4/25/2022 football Edit

QB Gavin Wimsatt talks first spring game experience

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

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Just a couple days prior to the Scarlet-White Spring Game, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt said that he couldn't wait to play in front of Rutgers fans at home and that he'd been having chills thinking about it.

Well, the redshirt freshman from Owenboro, KY. suited up for team Scarlet and made the most of his reps.

"It was great getting out there in front of scarlet nation and to play," Wimsatt said. "It was great playing with the guys today."

Wimsatt's four appearances last season came on the road, so last Friday marked his first true opportunity playing inside SHI Stadium. He naturally was nervous, but his touchdown throw on his initial possession calmed those butterflies.

"I was definitely nervous getting to play in front of the home crowd for the first time," he said. "(The first drive touchdown) definitely (calmed the nerves). It felt good."

Wimsatt completed 9-of-16 passes for 188 yards on the night with a touchdown and interception on six drives. The score was a 1-yard to running back Kyle Monangai out of the backfield.

"I feel like I did pretty good being out there with the team," Wimsatt said. "I had fun."

Head coach Greg Schiano thought the play in the scrimmage for Wimsatt and the other quarterbacks was much like he's seen throughout the other 14 practices.

"I think it was very similar to what I thought all spring. I thought it was really good at times and then inconsistent at times. We need to have a great summer," Schiano said. "And you know, the hard thing about spring is you're on, you're off, you're on, you're off. These guys in the summertime, they throw with each other every day on their own, and that's really where the formulation of the chemistry I think occurs. No coaches, just them, running the show. We'll take a little jump here into recruiting and some other things. But I really am excited about this group going into the training camp part of our preparation, because they are young and they are hungry and they have got a lot to learn but they are really trying to learn it. That's exciting for a coach."

Wimsatt said the game is slowing down for him -- which a lot of freshmen say is the biggest adjustment from high school to college -- and that he is learning to command a huddle with teammates that are much older. Wimsatt, of course, should still be in high school at this time.

"It definitely has slowed day," Wimsatt told TKR. "I'm learning more about the game every day. That helps. It's actually funny. The guys I'm playing with, they are sixth-year seniors and I'm 18. It's been fun, but everybody feeds off of the quarterbacks. However I'm feeling, it might dictate how they play or practice."

Performing well in spring practice is tough and so his balancing school work. Wimsatt said he was still getting the hang of it, but that he enjoys doing work in the weight room.

"I'd say the toughest adjustments this year was the classes especially this semester," Wimsatt said. "I had some classes that were pretty hard. The winter lifting, that was really fun. We got a good hours in there working hard."

Now that he's been on campus for about seven months or so, he's soaking up what it takes to be a college quarterback. It starts with his attitude and energy every day.

"Just your energy and how much your energy affects everybody. If you're off, the whole team can be off," Wimsatt said. "This spring we've worked a lot on a lot things. We're just trying to get better and more consistent. Just trying to get better day by day."

Wimsatt is locked in a battle with veteran Noah Vedral and Evan Simon for the starting quarterback job. The competition will run through the summer and into training camp.

"I'm looking forward to getting better every day and working on being more consistent," Wimsatt said. "I'm looking forward to working hard with my teammates."