There will be a new leader of the quarterback room this fall for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. With Tanner Morgan exhausting his eligibility and currently in training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers will turn their attention to a new era at quarterback.
PROJECTED STARTER: Athan Kaliakmanis (RS SO)
Kaliakmanis is coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he started in five games as Tanner Morgan dealt with concussion-related issues. Kalikamnis, when on the field last fall, did a solid job, completing 60-of-111 passing attempts for 946 yards and three touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown as well.
Kaliakmanis was proficient in play-action passing plays last year but struggled otherwise, which will be something to watch closely for this fall. The Antioch, Illinois native has a high upside; there is little doubt about that, but can he show signs of reaching that ceiling this fall? It may not always be a smooth ride this fall for Kaliakamnis, and there may be some bumps along the way, but there's no doubt he give this Gophers' offense their highest ceiling.
SECOND-STRING: Cole Kramer (RS SR)
The Eden Praire native is entering his fifth year with the program this fall. Through his first four years with the program, he has played in 19 total games and completed 8-of-13 passing attempts for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns to one interception. He also has 42 carries for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
Kramer has a nice dual-threat component to his game and should be a quarterback who can still move the chains for the Gophers if his number is called upon. While he doesn't provide the same upside as Kaliakmanis, he would still be a quality option for the program.
THIRD-STRING: Drew Viotto (FR)
The true freshman quarterback shouldn't see the field at all this fall and is in need of a development season. His senior season of high school ball had its fair share of ups and downs, and his accuracy will need to increase to take a notable step forward for him to be productive at the collegiate level. Viotto, despite the accuracy issues, has a nice bit of upside to his game, but barring necessity, a full developmental year would be best for the Michigan native.
FOURTH-STRING: Max Shikenjanski (FR)
A walk-on as part of the 2023 recruiting cycle, Shikenjanski will be a nice developmental quarterback for the Gophers to use for scout teamwork.
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