Eye on the future: QB Gavin Wimsatt sees most snaps of season in bowl game
Rutgers held out Gavin Wimsatt in the regular season finale against Maryland to preserve his redshirt status in case the team made a bowl game.
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At first, the Scarlet Knights didn't make a bowl game, but a little over a week before the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, opportunity struck, and therefore Rutgers went ahead and played No. 17/20 Wake Forest.
Noah Vedral got the start behind center at quarterback for Rutgers, but Wimsatt, a true freshman early-enrollee signal caller who skipped almost his entire senior year of high school at Owensboro, KY., saw his most extensive action of the year.
Wimsatt didn't put up great numbers and made mistakes, but he looked calm and more comfortable as the game went on.
Wimsatt played a bunch in the first half and started the third quarter for Rutgers, which played four quarterbacks in the game (five players threw passes). He completed only 7-of-16 passes for 30 yards with a killer interception early in the second half, but he ended up being the undermanned Rutgers' leading rusher with 34 yards on three carries.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder scrambled for a long 32-yard run on the Scarlet Knights' first drive of the fourth quarter. He dropped back and had time to throw, but his receivers weren't open. So, he smoothly took off down the field, eventually breaking a sack attempt. He was tripped up and could have gone even further.
In the third, he found tight end Johnny Langan for a modest 6-yard gain, but then rolled to his right and connected with wide receiver Isaiah Washington for a 10-yard gain and a first down.
Wimsatt made a handful of good plays, but he made questionable ones which is no surprise given his youth and inexperience. He'll learn.
HIs deep ball interception floated on him, and it came on a holding call by his offensive line. He would have been better off throwing the ball out of bounds, like he should have in the first quarter on Rutgers' first possession. Instead, he went toward the sideline and stepped out of bounds for a 5-yard loss.
Again, he'll learn.
For someone who will be still just 18-years old when the Scarlet Knights play Boston College on the road to begin the 2022 season next Sept. 3, Wimsatt has time to better adjust to the speed of the game and expand his knowledge of the offense.
Wimsatt has the tools to be successful. He wasn't rated as a four-star quarterback for no reason. He's tall, has a live arm, and can move. Wimsatt is the highest-ranked prospect at the position Rutgers has ever brought in.
Vedral, who has been the starter the last two years for the Scarlet Knights, has stated he'll be back in 2022. Vedral is what he is and the fans and coaches know his limitations and what he could do.
Will Wimsatt be the starter in the opener next fall or will Vedral take the first snap? What about Evan Simon who also played against Wake Forest, although just for one play.
It's too early to tell, though Wimsatt is the favorite to do so.
But no matter who starts, you'll probably see Vedral, Simon, or even Langan in the game at quarterback, too.
And in order for any of them to be successful, the offensive line will need to progress, and Rutgers will need pass catching help.
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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