PISCATAWAY – The latest update on Rutgers football’s quarterback competition?
There’s still a long way to go.
AJ Surace and Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan continue to battle during spring practices for the starting job to replace Athan Kaliakmanis, and so far both players have performed well.
It’s early, but they’re both making it a good competition.
“Yeah, I think it’s way too early, and maybe it wouldn’t be way too early if somebody did poorly and somebody did well, but they’ve both done well,” coach Greg Schiano said following his team’s April 10 practice. “I have total confidence in (offensive coordinator) Coach (Kirk) Ciarrocca. Certainly he and I discuss it all the time, and like he said, and like I’ve said, you’ll know it when you know it. And you can’t rush it. You can’t make it happen. I mean, you can make it happen, but that’s not a good thing to do.”
Rutgers quarterback AJ Surace attempts a pass during the team’s Scarlet-White Game at SHI Stadium on April 26, 2025.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Schiano said from the very beginning he’ll let the process play out before making a decision for who the starter will be for the team’s season opener against UMass.
Surace is entering his third year in the program and has gotten limited playing time – he spent last season as the backup to Kaliakmanis, who became one of the program’s more prolific quarterbacks after transferring from Minnesota.
Lonergan, who started out as a Nick Saban recruit at Alabama before transferring to Boston College, added experience to the room. He embraced the competition and the chance to earn the starting job.
Both players will get plenty of chances to earn the job.
“The best way to do that is just, over time, it plays itself out, and it becomes evident,” Schiano said. “And that has not happened yet. They’re both working hard. They’re both doing a good job. They both made some mistakes, which you’re going to make when you haven’t been in that role but you run out of mistakes to make if you just keep playing through them and understanding and learning, and that’s what they’re doing right now. So I’m encouraged by both of them.”
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers football: Dylan Lonergan, AJ Surace keep battling for QB1
