Rutgers Backup QB Battle Becoming Intense During Spring Practices
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have a starting quarterback in place for the 2025 season.
Athan Kaliakmanis announced his return to Piscataway for his second year. He came over in the transfer portal from Minnesota but head coach Greg Schiano has also recruited the position well out of high school.
As spring practices continue on, the backup quarterback battle is turning into one of the most entertaining for the Scarlet Knights.
Redshirt sophomore Ajani Sheppard and redshirt freshman AJ Surace were both brought in by Schiano. Sheppard has impressed during his time as the backup while Surace has made the race interesting in a short amount of time.
“When you talk about what they do well, both of them (have) high football intelligence, so it’s fun to be in the classroom with them," offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca said. "I think they’re both still learning how to apply all this knowledge that they’re capable of storing in their head."
Schiano has said that Sheppard currently has the lead but it is still anyone's race. Sheppard has attempted just two passes in his career, completing both for 23 yards. Surace did not appear in a game during his first season with Rutgers.
"It’s early," Ciarrocca said. "I’m excited to work with both of them. I think they both have a lot of potential and excited about where they can go in the future, but I think that’s a battle that will shake itself out as they continue to get more reps. They’ll decide who wins it.”
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Greg Patuto is a sports writer who covers College Football, College Basketball, MLB, and NBA. He previously worked as Managing Editor at SB Nation's On The Banks, covering Rutgers Athletics, and has also been featured on Fox Sports, NJ.com, ClutchPoints, and FanSided. Greg enjoys spending time with his family while rooting for the Washington Commanders and New York Mets.