Rutgers Football Finally Names a Quarterback for 2026 season

In an offseason with many questions, the biggest one of all is finally answered.

Nov 29, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Dylan Lonergan (9) warms up prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest question on fans' minds entering the 2026 season has been answered, with Rutgers naming Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan the starting quarterback for the 2026 season. The decision concludes a tight summer camp battle between the transfer Lonergan and junior AJ Surace. Surace spent the prior two seasons learning behind Athan Kaliakmanis, who graduated last season and is now turning heads with the Washington Commanders this preseason.

The naming of Lonergan will surely ruffle feathers among a jilted Rutgers fanbase that has been highly critical of head coach Greg Schiano's inability to develop a quarterback during his second stint in Piscataway. Gavin Wimsatt graduated high school early and arrived as a highly touted 4-star prospect, never quite able to reach his potential, with one of the worst completion rates for any starting FBS quarterback in the country, before transferring to Kentucky. Prior to Wimsatt, Art Sitkowski, the ESPN No. 9 rated pro-style quarterback in the 2018 class, struggled behind a porous offensive line, eventually transferring to Illinois.

Dylan Lonergan gets the nod. The plot thickens for Boston College-Rutgers. https://t.co/STElRRYIbU

— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) August 24, 2026

This offseason, Rutgers signed Boston College quarterback Lonergan out of the transfer portal to provide an insurance policy for A.J. Surace, who appeared poised to take the reins in his third year under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Analysts have frequently noted that Ciarrocca's schemes are complex, taking multiple seasons for young quarterbacks to pick up.

Lonergan, the Snellville, GA native, spent two years at Alabama with limited playing time before transferring to Boston College. In ten games, Lonergan put up respectable numbers at Chestnut Hill, throwing for 2,025 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions. One of Lonergan's top performances in 2025 was against No. 16 Georgia Tech, where he threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns. Against Michigan State in East Lansing, Lonergan threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns in a double-overtime loss.

While many Rutgers fans were pulling for local product Surace, concerns began to mount after head coach Schiano didn't name a starter after the first exhibition, as neither quarterback was excelling enough to separate from the other. Schiano, notoriously known for giving the media and fans little insight into actual quarterback competitions, recently spoke to the media after the second scrimmage.

"The quarterback deal, I think they're similar quarterbacks, and that's what's made it challenging to make a decision," Schiano said. "They both bring great skill sets to the position. Great mentality, maturity, leadership. They really are two really good college quarterbacks, so we just got make a decision."

Even the Big Ten Network crew, who recently visited camp and gushed about Rutgers' skill position players, did not have a definitive answer on the battle between Surace and Lonergan for the starting role.

“I think they’re still neck and neck,” Howard Griffith said on BTN Tuesday night. “It is one of those situations where it is going to come down when you evaluate a scrimmage. How does a team react behind each of these guys is ultimately who is going to win the job, but after today’s performance, I don’t know that either one has an edge on the other.”

While fans may be unhappy with the decision, one only has to look at offensive coordinator Ciarrocca's success in turning former Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis into a top-tier Big Ten quarterback on the banks. The Washington Commanders rookie has been one of the surprise rookie standouts in the NFL this summer, turning heads with his 11-for-14 passing day for 162 yards and a passer rating of 114.9, while standing tall in the pocket under immense pressure and taking no sacks, likely cementing a place on the Commanders' practice squad, if not the regular-season roster.

Another key point to keep in mind is that by naming Lonergan the starter, he clearly picked up OC Ciarrocca's complex system quickly enough to erase any advantage Surace may have had by being in the system for the two prior seasons. Should Lonergan falter, it's also a much easier decision to bench him than Surace, who will require a much longer leash to fully evaluate, since he has yet to start a college game. Should Lonergan stumble early and potentially come undone against Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans on September 19th at home, it's entirely possible a switch is made to Surace.

In the end, Schiano sat down with Ciarrocca, and they selected the quarterback who gives the team the best chance to succeed, during a pivotal season in Piscataway where Schiano is under the radar to finally deliver tangible results in the win column that show the program is moving in the right direction in the tough and rugged Big Ten.