Rutgers football: Handicapping the Scarlet Knights quarterback battle
By Ed Stein
The race is on
There are few guarantees other than competition. Here is a look at how the contenders stack up.
Longshots
Austin Albericci – He may be the longer of the two long shots. Albericci wasn’t recruited highly by many Division-1 schools. Like several of the other candidates, the Demarest, NJ native ran a pro-style offense in High School. As a senior, he threw for more than 2500 yards and 31 TD’s, while running for 11 more scores.
Cooper Heisey – The 6-4 signal-caller went to Wyoming Seminary Prep in Kingston, PA. Heisey turned down several Division II scholarship offers to attend Rutgers as a preferred walk-on. Although he threw for over 3000 yards his senior season, none of the major recruiting sites had him rated. Hey, Baker Mayfield was a walk-on, twice.
In the Picture
Cole Snyder – Hailing from Jamestown, New York, Cole Snyder was First Team All-State in 2018. Football isn’t his first love, but he excelled at it throwing for over 5,000 yards in his high school career. That led to him becoming a three-star recruit. Snyder is cool under pressure and a great athlete. He’s still a bit raw, so a redshirt might not be the worst thing in the world. He has the potential however to run the Scarlet Knights offense one day.
Late Scratch
Johnny Langan – As of now, Langan is a non-factor. The NCAA still has not ruled on his 2019 eligibility after he applied for a hardship transfer from Boston College last spring. If he were eligible, Langan would be a consideration because he’s got lots of talent. The former Bergen Catholic star was ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals, 24/7, and ESPN.
At 6-4, 220 pounds, he’s got prototype size. Langan has a good arm and is a dual-threat to run the ball as well. Had McLane not come to the program, Langan might have gotten a better shot to unseat Sitkowski (if he became eligible) this summer.