Rutgers Football Position Preview 2024: Athan Kaliakmanis prepares to lead quarterbacks

The Rutgers Football season kicks off on Thursday, August 29th at SHI Stadium against Howard. In anticipation of the season opener, we take a look at every position on the field for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers will get talent back on both ends of the field, but the most important addition came in the middle.

Position Coach: Kirk Ciarrocca

Important newcomers: Athan Kaliakmanis, AJ Surace

Main returnees: Ajani Sheppard

Main losses: Gavin Wimsatt

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What went well: Transfer Portal

To say the least, there wasn’t much to like about Rutgers’ quarterback play last season. Gavin Wimsatt ranked near the bottom of the nation in completion percentage and struggled to find consistency in throwing the ball. His legs were his strongest point, but his overall passing attack was nonexistent.

This led to Greg Schiano entering the transfer portal and signing Athan Kaliakmanis from Minnesota. Schiano named Kaliakmanis the team’s starting quarterback for 2024 following spring training. This allowed Wimsatt to enter the transfer portal and eventually land at Kentucky.

Yes, Schiano did well by naming Wimsatt a starter early so he could continue. At the same time, Kaliakmanis ran away with the job. If it had been a close battle, Schiano would have continued it in training camp.

Go out there and chop up the moment every day, Schiano said of his quarterback. I don't care about the results. The results usually come. As long as the process, the effort and the focus are right, it's going to take care of itself. I have confidence in Athan to do that. That's the kind of guy he is.

The quarterback room is an interesting, and potentially deep, one for Rutgers. Ideally, Rutgers won’t need to use that depth this season, as fans want to see Kaliakmanis healthy and performing. Behind him is Ajani Sheppard, who Schiano has been impressed with and has named a backup.

“Ajani is the backup quarterback and he's done a good job,” Schiano said after the second scrimmage. “He's getting better. Today was a great opportunity. He got to play 80 plays, he played a whole game. Any time you run away and don't lose the ball, it's a great day for the offense.”

AJ Surace also comes in as a freshman with a lot of promise. He had an incredible high school career in New Jersey and decided to stay home and play for the Scarlet Knights.

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Needs improvement: general attack passage

Kirk Ciarrocca couldn’t get the passing game going in his first year as offensive coordinator. There wasn’t much to work with in terms of wide receivers and Wimsatt struggled with intermediate passes. Now he’ll be reunited with Kaliakmanis and it brings hope that the passing attack can improve.

Kaliakmanis wasn’t exactly a star during his time in Minnesota. He completed 53.1% of his passes in 2023, throwing for 1,838 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions. He’s not much of a threat with his legs, but he could be more accurate from the pocket. Kaliakmanis worked with Ciarrocca early in his career in Minnesota.

Last season, Wimsatt completed just 47.5 percent of his passes, which was one of the worst in the country. He totaled 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. The lack of a passing attack made this offense one-dimensional. He also rushed for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kaliakmanis also comes with an improved group of weapons. Kyle Monangai returns as the Big Tens’ leading rusher in 2023, while Dymere Miller transferred from Monmouth after leading the FCS in receiving. Naseim Brantley is also eligible this season, while Christian Dremel could move to the slot.

Final thoughts

There are no unrealistic expectations that Kaliakmanis will suddenly be thrown into the Heisman discussion, but it’s not crazy to think that this passing game could use a lot of improvement. The coaching staff recognized the problem and made the necessary changes in hopes of improving the offense as a whole. It’s a favorable schedule for Rutgers this season. There aren’t many elite defenses on the roster. The Scarlet Knights will need to put up some points this season and prove that it was the right move to make this offseason. With Kaliakmanis’ arrival, there’s hope that the offense can take a big step forward.

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