TKR Pod: Potential Transfer Portal Targets for Rutgers Football in 2025
The TKR Podcast takes a deep dive into what positions Rutgers Football could target in the portal this offseason.
Podcast Potential Transfer Portal Targets for Rutgers Football in 2025
- Thread starter Richie O
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WTH is this? Don't see the attraction.TKR Pod: Potential Transfer Portal Targets for Rutgers Football in 2025
The TKR Podcast takes a deep dive into what positions Rutgers Football could target in the portal this offseason.rutgers.rivals.com
Athan is QB1.
Yes, and as you and @mb5789 said in the podcast, AJ is the next man up at QB. The BC QB seems prone to interceptions.
5-9 QB who started to shit the bed towards the end and quit on his team? No thanks.
Also, not without significant NIL they can’t. Athan is solid, knows the offense, the IC and won’t lose the game for you. He’s exactly what they want with a run first offense.
The old saying you get what you pay for. I’m assuming more NIL will free up because a lot of the money spent on keep The D together will be saved. AK is not the answer at QB. Like to see a more dynamic player at that position.
AK played well enough to have us win 9 games. If the D didnt collapse against UCLA and Illinois hes got us to 9 wins for like the 8th time in our 150 year history. And our Nebraska loss was because our interior line could not block a DT. Hes one of our best QBs in the 21st century.
What else would you like to see from him?
He played much better after the bye week. But he didn’t play well during the 4 game skid. I say he played well enough to win 8.
Literally the data and offense shows he got the offense to put us into a position to win 9 games. If the defense plays at all vs UCLA or we do not blow the last 60 seconds against Illinois we win 9 games.
Somedays you read something and wonder if you were watching the same games as some other people.
I don't think that there's anyone significantly better than Kaliakmanis that is worth paying extra for that would have a chance of coming to RU.
I wonder that all the time.
Please rewatch the UCLA game. We were stuck on 19 pts until UCLA went up by 3 scores. They played prevent and we made it look respectable. When the game was still a game, AK didn’t perform.
Competition is always a good thing. Let the kid come here and compete. If he can beat out Athan, I am always happy to see an upgrade at the QB position. (BTW, it doesn't sound like he can. )
Have you watched the past four games?. Athan is QB1 as long as he's at Rutgers.
He's proven everyone who doubted him (including me) to be wrong. The kid is playing his ass off now.
My "transfer portal" plan -
Retain our players !!
Develop our retained players !
Get a CB and a DL
Retain our players !!
Develop our retained players !
Get a CB and a DL
But does that send Sheppard (3 years left) and Surace (4 years left) into the portal?
I was not a fan of Athan early on. He felt like a very mid QB, as the kids say. But he improved dramatically throughout the year. He's definitely QB1 next year.
I don't think QB competitions are a thing anymore. Whoever loses just goes in the portal.
I would rather spend NIL$ on some pass-rushers than a QB...
Purdue's All-America safety & B1G 2023 Freshman of the Year, Dillion Thieneman, is entering the transfer portal. If Ryan Walters is the next DC, there is a good chance this kid would follow.
I’m not arguing If he should be the starter next year. I said he was great the last 4. The question was if he played well enough to get 9 wins. I said no. I gave him 8 (Illinois). He didn’t play well enough in the 0-4 stretch to flip those games.
AK wasn't the problem during the 0-4 stretch. It was the defense that couldn't stop anyone. UCLA should have never put up 35 against us. Wisconsin boat raced us too quickly in the game; it was over before it started. Again, the offense put up numbers and points against USC. Meanwhile, the defense gave up yards, and points like this was Pete Carroll's USC. Nebraska was a game offensive skill players didn't show up for AK. RU had drop passes by receivers at the worst time.
We are 7-5, mostly due to the defensive letdowns.
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He wasn’t the problem but he didn’t play well enough to win. I view games like Illinois as a game he played well enough to win. That’s why I gave him 8. He didn’t do enough in the other 4 to say otherwise.
You are so focused on AK that you didn't consider how bad the defense was in those games mentioned. That is the difference in Rutgers not winning more games. It's a team sport. AK did his 1/11th, but the defense was 0/11th in those games.
I believe in AK. He showed me enough to warrant being the starting QB going into the spring (and presumably) summer/fall. We also have a promising RS freshman in the wings. I'm more excited about the QB position than at any time since Nova graduated.
I'd be more interested in discussing who fills various defensive positions. The number of graduating seniors is cause for some concern.
I'd be more interested in discussing who fills various defensive positions. The number of graduating seniors is cause for some concern.
I give him all the credit. The entire team got new life after the 2nd bye week. I’m glad he proved me wrong. He was a decisive runner in the Illinois game.
Athan Kaliakmanis 2024
199/363 (54.8%) 2459 yards 17 TD/6 INT
81 rushes 233 yards
2692 total yards
Chris Laviano 2015
187/307 (60.9%) 2247 yards, 16 TD/12 INT
65 rushes -38 yards
Gary Nova 2014
187/327 (57.2%) 2851 yards 22 TD/12 INT (including 184 yards in a bowl game)
45 rushes -5 yards.
If Athan accumulates 200 yards of offense in the bowl game, he will surpass Gary Nova for the most offensive yards in a season, a "record" that stood for 10 years. He also has a better TD/INT ratio.
Have to go back to Mike Teel 2008 (16 years) to find a more productive year for a QB.
A lot of starters on the defense used up their eligibility. It's gonna be a real task to replace them.
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