Was this another endorsement for Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt?
After naming Wimsatt his starting quarterback ahead of training camp, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano avoided any game week controversy by mostly dodging a question about his passer’s playing time. When asked about Wimsatt’s proverbial leash for Sunday’s season-opener against Northwestern, Schiano said he would not deal with hypothetical questions.
“I don’t even like to get into that stuff to tell you the truth,” Schiano said. “He’s our starting quarterback. I make decisions which are in the best interest of the team and what gives us the best chance to win so I’m not going to address that as a hypothetical.”
BUY RUTGERS FOOTBALL TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER
In eight appearances last season, including six starts, Wimsatt threw for 757 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions on 65-of-145 passing — the 44.8% completion rate was the second-lowest among the 146 FBS quarterbacks who threw at least 125 pass attempts, according to ProFootballFocus. Wimsatt also ran for 156 yards on 21 carries but mostly struggled with accuracy and decision making.
It’s Schiano’s hope that early playing time plus the arrival of new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca can help Wimsatt succeed as he approaches the start of his redshirt sophomore season.
“The whole offseason, we just focused on mastering the playbook and mastering what we’re trying to do offensively and working on my mechanics and trying to be a better leader,” Wimsatt previously told NJ Advance Media during training camp. “Those were the three main things I worked on this offseason.”
Like he was while addressing the quarterback question, Schiano was similarly quiet when asked about his running game.
The crowded running back room features four ball carriers who could carve out a role when the Scarlet Knights and Wildcats kick off at noon in Piscataway. Sophomore Samual Brown V was on his way to a breakout when his season ended at the midway point with a foot injury. In his absence, Kyle Monangai, a junior in 2023, finished with a team-high 445 yards and two touchdowns. Rutgers also has a healthy senior in Aaron Young at its disposal as well as junior Al-Shadee Salaam.
“Whatever gives us the best chance to win,” Schiano said. “That’s how we’re going to do it. How I predict that? You always go into a game with a plan, but then you know how things are going to change in the game? No, so you have to be prepared to adapt. We will be prepared to do that, but again, playing time, all those things, always comes down to what gives us the best chance to win.”
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com.