Football Rutgers Football QB Ajani Sheppard to enter the Transfer Portal
- Thread starter Willow88!
- Start date
A last minute, 2 * recruit getting beat out by a younger player is a good thing. Schiano is finally building a respectable qb room instead of forcing a true freshman or lackluster grad transfer in the fold.
Not really, it is late in the process and he does not have a lot of game film available. That will limit his options more than his perceived talent level.
Sounds like a fair assessment and if he has a great 2025 season at the FCS level, FBS programs will go after him.
There's always a hope a G-5 school might feel he's 2025 starting material for them .
Cory Snyder and Evan Simon did pretty well after going mid major and hopefully helped get RU QBs transferring out noticed by G-5 programs more than before.
I don't think our qb room is respectable. Our starter had a career high completion percentage under 55% last year and the backup has never thrown a college pass. We should be looking to the portal.
I doubt most QBs with skills see RU as a place to play QB.
That's exactly how they operated last season. The days of 4-5 scholarship QBs is over.
Good for Ajani .
The Cougars 2024 starter jumped ship before their bowl game.
Sheppard will have to beat out WSU's Holiday Bowl QB who had a pretty good day in a losing cause
(he threw for 363 yards and totaled four touchdowns and two interceptions in that 52–35 loss)
After the bowl that QB entered the portal, but shortly afterwards decided to stick with the Cougars.
There might be a reason why he left and even though returned WSU's HC might not have confidence in the way that player runs the offense. Giving Ajani a good shot at being the starter if he can impress the HC
in the open competition the HC said he would have before deciding who starts.
I guess the WSU coach never saw him in practice lol. (Sarcasm)
Good Luck to him playing for a school that a year ago was a P5 program.
That is the intent. But the actual is that they’ve allowed a loophole that the Ohio States and Michigans will exploit to have a $40M roster, rather than a $20M roster. At least that was the last settlement language I read. You can justify paying a Jeremiah Smith $8M, based on his status as a Top 5 player in the draft.
They got what they wanted here. Here’s hoping for the best and see how everything turns out.
Not true at all. These days people transfer for NIL. Look no further than GW. I know many QB’s accept being a backup for $. He will get paid to be backup next year and then go to Buffalo following year. Probably replacing someone who did exact same thing
A friend who is a Washington State fan sent me this with the comment not sure why Washington State is going after so many QBs. I have no idea who wrote the piece …
IN THE BLINK of an eye, Jimmy Rogers and Washington State added two new
quarterback transfers this month. One is Ajani Sheppard, the former
Rutgers QB with three years of eligibility remaining. His former prep head
coach is still close to Sheppard -- so close that he spent more than an
hour on a phone call with WSU during the transfer recruiting process --
and tells Cougfan.com this is a big get for Wazzu for multiple reasons.
Jimmy Spagnolo, head coach at Iona Prep High in New Rochelle, N.Y., says
Sheppard has the athleticism and tools to be special at the college level
... and in Rogers' run-heavy offense.
"He's just very dynamic with the ball in his hands," Spagnolo said in a
recent conversation. "He was the first player in Westchester County
history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same
season in high school. He did it twice, as a junior and senior."
Sheppard signed with Rutgers in 2023 ranked the No. 57 QB in the country
and No. 7 overall prospect from New York on 247Sports. But things didn't
work out in Piscataway, with Spagnolo saying the RU staff didn't use his
skill-set enough to allow him to shine, and it ultimately just wasn't the
right fit for player or coaching staff.
Spagnolo is confident things will be different with the Cougs starting
this fall.
"He's the kind of kid that when he has the ball in his hands and puts it
down, he can score from anywhere on the field," Spagnolo said of Sheppard.
"At the same time, he doesn't turn it over either."
AS SOON AS Sheppard, who grew up in the Bronx, entered the portal,
double-digit schools reached out to gauge his interest. WSU was one of
those quick to make contact, with offensive coordinator Danny Freund and
Spagnolo hopping on the phone and breaking things down for over an hour.
Sheppard and Spagnolo togethers weighed all of the schools' pitches, in
the end choosing Washington State over Temple, Buffalo, Albany and Idaho
rounding out his final five. The decision came down to trust and the
all-important overall fit.
"I spoke to the OC (Freund) about a week before he committed," Shepard
said. "We got into his background at both South Dakota State and North
Dakota and what his vision was as a play-caller for their QB. It seemed to
check a lot of the boxes for us."
AS FOR CLUES about how soon Sheppard might see the field (fifth-year Zevi
Eckhaus came out of spring ball looking like a virtual lock at starting
QB), Wazzu fans will be interested in this:
"We were told there will be packages for him at a minimum." said Spagnolo.
"We've just got to see where he is by the end of (fall) camp digesting the
playbook and getting on the same page with his new teammates."
Sheppard is stout at 6-2, 233 pounds but he was also characterized by
media covering Rutgers this spring as clearly the best runner among the
Scarlet Knights' quarterbacks. Subbing in for Eckhaus at times this season
to shake things up and keep a defense off balance could be just what
Rogers and Freund have in mind.
Sheppard's mobility, no question about it says Spagnolo, impressed Rogers
and Freund. And just as important was everyone pulling the rope in the
same direction during Shepard's official visit in April.
"I think we he went and visited, it was good in terms of getting on the
same page as the coaching staff and seeing the opportunities," Spagnolo
said. "He enjoyed Rutgers and developed there. He worked hard and was well
respected in the community, but this is just more of an opportunity to
play for him at Washington State."
HOW ROGERS HAS remade the QB room is attention-grabbing, even in today's
transfer-heavy climate.
Rogers is bringing in both Sheppard (6-2, 233), and Pittsburgh transfer
Julian Dugger (6-2, 210) out of the portal.
Plus, he signed not one but two high school QBs in Dalton Anderson and
Owen Eshelman.
That's four scholie QBs, where historically many schools take only one in
a recruiting class. Along with Jaxon Potter, who emerged this spring as
QB2, the Cougs now have six scholarship quarterbacks headed into fall
camp.
NOTABLE: As a senior in high school, Sheppard was 150-of-242 passing (62
percent) for 2,393 yards with 21 TDs, adding another 1,291 rushing yards
and 11 more scores. In his junior campaign, Sheppard completed 181-of-255
pass attempts (71 percent) for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding
1,041 ground yards and 16 more TDs.
IN THE BLINK of an eye, Jimmy Rogers and Washington State added two new
quarterback transfers this month. One is Ajani Sheppard, the former
Rutgers QB with three years of eligibility remaining. His former prep head
coach is still close to Sheppard -- so close that he spent more than an
hour on a phone call with WSU during the transfer recruiting process --
and tells Cougfan.com this is a big get for Wazzu for multiple reasons.
Jimmy Spagnolo, head coach at Iona Prep High in New Rochelle, N.Y., says
Sheppard has the athleticism and tools to be special at the college level
... and in Rogers' run-heavy offense.
"He's just very dynamic with the ball in his hands," Spagnolo said in a
recent conversation. "He was the first player in Westchester County
history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same
season in high school. He did it twice, as a junior and senior."
Sheppard signed with Rutgers in 2023 ranked the No. 57 QB in the country
and No. 7 overall prospect from New York on 247Sports. But things didn't
work out in Piscataway, with Spagnolo saying the RU staff didn't use his
skill-set enough to allow him to shine, and it ultimately just wasn't the
right fit for player or coaching staff.
Spagnolo is confident things will be different with the Cougs starting
this fall.
"He's the kind of kid that when he has the ball in his hands and puts it
down, he can score from anywhere on the field," Spagnolo said of Sheppard.
"At the same time, he doesn't turn it over either."
AS SOON AS Sheppard, who grew up in the Bronx, entered the portal,
double-digit schools reached out to gauge his interest. WSU was one of
those quick to make contact, with offensive coordinator Danny Freund and
Spagnolo hopping on the phone and breaking things down for over an hour.
Sheppard and Spagnolo togethers weighed all of the schools' pitches, in
the end choosing Washington State over Temple, Buffalo, Albany and Idaho
rounding out his final five. The decision came down to trust and the
all-important overall fit.
"I spoke to the OC (Freund) about a week before he committed," Shepard
said. "We got into his background at both South Dakota State and North
Dakota and what his vision was as a play-caller for their QB. It seemed to
check a lot of the boxes for us."
AS FOR CLUES about how soon Sheppard might see the field (fifth-year Zevi
Eckhaus came out of spring ball looking like a virtual lock at starting
QB), Wazzu fans will be interested in this:
"We were told there will be packages for him at a minimum." said Spagnolo.
"We've just got to see where he is by the end of (fall) camp digesting the
playbook and getting on the same page with his new teammates."
Sheppard is stout at 6-2, 233 pounds but he was also characterized by
media covering Rutgers this spring as clearly the best runner among the
Scarlet Knights' quarterbacks. Subbing in for Eckhaus at times this season
to shake things up and keep a defense off balance could be just what
Rogers and Freund have in mind.
Sheppard's mobility, no question about it says Spagnolo, impressed Rogers
and Freund. And just as important was everyone pulling the rope in the
same direction during Shepard's official visit in April.
"I think we he went and visited, it was good in terms of getting on the
same page as the coaching staff and seeing the opportunities," Spagnolo
said. "He enjoyed Rutgers and developed there. He worked hard and was well
respected in the community, but this is just more of an opportunity to
play for him at Washington State."
HOW ROGERS HAS remade the QB room is attention-grabbing, even in today's
transfer-heavy climate.
Rogers is bringing in both Sheppard (6-2, 233), and Pittsburgh transfer
Julian Dugger (6-2, 210) out of the portal.
Plus, he signed not one but two high school QBs in Dalton Anderson and
Owen Eshelman.
That's four scholie QBs, where historically many schools take only one in
a recruiting class. Along with Jaxon Potter, who emerged this spring as
QB2, the Cougs now have six scholarship quarterbacks headed into fall
camp.
NOTABLE: As a senior in high school, Sheppard was 150-of-242 passing (62
percent) for 2,393 yards with 21 TDs, adding another 1,291 rushing yards
and 11 more scores. In his junior campaign, Sheppard completed 181-of-255
pass attempts (71 percent) for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns, while adding
1,041 ground yards and 16 more TDs.
Last edited:
RU's MO.
Not sure why GS takes guys he knows are "a bad fit" for his Dockers offense.
Guys that have accuracy issues in shorts are usually not a good fit for most offenses.
I always distinguish between playmakers and beauty queens.
Some guys just play better in games despite imperfect forms.
RU even had crappy WRs for the period in question
Tebow was always criticized for his throwing form but he had college stats better than both Mannings.
GS just does not like running QBs and he should stop recruiting them just because he cant get anyone else.
As I said before, GS would have issues with Pat White if he was at RU.
The bedrock of the Dockers offense is "be safe - just a cog in the machine."
Tebow was a 5*, top 25 recruit...lol. Sheppard isn't even close in comparison, otherwise he'd have gotten on the field.I always distinguish between playmakers and beauty queens.
Some guys just play better in games despite imperfect forms.
RU even had crappy WRs for the period in question
Tebow was always criticized for his throwing form but he had college stats better than both Mannings.
GS just does not like running QBs and he should stop recruiting them just because he cant get anyone else.
As I said before, GS would have issues with Pat White if he was at RU.
The bedrock of the Dockers offense is "be safe - just a cog in the machine."
Tebow was a dual threat QB.
If he went to RU GS would have told him that scrambling was ok but he cant be a runner.
Time will tell. He seemed accurate to me, not a strong arm but led receivers well. I wish we had a package for him when we played in the bowl and we couldn't do anything to stop KS's comeback, maybe a long grinding drive ala Langan would have changed things.
I liked Sheppard & felt all along that he was going to get screwed.
How did he get screwed. He’s not accurate. He wasn’t the answer which is why we went into the portal. He will go to WSU probably make a quick 100k to be a backup them transfer to a MAC school
All QB are bad fits because you know, they want to throw. Malcontents and misfits is what they are.
ESPN says he only got to throw 2 passes in a game - both completions.
He also had 4 carries for 34 yds (8.5 /carry)
They say good coaches tailor a system to fit the players skills and not the player tailored to fit the system.
Guess which way GS rolls? Its not hard!
Sheppard was never the starter, so why would you tailor the offense for someone on the bench?
And that's what they did for our starting QB - Athan Kaliakmanis. You're conspiracy theory is falling faster than a bad souffle...lol.
Furthermore, as a raw, redshirt freshman, Ajani Sheppard was never going to see much time last year. He would not have been QB2 if Surace didn't get hurt. But keep making up stories.
What did they Taylor for AK? They ran the offense. The previous year we could not because our QB could not make the RPO reads, or down field reads.
I think the real point is the O we ran was fine of AS, he just wasn’t good enough to be the guy here. Nothing wrong with that
More RU urban legend re not being accurate. (Join the Townsend drop would have won the game and Hairston was a fumbler) How would anyone on this board know AS' in gaem accuracy? In both spring and real games we didnt see enough to for an evidence based conclusion. I from an opinion basis saw what i thought were gamer potentials, but it was a small sample.
To throw him in with Wimsatt from whom we had a huge sample is unfair. Very little doubt that GS wanted to do right by the elder Surace if things at all close. This was just not the right time and place for AS. No reason to impugn his skills without sample size.
Hoping AS tears it up in Pullman.
To throw him in with Wimsatt from whom we had a huge sample is unfair. Very little doubt that GS wanted to do right by the elder Surace if things at all close. This was just not the right time and place for AS. No reason to impugn his skills without sample size.
Hoping AS tears it up in Pullman.
I have watched him train for years. Since before he even committed to RU. I’d you aren’t accurate on air you aren’t going to be accurate when a DB is draped all over the receiver.
You are the one with the urban legend, back up qb always better & practice doesn’t mean anything only in game performance. There are plenty of posters who have seen Shepard in practice multiple times & he was never going to be a starter
"finished senior season 150-of-242 for 2,393 yards and 21 touchdowns … also added 142 carries for 1,291 yards and 11 scores on the ground … threw for 2,357 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,041 yards and 16 scores as a junior in 2021"---from RU website
So 62% in high school. But training in shorts matters more?
I disagree with your estimation/conclusion from what you watched when a kid worked out in shorts, vs what he did when the lights come on. When he last played as a starter, the assertion you have made is not borne out. It appears unfair to repeatedly post here that AS in inaccurate when there is data to the contrary.
AND all of that disregards potential playmaking abilities separate and distinct from accuracy.
So to conclude, you watched off season workouts and think he is an inaccuate qb not built to be p4 or close starter. That context of how you got there gives us perspective. You're entiled to your opinion, but I don't share it, at least without a whole lot more data, as wahat we have points to the opposite conclusion.
So 62% in high school. But training in shorts matters more?
I disagree with your estimation/conclusion from what you watched when a kid worked out in shorts, vs what he did when the lights come on. When he last played as a starter, the assertion you have made is not borne out. It appears unfair to repeatedly post here that AS in inaccurate when there is data to the contrary.
AND all of that disregards potential playmaking abilities separate and distinct from accuracy.
So to conclude, you watched off season workouts and think he is an inaccuate qb not built to be p4 or close starter. That context of how you got there gives us perspective. You're entiled to your opinion, but I don't share it, at least without a whole lot more data, as wahat we have points to the opposite conclusion.
Throwing passes against high school kids has no bearing when he had to throw passes against B1G defensive backs even in practice & scrimmages
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