Oct. 19: Tanner Morgan left last week’s game with a head injury and redshirt freshman Athan Kaliakmanis was thrust into his first real playing time at Minnesota. With Morgan’s status still up in the air the question arises; Is Athan ready?
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Tanner Morgan’s Injury Status
After leaving last week’s loss against Illinois with a scary head injury, head coach P.J. Fleck said that Morgan, “is feeling well and in the care of the U’s medical team.” Much like he has always done, he did not provide a status update and I don’t really expect one until Saturday afternoon at the earliest. Being that Coach Fleck did not rule Morgan out of Saturday’s contest, and given how he has handled injuries in the past, I expect that he will be a true game-time decision and a 50/50 call if he plays.
P.J. Fleck said Tanner Morgan is doing very well. He flew home with the team after being evaluated. Here is the latest update on the #Gophers QB: pic.twitter.com/Dyya7dQ0Yh
— Daniel House (@DanielHouseNFL) October 17, 2022
Gophers’ No. 2 QB situation
Third-year QB Cole Kramer acted as the Gophers’ clear No. 2 signal-caller last season. In the offseason, it seemed like Kramer and Kaliakmanis had an active battle for the backup role in 2022. With both players getting action in garbage time earlier this season, it seemed as if the battle did not have a distinct victor. After Athan filled in for Morgan after his injury against Illinois, it would be fair to assume that he is now Minnesota’s preferred No. 2 option at QB. With that being said, Kramer is still an active contributor in short-yardage formations, and a somewhat split game plan between the two would not shock me if Morgan is not able to go Saturday night.
Is Athan Kaliakmanis Ready?
Listed as a 4-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, Athan Kaliakmanis is easily the most “hyped-up” Gophers’ quarterback talent in the P.J. Fleck era. The hype is well-deserved. Hailing from Antioch, Illinois Kaliakmanis broke out as a sophomore, setting school single-season records for passing yards (2,083) and passing touchdowns (26), while rushing for 610 yards and 11 touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-4 he has all of the tools to be an ELITE Big Ten starting QB. Listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with all of the arm talent in the world, it makes sense why so many Gophers fans are bullish on the program’s future with him at the helm.
After a disappointing 2021 season from Tanner Morgan and an impressive Spring Game from Kaliakmanis, the biggest talking point this offseason was many Gophers’ fans calling for Athan to start over the veteran QB. That was never going to happen and I still believe that it won’t happen this season as long as Morgan is healthy. With all that being said, I think anyone that understands the QB position and football would say that Kaliakmanis is the most talented signal-caller on the roster, and the Gophers’ ceiling increases with him being under center. But that is not the question, the question is whether or not he is ready.
Athan Kaliakmanis is a redshirt-freshman QB that hasn’t started any football game since 2019 (2020 SR HS season was canceled due to COVID). If Morgan is not able to go Saturday night, Athan could be in-line to make his first start in nearly 3 years, in front of one of the most intimidating atmospheres in college football. Penn State’s Beaver Stadium has a capacity of 106,572, ranking second biggest in college football. Saturday will also be the program’s annual “White Out” game which has quickly grown into one of the craziest atmospheres in the country.
Is Athan ready to be thrown to the Lions and turn the Gophers season around? That is a question that can only be answered Saturday night. If it does happen, I just ask all Gophers fans to temper their expectations given the incredibly intimidating situation. There is no reason why Athan cannot play at a high-level Saturday night, but if he doesn’t; please just have patience.
However this season ends, I believe Athan will be in-line to breakout next season, as he will have a full offseason as the No. 1 guy. Just have patience.