How does Athan Kaliakmanis make the Rutgers football more balanced?
With the announcement that Athan Kaliakmanis is the new starting quarterback at Rutgers football, the offense is invariably going to look different this fall. For former Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel, this change might work to benefit the pieces that have been brought in to augment this offense via the transfer portal.
With Rutgers now able to insert Nyseim Brantley and Dymere Miller via the transfer portal at the wide receiver position, there is certainly some potential for the offense to be more prolific in the passing game. Last year, the offense was improved for Rutgers but the passing game still struggled in the Big Ten.
And Teel believes that Kaliakmanis, who beat out Gavin Wimsatt this spring to become the starting quarterback, has the skill set to maximize these talented wide receivers.
Last year, Wimsatt had the fourth-lowest quarterback rating in the nation. Kaliakmanis was eight spots higher but is considered the better pure pocket passer.
But with Brantley and Miller, the potential is there for Kaliakmanis to progress the offense.
“I think as time goes on down there and they continue to get better and better players – coach Schaino was showing that,his first go around as time went on better, better players came and the second go around better and better players are starting to come as as time goes on,” Teel told Rutgers Wire.
“So you look at your personnel every year. Truthfully, they really look at it every week because things change during the course of the season. To your point you have some weapons and you understand that. To get to that next level in the Big Ten, you’re not Iowa where you’re just going to pound the ball for fifty times a game. You’re still developing a program and developing an offensive line and unit stuff like that.”
Teel, the all-time leading passer in Rutgers program history, believes that is where Kaliakmanis can help balance the offense in a way that the Scarlet Knights have been unable to do effectively for almost a decade.
“So you now have the ability to throw the football and open things up a little bit for the run game and you want to take advantage of that, you want to be able to take advantage of your personnel on the outside,” Teel said.
“You have the best running back coming back in the Big Ten. So I think you look at it from a holistic standpoint, how do I get the best players on the field? And how do you get the best players on the ball? You have two or three receivers that are two or three of the best players on the offense and you have to find a way to get those guys the ball.”
