Rutgers has named Athan Kaliakmanis the starting QB. Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt, who started 18 games the last two years announces he's transferring

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Out State Gopher said:
Reuniting with his old coach seems to have made a difference. Winning the starting role tells a story, forcing your competition thru play to transfer sends a very strong message. Looking forward to seeing his results this fall.
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KC was a big loss for both the Gophers and AK. I wish AK luck.
 

let's stir the pot - comments from AK in a Strib article:

Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, has been reunited with Ciarrocca, who recruited him while he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Gophers. When Kaliakmanis committed to Rutgers in January, he said he felt he found the right spot and the right staff to jump-start his career.

"I have a bond with him and trust him," Kaliakmanis said of Ciarrocca in an interview with Rutgers Wire. "Coach Schiano and I hit it off from the first moment we met. He is transparent and honest. What really stuck out to me about coach Schiano is how he feels about his staff and players and how he goes out of his way to make sure you have all the tools you need to succeed."
 

short ornery norwegian said:
let's stir the pot - comments from AK in a Strib article:

Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, has been reunited with Ciarrocca, who recruited him while he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Gophers. When Kaliakmanis committed to Rutgers in January, he said he felt he found the right spot and the right staff to jump-start his career.

"I have a bond with him and trust him," Kaliakmanis said of Ciarrocca in an interview with Rutgers Wire. "Coach Schiano and I hit it off from the first moment we met. He is transparent and honest. What really stuck out to me about coach Schiano is how he feels about his staff and players and how he goes out of his way to make sure you have all the tools you need to succeed."
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RIP AK
 



short ornery norwegian said:
let's stir the pot - comments from AK in a Strib article:

Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, has been reunited with Ciarrocca, who recruited him while he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Gophers. When Kaliakmanis committed to Rutgers in January, he said he felt he found the right spot and the right staff to jump-start his career.

"I have a bond with him and trust him," Kaliakmanis said of Ciarrocca in an interview with Rutgers Wire. "Coach Schiano and I hit it off from the first moment we met. He is transparent and honest. What really stuck out to me about coach Schiano is how he feels about his staff and players and how he goes out of his way to make sure you have all the tools you need to succeed."
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When Schiano brings in the transfer QB replacement next year we'll see how AK feels then.
 

Word said:
Some pretty bad throws in there and zero pressure on him.
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Based on the video he went 10-18. In those 10 completions the majority were short passes but there were a couple of nice throws. There were at least 2 maybe 3 balls in the incomplete group that should have been picked and many of those 8 were really poorly thrown. Not sure if I would be overly fired up about the passing game if I was a Rutgers fan watching those clips.
 

Lets just see what happens before the comments get out of control. Doubt this tilt will be battle for a top 12 spot in the conference. It is very possible there will be two guys playing QB that we have never heard of.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Based on the video he went 10-18. In those 10 completions the majority were short passes but there were a couple of nice throws. There were at least 2 maybe 3 balls in the incomplete group that should have been picked and many of those 8 were really poorly thrown. Not sure if I would be overly fired up about the passing game if I was a Rutgers fan watching those clips.
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Summarizes his play? Can look good at times but so inconsistent. Wierd mechanics when he gets excited, sometimes even does the wierd Tarvaris Jackson switchfoot jump pass variants at times. Did throw a pretty nice looper with some touch at the end, can’t recall seeing that here.
 




Pompous Elitist said:
Summarizes his play? Can look good at times but so inconsistent. Wierd mechanics when he gets excited, sometimes even does the wierd Tarvaris Jackson switchfoot jump pass variants at times. Did throw a pretty nice looper with some touch at the end, can’t recall seeing that here.
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I mean it was always clear that AK had some talent when throwing the ball but like you said he was super inconsistent. Big thing with a spring game is that there is no real threat of getting hit which makes some of the bad throws even worse because there was no pressure to throw him off.

Looked like the same guy who played here last year. Maybe he will figure some things out there but who knows if he will develop into a good QB for this level.
 

I never once saw him scan the field. He stares down every receiver
 





#2Gopher said:
AK may be the better quarterback, but is there a need to announce now who the starting quarterback is going to be this fall? What if he gets injured over the summer, or something happens?
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well considering AK cried and took his ball and left when PJ said he'd have to compete next year for the job, I guess maybe he viewed it as the only way he'd stay
 

MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
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so ive got
Great pass
Awful throw that should be a pick 6
awful pass
check down
nice throw
easy throw
awful throw
easy TD
awful throw (that's still caught)
nice throw
sack (that he then threw that should've been picked)
ok throw
ok throw
awful throw into coverage
ditto
ditto
ok throw
good TD pass

So, 11/18 2 TDs, at least 2 that should've been picked and a bunch of throws into coverage. Yeah sounds about AK.

The secondary for Rutgers looks.... oof.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I mean it was always clear that AK had some talent when throwing the ball but like you said he was super inconsistent. Big thing with a spring game is that there is no real threat of getting hit which makes some of the bad throws even worse because there was no pressure to throw him off.

Looked like the same guy who played here last year. Maybe he will figure some things out there but who knows if he will develop into a good QB for this level.
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bad mechanics always leads to inconsistent throwing. The nice thing of the KC offense is it's relatively simple in the reads. I can see AK throwing a ton of picks to the safety playing center field throw when he lets passes sail on him
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
Ciarrocca was nothing until he became the OC under Fleck at WMU. He's also not been a good OC at Penn St or Rutgers so far either. Joe Rossi was nothing until he became the D coordinator under Fleck here. Turned out alright.

AK was terrible last year, and our RBs couldn't stay healthy. I'm not going to write off Harbaugh after one year of that.
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I wouldnt consider 13 years of OC experience and a national championship one of those seasons as nothing.

I didn't say he was the best OC. I literally said he was competent.

Also, if you are giving credit for KCs offenses, how come Sanford Simon and Harbaugh been successful OCs under fleck?
 
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Word said:
I'd be pissed no matter who was QB.
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This will be a better Rutgers team than our previous matchups. I'm sure Fleck isn't going to sleep on the Rutgers game, he knows his team will need to be ready for this Schiano team.
 

Full Speed Ahead said:
There's a reason last year's QB ran so much, the OL. This year Rutgers has a statue as QB, there will be a LOT more sacks. Statues are a lot easier to hit. AK won't last more than four games.
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Unfortunately, Rutgers would not let the QB run unless it was a designed run. He was told to throw the ball away. Don't risk getting injured. Expect AK to throw the ball away and rely on the defense to win field position or get the offense the ball back.
 



upnorthkid said:
so ive got
Great pass
Awful throw that should be a pick 6
awful pass
check down
nice throw
easy throw
awful throw
easy TD
awful throw (that's still caught)
nice throw
sack (that he then threw that should've been picked)
ok throw
ok throw
awful throw into coverage
ditto
ditto
ok throw
good TD pass

So, 11/18 2 TDs, at least 2 that should've been picked and a bunch of throws into coverage. Yeah sounds about AK.

The secondary for Rutgers looks.... oof.
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There are B1G corners that will house the first throw for six. It was low and inside.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Man. Not confidence-inspiring. I wonder how Wimsatt looked.
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Has completed less than 50% of his passes in his career.

But did rush for 497 yards and 11 TDs in 2023.
 
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Stuff said:


Has completed less than 50% of his passes in his career.

But did rush for 497 yards and 11 TDs in 2023.
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Imagine we’re doing a “blind taste test” and asked what Wimsatt was rated as a recruit. Turns out he was 247 composite 92 four star and claimed offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Louisville and many others.

Ciarocca didn’t recruit him, so that’s one factor he’s out. He worked with him all last year and Kirk must not see a good trend line. Ciarocca recruited Kaliakmanis, and maybe there is a challenge angle factor with proving he can make Kaliakmanis a good college qb where the MN staff weren't able to. Dunno.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Ciarocca recruited Kaliakmanis, and maybe there is a challenge angle factor with proving he can make Kaliakmanis a good college qb where the MN staff weren't able to. Dunno.
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No P5 coach should make a decision on this kind of criteria. I'd be pissed if I found out my OC let one QB walk and kept the other for this reasoning.
 


Stuff said:


Has completed less than 50% of his passes in his career.

But did rush for 497 yards and 11 TDs in 2023.
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well with this tape I cant imagine he's going to be swimming in offers. woof.
 

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