PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Quarterbacks. Quarterback. Quarterbacks.
That was the overwhelming focus of Friday night’s spring game for most Rutgers football fans. It was all about the quarterback position, namely incumbent starter Noah Vedral and Gavin Wimsatt, a former four-star recruit who played in four games last year. Evan Simon, who flashed in limited snaps last season, is the third quarterback in the competition.
Given the struggles at the position over the last few years, there is the hope that this offseason will finally find some stability for Rutgers. Behind what appears to be an improved offensive line and some good incoming talent at wide receiver, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson have done a nice job this offseason upgrading the talent around the quarterback position.
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Now it is up to the quarterbacks to take that next step. They showed some potential on Friday night during the annual spring game.
“I think it was very similar to what I thought all spring,” Schiano said after the game. “I thought it was really good at times and then inconsistent at times.”
Vedral was 5-for-8 for 80 yards with a touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive (he also had two carries for 23 yards). The much-hyped Wimsatt was 9-for-16 for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception as well as 10 rushing yards on two carries.
It was Simon who threw the most passes on Friday night. The former three-star recruit was 12-of-19 for 109 yards but was sacked three times.
The stat line summed up the performances accurately. Vedral was solid and steady but didn’t have the flashes of some of the other quarterbacks (although his touchdown pass to Taj Harris was beautiful).
Wimsatt showed the most potential, but also had a poor interception in the first half and a couple of reads that he would like to have back. Simon showed off a big arm on a couple of…