Top Five Breakout Quarterbacks For the 2023 College Football Season (4. Athan Kaliakmanis, RS Sophomore, Minnesota)

BleedGopher

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Per Little:

4. Athan Kaliakmanis, RS Sophomore, Minnesota

Tanner Morgan was the face of Minnesota football for the past five years, and now Kaliakmanis is in a position to build off of the success Morgan had. Kaliakmanis spent the past two seasons learning behind Morgan and took over the starting role for the second half of 2022.

Kaliakmanis led the Golden Gophers to wins in four of their last five games last season, including an impressive 319-yard performance against Wisconsin. PJ Fleck is counting on Kaliakmanis to use Minnesota’s end-of-season surge as an on-ramp for 2023. The Gophers have not won the Big Ten West in Fleck’s tenure, and this is the conference’s final year using the east-west format.

Chris-Autman Bell, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Daniel Jackson headline an underrated group of pass catchers for Kaliakmanis. Last season we saw Jordan Travis breakout in his first full season as a starter. Kaliakmanis can take a similar step forward this year and lead Minnesota to new heights.


Go Gophers!!
 



I'm really hoping Athan can be that guy for the Gophers. I just want to see the Gophers have one of those quarterbacks that push the team to a higher level.

Doesn't need to be a Heisman winner or anything, just a guy like Collin Klein, Brandon Weeden, Teddy Bridgewater, Tajh Boyd, Russell Wilson that can elevate the team.
 

Stay healthy you man, I’ve got all the confidence in the world in you talent wise.
 


Doesn't need to be a Heisman winner or anything, just a guy like Collin Klein, Brandon Weeden, Teddy Bridgewater, Tajh Boyd, Russell Wilson that can elevate the team.
I hope you appreciate what an impressive list that is. Any of those QBs would arguably be the first or second best QB to ever play for the Gophers.
 

They need him to if they want to compete for a B1G chip. If he plays at 2019 Tanner level we will be pushing 10-2 even with the schedule we have.
Totally agree. If he plays like 2019 Tanner I would be shocked. That’s the best season ever by a Gopher QB. I’m hoping for 3000 yards and 24-25 TDs with less than 12 ints.
 

I hope you appreciate what an impressive list that is. Any of those QBs would arguably be the first or second best QB to ever play for the Gophers.
I was going to say, that's not exactly a list of nobody's.
 

I found the #1. Quinn Ewers, RS Sophomore, Texas interesting...isn't he just Iust a place holder for Manning?
 



I found the #1. Quinn Ewers, RS Sophomore, Texas interesting...isn't he just Iust a place holder for Manning?
Ewers was a much more highly regarded recruit than Manning. In fact I believe he was one of the highest rated HS QB's ever. Manning has plenty of talent, but is certainly getting additional hype because of his name. Ewers will be the starter at Texas until he leaves for the NFL.
 

Ewers was a much more highly regarded recruit than Manning. In fact I believe he was one of the highest rated HS QB's ever. Manning has plenty of talent, but is certainly getting additional hype because of his name. Ewers will be the starter at Texas until he leaves for the NFL.
If that's true, and I have no reason to doubt you, will Manning be willing to waite for Ewers to leave? Or will Ewers leaving for the NFL after his sophomore year?
 

If that's true, and I have no reason to doubt you, will Manning be willing to waite for Ewers to leave? Or will Ewers leaving for the NFL after his sophomore year?
I can’t say for sure, but also I wouldn’t be shocked if Ewers goes pro after this year.
 




That is some impressive company for Athan and exciting to see a Gopher QB included on a list like this with some guys that were 5* recruits coming out of high school.

the only issue I might have with the article is in the profile of the Clemson QB when the writer says Clemson hasn't had a true game breaker at QB since Deshaun Watson......I mean I seem to remember that Trevor Lawrence being a pretty dang good QB for them. Assume the new guy must be a runner as well because that is the only thing that Lawrence wasn't really but he was 100% a game breaker in college.
 

I hope you appreciate what an impressive list that is. Any of those QBs would arguably be the first or second best QB to ever play for the Gophers.
Oh absolutely. I see all of those schools hitting a home run with a QB and I want that so bad for Minnesota.
 

This might be the year. No top QB wants to hand the ball off 80% of the time. I hope we go at least 60 40 run pass this yr. That's what attracts top QB. That and wide receiver recruiting.
 




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