Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano kept the announcement of this season’s quarterback a big secret. In fact, no one knew Noah Vedral would be leading the Scarlet Knights until he came out onto the field at Michigan State. Rutgers has not had a consistent quarterback since Gary Nova, who was recruited by Schiano. In fact, Rutgers has had a new starting quarterback every year since Nova graduated in 2014. Moreover, it was rare to see any of the subsequent “starting” quarterbacks actually start every game of their season.
Rutgers has been in need of a strong quarterback for six years, and that is why all eyes are on Vedral. He won’t be able to solve the issue of bringing in a new guy each year, as he is a graduate transfer, but he might be able to do big things for the Scarlet Knights in the 2020 season. Let’s see what he’s done, and what he might be able to do for Rutgers.
Vedral’s background
Rutgers is Vedral’s third school he has played at. The quarterback started at UCF, playing his freshman year in the 2017 season there. Vedral appeared in eight games that season, but not as a starter. He played decently, completing 22 of 29 passes that season, when the team went 13-0. However, this was Vedral’s only year at UCF. He actually followed then-UCF-head coach Scott Frost to Nebraska when he took over the head coaching job there. Vedral is a Nebraska native and accompanied Frost back to his home state to play for the Cornhuskers.
At Nebraska, Vedral was a redshirt freshman for the 2018 season but was granted eligibility to play starting mid-October and played just half of one game. In 2019, he was injured and only appeared in six games. He racked up 524 yards, 418 passing and 106 rushing, proving he’s pretty dynamic.
Transition to Rutgers
Vedral, who graduated with a degree from Nebraska in just three years, will spend his last two eligible seasons at Rutgers as a graduate transfer student. Vedral said the biggest component of his decision to transfer to Rutgers is the new coaching staff. He specifically cited Schiano and offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson to ScarletNation.com as factors.
“I like the tempo [Gleeson] is going to play with, I think I do well with tempo and I think the culture Greg Schiano is going to build is one I want to be a part of,” Vedral said. “I am really excited and it is a really great opportunity and I am looking forward to getting to work.”
Vedral as a Scarlet Knight
Vedral has started all three games of the season so far this year. Although he was never the No. 1 guy at either of his previous schools, he has stepped into the leadership role smoothly. He averages 155.7 yards a game and has logged three touchdown passes. He led the Scarlet Knights to a season opener victory over Michigan State and has kept them competitive in their two losses. If Vedral can keep up the consistent, smart play he has demonstrated, Rutgers football should be looking at more wins this season.
Photo by The Daily Targum
I am a junior Communication major at Villanova University, with specializations in Journalism and Media Production. My Instagram is @bridgethyland_.