Rutgers' quarterback room is going to be a little more competitive in 2024. Just a few days after securing a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Miami to finish 7-6, the Scarlet Knights landed a transfer portal pledge from former Minnesota starter Athan Kaliakmanis.
"Thank you Coach (Greg) Schiano and Coach (Kirk) Ciarrocca for the opportunity," Kaliakmanis wrote on X. "Let's Chop."
It was a bit surprising that Kaliakmanis committed to Rutgers, which returns Gavin Wimsatt. He started all 13 games for the Scarlet Knights, leading the team to a 7-6 record.
Kaliakmanis started all 12 regular season games for the Golden Gophers in 2023, finishing with a 5-7 record. He entered the transfer portal prior to the team's Quick Lane Bowl appearance.
It creates an interesting quarterback competition entering the offseason, providing Rutgers with two quality options at the most important position. However, both Wimsatt and Kaliakmanis need to show improvement in the passing attack.
Wimsatt concluded the 2023 season throwing for 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed less than 48% of his passes. The quarterback did find success on the ground, rushing for 497 yards and reaching the end zone 11 times.
The numbers for Kaliakmanis weren't that much better. At Minnesota, he threw for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He accounted for just two rushing scores this past year.
Rutgers isn't going to steer away from its ground-and-pound mindset, especially with Kyle Monangai returning in 2024. But by adding Kaliakmanis, it's pretty clear Schiano wants to find a way to improve through the air.
Since Schiano's return in 2020, it's been the biggest hindrance for the program.
It creates an intriguing scenario in the offseason. Does Rutgers plan to utilize just one guy under center? Will there be a two-quarterback system? Or does Kaliakmanis' arrival create better competition in the offseason for Wimsatt, ultimately leading to a better passing attack in 2024?
We're only in January, but we've already got some big offseason questions for Rutgers heading into 2024.
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