘second gear as he runs with the ball towards contact – exceptional. Willing to throw on the move going to his left speaks to his athleticism at the quarterback position.”
By graduating early, Wimsatt is getting a jump on his collegiate career. And while it is likely too soon for him to see the field in-game action let alone make an impact at quarterback, the time spent on the practice field, in the film room, and learning the playbook will help him next spring when he can seriously enter the quarterback competition.
Wimsatt was the top-ranked player in Kentucky for the class of 2022 and one of the highest-ranked dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation according to Rivals.com.
There was some talk when Wimsatt arrived at Rutgers that he could see some run this season and see snaps. Shea thinks that a season spent learning and improving will do wonders for the 18-year old quarterback instead of being thrown into live game action too soon.
“Needs practice reps and quarterback skill development/training to reduce certain raw mechanics which will lead to his development as a starting college quarterback,” Shea said. “A traditional redshirt year will afford Gavin this development.”
It is also important to consider that Wimsatt needs time in the weight room to compete effectively against his teammates in practice let alone the Big Ten defenders he will be facing regularly. Most of these players will have had multiple years of strength and conditioning at a college level.
Wimsatt has been working out in a college facility for just two weeks.
Shea was head coach at Rutgers for five seasons and very nearly turned the program around in 1998 when the Scarlet Knights went 5-6, losing to three ranked teams that season. He spent considerable time in the NFL as a coordinator and a quarterback coach after his time with the Scarlet Knights, recently training and mentoring several top quarterbacks such as Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, and Robert Griffin III among others.
He is the author of the book Eyes Up, a book about developing quarterbacks.