Has Schiano, with his yearly qb competition, ruined AJ’s chances to play FBS football

RU677381

Senior
Apr 21, 2010
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When Gavin was here, Rutgers toLD HIM to the portal closing, that he would not win the qb battle. By bringing in Dylan, it was obvious that AJ was in possible jeopardy. It must have been more so as time went on. Does AJ have a chance to play FBS football with the number of years eligibility he has left?
 

NBKnight

Heisman
Jul 8, 2008
24,721
15,621
61
When Gavin was here, Rutgers toLD HIM to the portal closing, that he would not win the qb battle. By bringing in Dylan, it was obvious that AJ was in possible jeopardy. It must have been more so as time went on. Does AJ have a chance to play FBS football with the number of years eligibility he has left?
Different situation, Gavin participated in spring practice and it was after that he was told that they were going with Athan. There was a spring portal window back then. He still has two years of eligibility after this season. He can enter the portal after the season. He probably will have to go the G6 route.
 
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ClassOf02v.2

Heisman
Sep 30, 2010
13,883
15,390
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It’s crazy to me how there’s a portion of this board who seems to feel like AJ was slighted in some way. This is big boy college football. With what amounts to unlimited free agency every year, every team is looking to upgrade pretty much every position every season.

I wish everyone the best, including AJ. And I hope he kicks *** should he get the opportunity to do so this year. But I don’t want a less talented guy (even if just marginally) given the reins due to loyalty and not merit.
 

RU Jeep

Junior
Jul 7, 2025
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Lonergan missed multiple games last year. AJ is 1 play away from being the starter at a P4 school.
Surace will be on the field for sure this year, its just a matter of for how long and in what capacity. No chance we get another injury free 2 seasons like Athan gave us. Also , no guarantee that Lonergan can handle the job (I hope he can). Question is premature.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
13,292
78
Surace will be on the field for sure this year, its just a matter of for how long and in what capacity. No chance we get another injury free 2 seasons like Athan gave us. Also , no guarantee that Lonergan can handle the job (I hope he can). Question is premature.
If AJ comes in because of poor performance by Lonergan, that likely means the season spiraled out of control. We’re not losing to UMass or Howard. Lonergan would have to bomb in the BC game.
 
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tru2ru1

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Feb 5, 2003
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When Gavin was here, Rutgers toLD HIM to the portal closing, that he would not win the qb battle. By bringing in Dylan, it was obvious that AJ was in possible jeopardy. It must have been more so as time went on. Does AJ have a chance to play FBS football with the number of years eligibility he has left?
Newsflash......Every College team has a yearly QB competition to find out who the best player is, you act like Schiano does something no other coach does!
 

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
34,859
51,164
113
It’s crazy to me how there’s a portion of this board who seems to feel like AJ was slighted in some way. This is big boy college football. With what amounts to unlimited free agency every year, every team is looking to upgrade pretty much every position every season.

I wish everyone the best, including AJ. And I hope he kicks *** should he get the opportunity to do so this year. But I don’t want a less talented guy (even if just marginally) given the reins due to loyalty and not merit.
absolutely nuts!
 

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
34,859
51,164
113
If AJ comes in because of poor performance by Lonergan, that likely means the season spiraled out of control. We’re not losing to UMass or Howard. Lonergan would have to bomb in the BC game.
agree and Greg has been clear, he does not want the starter looking over his shoulder
 

Caliknight

Hall of Famer
Sep 21, 2001
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Lonergan was almost always going to start. He most assuredly got paid to come, is a P5 starter who has perceived upside. Money needs to be on the field.

It was always an uphill battle for Surace. But Schiano did him no favors by not getting him live game reps last year when he had the chance. Lonergan has this year and next to play. If he performs adequately, I can't see how Surace doesn't transfer.
 

Redrich66

Junior
Sep 19, 2025
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Lonergan was almost always going to start. He most assuredly got paid to come, is a P5 starter who has perceived upside. Money needs to be on the field.

It was always an uphill battle for Surace. But Schiano did him no favors by not getting him live game reps last year when he had the chance. Lonergan has this year and next to play. If he performs adequately, I can't see how Surace doesn't transfer.
Hey Dad, got room for one more?
 

Shelby65

All-Conference
Apr 1, 2008
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it’s life in the big city. fine to feel bad for Surace but he’s owed nothing. Shelby criticizes the HC about plenty, but not this.

However if DL was promised the job and didn’t earn it, that wouldn’t be right.
 

DHajekRC1984

All-Conference
Jul 20, 2025
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I will support the QB decision because I think unlike years past this is Kirk making the call.
But you all act like Greg is some QB qenius. He has a poor history in this area and it took a $2mm OC to fix it.

I imagine we'll see both play a bit but Dylan is the guy right now. So good luck. Having 2 guys who can play if needed is a better spot than where RU typically is.
 
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PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
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it’s life in the big city. fine to feel bad for Surace but he’s owed nothing. Shelby criticizes the HC about plenty, but not this.

However if DL was promised the job and didn’t earn it, that wouldn’t be right.

Unless the TKR report when Duff was retained wasn’t true, I highly doubt it. Greg is loyal as we saw with Gavin to a T - I’m sure he’d have loved to see Surace win the job but Richie made it sound like the way we convinced KJ to stay was by assuring him that an experienced QB would be brought in to compete with AJ. We wanted to keep Duff so we agreed. Went ahead and shelled out the money for someone with legit power experience. Perhaps Greg would’ve preferred to save the money for another lineman and roll with AJ, but it was a sunk cost at the point when the decision was made.
 

RUTGERS95

Heisman
Sep 28, 2005
34,859
51,164
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Unless the TKR report when Duff was retained wasn’t true, I highly doubt it. Greg is loyal as we saw with Gavin to a T - I’m sure he’d have loved to see Surace win the job but Richie made it sound like the way we convinced KJ to stay was by assuring him that an experienced QB would be brought in to compete with AJ. We wanted to keep Duff so we agreed. Went ahead and shelled out the money for someone with legit power experience. Perhaps Greg would’ve preferred to save the money for another lineman and roll with AJ, but it was a sunk cost at the point when the decision was made.
you know who said this on the boards a month before don't you? as a matter of fact, not conjecture

I've been digging through old threads. I should get paid! jk
 
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Shelby65

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Apr 1, 2008
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Unless the TKR report when Duff was retained wasn’t true, I highly doubt it. Greg is loyal as we saw with Gavin to a T - I’m sure he’d have loved to see Surace win the job but Richie made it sound like the way we convinced KJ to stay was by assuring him that an experienced QB would be brought in to compete with AJ. We wanted to keep Duff so we agreed. Went ahead and shelled out the money for someone with legit power experience. Perhaps Greg would’ve preferred to save the money for another lineman and roll with AJ, but it was a sunk cost at the point when the decision was made.
To Shelby, the Gavin treatment wasn’t loyalty, it was pride and insecurity and the perception of his star recruit being a bust. Eventually he had no choice but Gavin being the starter for as long as he was was not about loyalty.
 

RUgal

Senior
Oct 15, 2025
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Richie made it sound like the way we convinced KJ to stay was by assuring him that an experienced QB would be brought in to compete with AJ. We wanted to keep Duff so we agreed. Went ahead and shelled out the money for someone with legit power experience.
Do you remember where this was said? I went back and watched the pods about Lonergan committing and Duff coming back but didn’t catch that comment.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
13,292
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Do you remember where this was said? I went back and watched the pods about Lonergan committing and Duff coming back but didn’t catch that comment.
I’m not positive. It actually may have been discussed in one of that talked about Ian Strong leaving.
 
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PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
13,292
78
To Shelby, the Gavin treatment wasn’t loyalty, it was pride and insecurity and the perception of his star recruit being a bust. Eventually he had no choice but Gavin being the starter for as long as he was was not about loyalty.
Maybe loyalty wasn’t the right word. After convincing Gavin to give up his final year of HS to come here, Greg was going to give him every chance possible to succeed.

This QB battle had some similarity in AJ’s favor, but also some differences that worked against him.
 

Caliknight

Hall of Famer
Sep 21, 2001
197,394
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Unless the TKR report when Duff was retained wasn’t true, I highly doubt it. Greg is loyal as we saw with Gavin to a T - I’m sure he’d have loved to see Surace win the job but Richie made it sound like the way we convinced KJ to stay was by assuring him that an experienced QB would be brought in to compete with AJ. We wanted to keep Duff so we agreed. Went ahead and shelled out the money for someone with legit power experience. Perhaps Greg would’ve preferred to save the money for another lineman and roll with AJ, but it was a sunk cost at the point when the decision was made.
If he wanted Surace to start, he should have played him when he had the chance.
 

willisneverrana43

All-American
Jul 26, 2001
11,032
7,006
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When Gavin was here, Rutgers toLD HIM to the portal closing, that he would not win the qb battle. By bringing in Dylan, it was obvious that AJ was in possible jeopardy. It must have been more so as time went on. Does AJ have a chance to play FBS football with the number of years eligibility he has left?
Do you have any other positions on the team as to which you believe that bringing in players to compete for the starting position is ruining players chances? Should RU recruit one player per position so as to not ruin players chances to play FBS football? If you think AJ is now without a chance to play FBS football, do you think he stinks? Do you think he can’t win back the job or transfer like Lonergan? Do you have the same feelings about the other back-ups on the team? Are their chance at FBS football over?
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
13,292
78
If he wanted Surace to start, he should have played him when he had the chance.

You keep making statements like this as if a glaring mistake was made by our coaching staff last year.

What “chance” are you referring to that would’ve addressed Duff’s concerns? Do you really think throwing him on the field for a series at the end of the OSU game with the outcome in hand was going to move the needle? Even that game was 21-3 deep into the 3rd quarter. OSU hadn’t pulled their starters. Expecting Greg to throw Surace out there at that point is not reasonable. So what are we talking about - maybe one “opportunity” for a series. in the waning minutes of that game? AJ played in the two most lopsided games - Norfolk and Oregon.
Most of our games were within 2 scores into at least the 4th quarter. Back ups don’t get an opportunity to show their stuff anywhere in that situation. They might get on the field for the last series to hand the ball off once the outcome is in hand, but that’s it.

Again, Ryan Day’s back up QB threw 14 total passes last season (compare that to AJ’s 9 - plus two more intended attempts where he was sacked). OSU was in a lot more lopsided games than us. In Lonergan’s first season with Saban, no QB threw more than 10 passes outside of the USF game that the starter missed. Don’t misunderstand - extra reps are never a bad thing, but your off base in suggesting Greg screwed this up. His decisions were very much in line with what most top tier coaches typically do.
 

PSAL_Hoops

Heisman
Feb 18, 2008
14,028
13,292
78
Don’t let minor facts get in the way of a good point

Yup. If Lonergan could go into BC with no live game experience and beat out their returning QB who had just led their team to a 3-1 finish down the stretch in the ACC, AJ can certainly play his way onto the field somewhere too.
 
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