Rutgers football QB analysis as Athan Kaliakmanis joins Gavin Wimsatt on 2024 roster

There was no quarterback intrigue for Rutgers football heading into this season, no competition.

Coach Greg Schiano put any questions to rest before training camp even began, naming Gavin Wimsatt the starter, Evan Simon his backup with true freshman Ajani Sheppard third on the depth chart.

Things will be a little different heading into the 2024 season.

Wimsatt is the incumbent, but Rutgers on Tuesday landed Minnesota transfer quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis from the transfer portal, immediately injecting more competition and depth into the quarterback room.

Simon has transferred to Temple, but Sheppard returns and the Scarlet Knights are also welcoming in Class of 2024 quarterback AJ Surace.

So with the addition of Kaliakmanis, here’s a breakdown of how things stand right now:

The incumbent: Gavin Wimsatt

It’s been an interesting journey for Wimsatt ever since he skipped his high school senior season and joined Rutgers early in the 2021 season.

A four-star recruit, Wimsatt arrived with plenty of fanfare.

He made six starts in 2022 and then played a full season this year as the Scarlet Knights’ starter. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Wimsatt went 138-of-289 passing (47.8 percent) for 1,735 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Wimsatt’s rushing ability, though, was a crucial piece of the offense – he was the team’s second-leading rusher this season behind Kyle Monangai, piling up 497 yards on the ground (a single-season program record) on 131 carries with 11 touchdowns.

Wimsatt looked like a better Big Ten quarterback this season. He looked more confident, more poised in the pocket. He made some good, strong throws.

But he also missed on some as spurts of inaccuracy persisted.

The lack of a passing game is not all on Wimsatt. Everything from the offensive line to the wide receivers also bears responsibility.

Wimsatt has a lot to build off heading into the offseason. How much he can build on 2023 and improve will determine whether he can keep his job in 2024.

The challenger: Athan Kaliakmanis

Here comes Kaliakmanis, who’s transferring to Rutgers with his brother, former Minnesota wide receiver Dino Kaliakmanis.

They both took an official visit in December.

Kaliakmanis with the Scarlet Knights will reunite with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who held the same position at Minnesota in 2022.

In 23 total games (five starts in 2022 and 12 in 2023), Kaliakmanis was 216-of-405 passing (53.3 percent) for 2,784 yards with 17 touchdowns (14 this season) and 13 interceptions (nine in 2023).

Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, also rushed for a total of 234 yards on 108 carries and three touchdowns.

He brings Big Ten starting experience to Rutgers, which is valuable. He also has a good knowledge of Ciarrocca’s system - which, again, is valuable.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Kaliakmanis will now get the chance to compete for the starting job.

Kaliakmanis didn’t post eye-popping numbers at Minnesota, but he was competent. In many ways, his production was similar to Wimsatt’s.

Can competition elevate Rutgers’ quarterback room?

We’re going to find out.

2023 SEASON TAKEAWAYS Five big takeaways from Rutgers football's 1st winning season in a decade

Depth: Ajani Sheppard and AJ Surace

Sheppard joined Rutgers as part of the 2023 recruiting out of Iona Prep in Westchester County, New York.

Surace will be an early enrollee with the Scarlet Knights as part of the 2024 recruiting class out of Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville.

For 2024, both Sheppard and Surace will have a year to develop and grow.

Surace is coming off a big high school senior season - he was named to the USA TODAY NETWORK All-New Jersey offensive team - completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,839 yards and 25 touchdowns. A true dual-threat quarterback, he also rushed for 975 yards and 15 scores.

Sheppard received some playing time in Rutgers’ blowout win over Wagner, completing both of his pass attempts for 23 yards and rushing for 10 yards on a carry. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Sheppard threw for 2,393 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior at Iona Prep while also rushing for 1,291 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Sheppard or Surace could be Rutgers’ quarterback of the future.

But for 2024, the Scarlet Knights need to identify their quarterback of the present.

That question is getting a lot more interesting.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football QB analysis with Athan Kaliakmanis on roster