Before Athan Kaliakmanis' return to Minnesota, his dad fact-checks P.J. Fleck

We already have some tweet-deleting drama ahead of the Minnesota-Rutgers matchup.

Sep 19, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) looks to pass during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rutgers' first road trip of the 2025 college football season comes at a familiar place for quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis as he'll lead the Scarlet Knights against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Kaliakmanis spent three years in Minneapolis, redshirting in 2021, starting five games and playing in 11 in 2022, and starting all 12 games for the Gophers in 2022. Then he transferred to Rutgers, following former Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca's move to the Big Ten foe.

"Listen, this is Rutgers and Minnesota," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said of Kaliakmanis on Monday. "He's playing really well. I think it's his fifth year in that type of same system, so you would expect to see that type of growth that he has shown and played at. Played at a high level, that's for sure."

Five years in that type of system? Kaliakmanis' father was quick to tag Fleck on X and correct him.

“Correction,” Alex Kaliakmanis wrote in a post that has since been deleted. “Going on 3 years in System, not 5.”

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We're not sure why he deleted the post, but he's not wrong. Kaliakmanis played the 2022 season in Ciarrocca's offense with the Gophers before Ciarrocca left for Rutgers, which is where Athan has been the past two seasons. There were three different offensive coordinators under Fleck during Athan's three years in Minnesota.

• 2021: Mike Sanford
• 2022: Kirk Ciarrocca
• 2023: Greg Harbaugh

Last year, Kaliakmanis and Rutgers defeated the Gophers in New Jersey, with Kaliakmanis throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns. That said, Minnesota earned a small moral victory by holding Kaliakmanis to 24 passing yards in the second half last year.

Last week, Kaliakmanis threw for 330 yards against Iowa, but he went without a touchdown and he threw a backbreaking interception with about 4:30 to go in the fourth quarter. Iowa turned that interception into a touchdown drive for a 38-28 lead, effectively sealing the road victory.

As much as that pick hurt Rutgers, Kaliakmanis has put up good numbers in 2025, passing for 1,150 yards. He's 10th nationally in passing yards and he's 26th overall with a 162.9 passer rating.

How is he feeling about his return to the University of Minnesota?

“I go into every game the same exact way,” Kaliakmanis said Tuesday. “And that’s laser-locked focus, and getting ready to get the job done.”

“Excited to be back,” he continued. “I did live there, did go to school there. But we’re trying to go 1-0 in this season, and I’m just happy with where I’m at now. But definitely excited to be back.”

The Gophers and Rutgers kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday.