When Athan Kaliakmanis left the Gophers, two teams improved at quarterback

Looking for bulletin board material between the Gophers and Athan Kaliakmanis, the starting quarterback for Rutgers who had that role with Minnesota last year?

P.J. Fleck’s got nothing for ya.

“Our team is looking to be 1-0, period,” Fleck said, ahead of Saturday’s Gophers-Rutgers matchup in Piscataway, N.J.

How ‘bout Greg Harbaugh Jr., the Gophers offensive coordinator who worked with Kaliakmanis last year?

“I love coaching our players every single day,” Harbaugh said. “I had the opportunity to coach him last year, but I’m really excited to continue to coach Max [Brosmer, the Gophers starting QB] every single day.”

And Kaliakmanis himself isn’t fanning any flames. Rutgers officials denied a request from the Minnesota Star Tribune for a phone interview with Kaliakmanis, but he did speak with New Jersey reporters this week and toed the company line, just as the Gophers did.

“I’ve got a lot of friends there that I still keep in touch,” Kaliakmanis said. “I had a great time there. Respect to the coaches there. I’m just focused on where I’m at now, making friends here. I’m super grateful for the opportunity I had there, but I’m super grateful for the opportunity I have here.”

Kaliakmanis was the Gophers starter for roughly half of the 2022 season and all 12 regular-season games last year. After the Gophers team a 0-4 November with a 28-14 loss at Wisconsin, Fleck informed Kaliakmanis that he would be bringing in transfer quarterbacks to compete for the starting job. Kaliakmanis responded by entering the transfer portal.

There were hard feelings on the Kaliakmanis side, and both Athan and his brother, Dino, a wide receiver, left the Gophers for Rutgers. Their father, Alex, posted on the X platform that it was the family’s choice to cut ties. “Competition with a mythical inbound QB was absolutely not a factor in entering the transfer portal,” he added.

Kaliakmanis is only one of a handful of connections between the teams. Fleck coached under Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano. Both coordinators for Rutgers — Kirk Ciarrocca on offense and Joe Harasymiak on defense — are former Gophers assistants. Minnesota defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman spent the past two seasons as Rutgers linebackers coach.

The fact that neither team has rocked the boat regarding the matchup shows mutual respect. It’s also an acknowledgement that each team has received improved play from their quarterback choice.

For the Gophers, Brosmer has been a major upgrade, especially in accuracy, the ability to read through his progressions and the flair for leading late-game rallies.

A graduate transfer from New Hampshire, Brosmer has completed 191 of 280 passes (68.2%) for 1,989 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions. During the Gophers’ current four-game winning streak, he is 93-for-126 (73.8%) for 895 yards and seven TDs with no interceptions.

Three times in the past four games, Brosmer has led the Gophers to victories after they trailed in the fourth quarter. And in the 27-24 loss to Michigan, he led them to 21 fourth-quarter points and would have had a chance to add more had their onside kick recovery not been called offsides.

Brosmer’s productivity has the Gophers at 6-3 with three games remaining. Last year with Kaliakmanis under center, they endured their second losing season under Fleck. Kaliakmanis went 156-for-294 (53.1%) for 1,838 yards and 14 TDs with nine interceptions in 2023.

That Kaliakmanis ended up at Rutgers isn’t surprising because Ciarrocca was his main recruiter when he chose Minnesota. Rutgers was looking for improvement in the passing game after starting run-focused QB Gavin Wimsatt last year. While Wimsatt rushed for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns, he struggled as a passer, going 138-for-289 for 1,735 yards and nine TDs with eight interceptions. His completion rate — 47.8% — was the worst among FBS regular starters.

Kaliakmanis has been an improvement over Wimsatt, and the Scarlet Knights are 4-4, needing two victories to reach bowl eligibility. He has completed 131 of 242 passes (54.1%) for 1,650 yards and nine TDs with five interceptions. He’s slumped lately, though, going 72-for-146 (49.3%) for 889 yards and two TDs with four interceptions in Rutgers’ current four-game losing streak.

“Just overall as a quarterback I think my game has progressed,” said Kaliakmanis, a fourth-year junior. “From the film room to constantly learning over the season and seeing new things and applying what I’ve learned.”

Hetherman presumably has received intel from Fleck and Harbaugh regarding Kaliakmanis, and he sees the QB’s athleticism.

“He does a really good job within their offense,” Hetherman said. “… He does run the ball pretty well when he keeps it, so we always have to defend against that. And then he’s got a big arm. He’ll make those field throws.”

Kaliakmanis spoke of how he is sticking to his routine in preparing for the Gophers. He understands that the situation will be a story line, but he is trying to maintain a businesslike approach.

“I miss a lot of those guys, but I wouldn’t say it’s going to be weird,” Kaliakmanis said. “I went against them every day in practice, too, for three years. I wouldn’t say I’m focused on that either, to be honest. Just staying where my feet are and preparing.”