The January transfer portal is fully underway, with teams and players making significant moves ahead of the upcoming season. One of those moves involves a former Alabama Crimson Tide redshirt sophomore who has transferred to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, a program that recently lost its starting quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, to the NFL Draft.

The player in question is former Alabama and Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan, who committed to Rutgers after just one season with the Eagles. During his stint, Lonergan completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 2,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. After redshirting with Alabama earlier in his career, he now has two years of eligibility remaining.

Following Kaliakmanis’ departure, Dylan Lonergan is expected to compete with quarterback AJ Surace for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ starting role heading into the new season. However, Surace is not Lonergan’s only competition, as redshirt freshman Sean Ashenfelder and true freshman Xavier Stearn are also in the quarterback room.

Dylan Lonergan, a former four-star recruit, was ranked the No. 182 overall prospect and the No. 16 quarterback nationally in the 2023 recruiting class. He originally committed to Alabama as part of that class and still has two years of eligibility remaining.

Lonergan’s move to Rutgers is not surprising given his existing connections within the program. He reunites with senior offensive analyst John McNulty, with whom he worked during his time at Alabama. He also has ties to offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who tried to recruit Lonergan to Penn State during his high school career and built a strong relationship with him during the process.

His addition is welcome news for a Rutgers offense that has recently retained key contributors, including running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff, following the transfer departure of receiver Ian Strong. Whoever head coach Greg Schiano picks as the starting quarterback will have big shoes to fill, as Kaliakmanis, who threw for 3,124 yards with a 62.2% completion rate and 20 touchdowns last season, established himself as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the program’s history after transferring from Illinois.

With Dylan Lonergan’s admission, Rutgers looks like it is ready for next season

The 2025 season was disappointing for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, to put it mildly. Head coach Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights faithful endured a difficult campaign that ended with a 5-7 record. As a result, change became inevitable, and Schiano’s recent recruiting moves suggest a clear intent to reset the program’s trajectory.

Rutgers has not only added quarterback Dylan Lonergan but also brought in cornerback Zahmir Dawud, who spent the previous three seasons at Villanova. The 6-foot, 185 lb Dawud is a North Brunswick native and North Brunswick High School graduate. He serves as an early replacement in the secondary following the departures of cornerbacks Bo Mascoe and Jacobie Henderson to the transfer portal.

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The defensive reinforcements continued with Rutgers landing a commitment from Jaedin Lee, a defensive lineman from the Maine Black Bears. During the 2025 season, Lee posted a 71.4 run-defense grade according to Pro Football Focus and delivered his strongest performance in a win over Merrimack, recording seven tackles. His defensive snap count rose sharply from 73 in 2024 to 435 in 2025, reflecting his increased role and development.

Lee is expected to add depth to Rutgers’ defensive line rotation and will also have the option to redshirt if needed as he adjusts to the Big Ten level.