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A look at Rutgers’ QB situation: Nothing but questions behind Noah Vedral
By Nick Schultz
Published:
There’s no question that Noah Vedral will be Rutgers’ starting quarterback this season.
The senior started 7 of 9 games last year, completing 136 of 221 passes with 9 TD throws. But he also threw 8 interceptions, which tied for third in the Big Ten.
Still, he’s QB1 this season. It gets a little complicated behind Vedral, though.
Artur Sitkowski, last year’s primary backup and a former starter at Rutgers, transferred to Illinois. Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano still hasn’t named a backup for this season. He has a couple options. Here’s a breakdown:
Noah Vedral, senior
Vedral had a solid year in 2020 despite several nagging injuries. An ankle injury kept him out of the season finale; before that, he played through a broken thumb and a sprained wrist.
He said he’s back to 100 percent for this season, and the Scarlet Knights offense could be poised for a leap forward if that’s the case. All 11 starters are returning, which is why Vedral’s health could be a game changer. Having that stability is key if Rutgers wants to improve off last year’s 3-6 season.
With stability in the coaching staff — offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Sean Gleeson is back for a second year under Schiano — it could be a better year on that side of the ball.
“Our ability now to let [Gleeson] be creative by knowing the base offense and know all the stuff he wants us to know fundamentals-wise, once you have that on lock he can go on and be creative,” Vedral said, “adding a lot of things and tweaking things. Now it doesn’t throw us for a loop. We know what the base is and now it is a small tweak on what the base offense was. And I think [it enhances] his ability to be creative and open and free flowing with this play-calling.”
Cole Snyder, redshirt sophomore
Snyder has only thrown 3 passes in his college career, all of which came in 2019. His only appearance in 2020 was at holder.
Now, he’s competing to be the No. 2 quarterback.
He saw action in the spring game, going 13-for-16 for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although his experience is limited, he’s still seen more snaps than redshirt freshman Evan Simon.
But he said he thinks it’ll still be a tough competition.
“All the quarterbacks have had the same amount of time in the offense, so I think as we continue to go through installs, all the quarterbacks are feeling a little bit more comfortable,” Snyder said after the spring game in May. “Coach Gleeson feels more comfortable to put stuff on our plate. I think all the quarterbacks are doing really well, and absorbing everything that Coach Gleeson has to offer.”
Evan Simon, redshirt freshman
Simon didn’t see the field last year as a freshman. In fact, his only collegiate action came in the spring game this offseason when he went 9-for-16 for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The former 3-star recruit can also use his legs — he rushed for 930 yards and 15 TDs during his senior year of high school. With his skill set, it might not be hard for him to adjust to the college game.
The lack of experience just adds to the intrigue. But Simon said he’s focused on getting better — not just personally, but as a team.
“We’ve had plenty of time to go over the offense,” Simon said. “Lots of practices, meeting time, lots of help from other players. From last year to this point, I think a lot of big steps have been taken, not only by me but by the offensive line, the skill guys, all around. Just a lot of development has come about.”
So, who should be Vedral’s backup?
Even though the season is set to start in just a few weeks, Schiano is still sorting through his options behind Vedral.
He can go with Snyder, who has at least some collegiate experience. Or he can go with Simon, the youngster with the diverse skill set.
“They know what’s at stake,” Schiano said. “Too early to really make any judgment on anything. … You only get two scrimmages. That is all we ever did anyway but now it is a rule, and I like to think that they are our preseason games.”
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.