7/27/2022 football Edit

Rutgers starting QB job still open as training camp nears

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Rutgers Football will have another quarterback competition on its hands when training camp opens up in early August.

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Any one of Gavin Wimsatt, Evan Simon, and Noah Vedral could start when the Scarlet Knights travel to Boston College on Sept. 3. The job is still open and undecided per head coach Greg Schiano.

"We do have a quarterback competition," Schiano said.

"But I think the one thing I've learned over the years is, when you have good players, you've got to let them compete, and it's got to sort itself out. If it doesn't sort itself out by Game 1, then we'll play more than one guy. If it does, then we'll play one guy and we'll have another guy ready to go and a third if he had some issues. I'm not concerned about it. I'm not going to make it happen. I'm going to let it happen and observe it and make the decision based on that."

Rutgers hasn’t been afraid to play multiple quarterbacks in the same game either whether that be any of those three and even Johnny Langan, who is listed at tight end. Schiano didn’t rule that out for 2022.

Simon appeared in six games in 2021. He went 16-for-28 passing for 145 yards. He led two touchdown drives against Maryland and saw action in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Wimsatt, who enrolled way early in September after playing the first three games at Owensboro High School, played in four games with Rutgers last fall. Wimsatt completed nine passes for 45 yards and ran for 68 yards. He completed seven passes and ran for 39 yards in the Gator Bowl.

Vedral started all 13 games for the Scarlet Knights and was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Vedral threw for 1,823 yards -- the most by a Scarlet Knight since 2015 -- completing 180-of-303 attempts with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Nebraska native scored two rushing touchdowns, too.

In the Scarlet-White Spring Game in April, Vedral threw completed 10-of-16 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Wimsatt tallied 118 passing yards on nine completions with a touchdown and a pick. Simon had 109 yards passing and 12 completions with an interception.

"Noah is the ultimate competitor," Schiano said. "He is an awesome guy to have on our team. He wants to be a coach and is going to be a great coach. So any of you coaches that are listening to this, I would highly recommend getting him on your staff when he's done playing. We're going to try.

"But Noah is competing really hard. He's a monster in the off-season program. Gavin Wimsatt is another guy that is competing for the job, and then Evan Simon. I'd say all three of those guys go into training camp -- Noah, as you mentioned, has two years' worth of starts under his belt. So certainly an advantage for him with experience."