Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis declares for 2026 NFL Draft
Rutgers Football quarterback Athan Kaliakmis has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced via social media. He is coming off two seasons with the Scarlet Knights after transferring in from Minnesota.
Kaliakmanis began his college career at Minnesota in 2021, where he was recruited by and worked with Offensive Coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca for two seasons. Ciarrocca went on to leave Minnesota for the Rutgers OC job in 2023 and he would follow him to the Scarlet Knights prior to the 2024 season.
Now, Kaliakmanis is preparing to take his talents to the next level, as he released a statement announcing his intentions to declare for the draft.
“The past several years have been defined by growth, adversity and unforgettable experiences,” Kaliakmanis wrote in his post. “Both Rutgers University and the University of Minnesota have been so much more than football me – they’ve been home. Thank you Minnesota for believing in a young kid from Antioch and helping him lay the foundation for who eh is today. My time there will always be an important part of my journey.
Thank you to Rutgers University for the opportunity of a lifetime. A special thank you to coach Schiano, coach Ciarrocca and the entire Rutgers staff for your belief, guidance, and commitment to my development both on and off the field. Being the captain and quarterback of the Scarlet Knights will always be one of my proudest honors.
Thank you to my teammates, who have become brothers for life. The journey is the destination and sharing it with you each and every day is what made it truly special. A thank you to Rutgers nation. You have brought more joy to my family and I than I could ever hope to bring you. Forever a Scarlet Knight! Thank you! More importantly, thank you to my family for your constant love, sacrifices, and support. You have all of this possible with that, I’m excited to take the next step in my football journey and pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the National Football League.”
Kaliakmanis just completed his fourth season of college football and it was arguably his best to date, as he finished the season throwing 3,124 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 62.2% of his passes. He also rushed for four more touchdowns on the year.
Now Kaliakmanis is out of eligibility, but he has a decent shot at the NFL Draft according to a few draft analysts, here’s what PFF’s Trevor Sikkema had to say about his draft odds earlier this season.
“So to me, Kaliakmanis is somebody that I was sort of late to the party, even like getting him on my radar from an NFL draft perspective. What I have watched so far feels like the best of DVD of what we have seen from him and if he’s able to continue this throughout the rest of the season, it’s something that he’ll be in draft conversations. But if he dips back to sort of more of what he was last year, that’s where you wonder if he ends up getting drafted after all.”
If Kaliakmanis were to get drafted this upcoming spring, he would be the first Rutgers quarterback to do so since Mike Teel went to the Seattle Seahawks with the 178th pick in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
💬 Wondering what other Rutgers fans are saying?
Head to The Round Table and jump into the discussion →
