Suddenly, the Gophers football team’s Nov. 9 game at Rutgers took on an added twist.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who served as the Gophers’ starter in 2023 before transferring to Rutgers After the regular season, he won the starting job for the Scarlet Knights, according to multiple media reports. After head coach Greg Schiano and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca selected Kaliakmanis, Gavin Wimsatt, who started every game for Rutgers last season, entered his name into the transfer portal before Tuesday’s deadline.
Kaliakmanis, who started 17 games in his Gophers career, won the Rutgers job based on a solid performance in the Scarlet Knights’ spring game on Saturday. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 147 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to Naseim Brantley and a 9-yard scoring toss to his brother Dino, also a transfer from Minnesota.
Wimsatt, a former four-star recruit, struggled in 2023 as a starter, completing just 47.8% of his passes for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns with eight interceptions. Kaliakmanis also wasn’t a highly accurate passer with the Gophers, completing 53.1% of his passes last year for 1,838 yards and 14 TDs with nine interceptions, but it looks like he’ll be an upgrade from Wimsatt.
Kaliakmanis, who has two years of eligibility remaining, reunited with Ciarrocca, who recruited him while he was the Gophers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. When Kaliakmanis committed to Rutgers in January, he said he felt he found the right place and the right team to advance his career.
“I have a bond with him and I 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 caught my attention about coach Schiano is how he feels about his team and his players and how he strives to ensure you have all the tools necessary to succeed.”
