Athan Kaliakmanis selected by Washington Commanders in 2026 NFL Draft
Rutgers Football quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is going to the Washington Commanders, as the franchise took him in seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 223 overall selection. The former Scarlet Knight will join a quarterback room that features Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota and will likely be in a reserve role, as he develops.
This also marks the fifth consecutive year with at least one NFL Draft pick for the Scarlet Knights, tying the program record set from 1981 to 1985, the only other time in program history with five straight years of draft selections.
Kaliakmanis was a bit of an interesting prospect, as he has multiple years as a starting quarterback in the Big Ten between two programs. However he proved his worth this past season, and some of the NFL Draft Analysts took notice of his game.
“Athan Kaliakmanis was named Gatorade Player of the Year while at Antioch Community High and won a state title in the long jump (19 feet 6 inches),” Dane Brugler writes in his The Beast draft guide for The Athletic. “A four-star recruit, he committed to Minnesota over other Big Ten programs and became the full-time starter in 2023. He transferred to Rutgers for his final two seasons and reunited with former Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca (Rutgers’ O-coordinator). He made clear improvements from his junior to senior seasons.
Kaliakmanis let it loose as a senior, showing better base mechanics and a more dialed-in downfield touch (28 completions of 20-plus yards in 2025, one behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza). His accuracy and pocket presence also looked different for much of 2025, although that wasn’t the case against better opponents on the schedule (Oregon, Ohio State).
“Kaliakmanis has functional physical tools for the next level, and his decision-making and accuracy took enough of a jump in 2025 that he should have a legitimate chance to make a roster in camp.”
More on former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis
Kaliakmanis is the first Rutgers passer to be drafted since Mike Teel went in the sixth round to the Seattle Seahawks back in 2009. He leaves the Scarlet Knights as the program’s seventh all-time in both passing yards with 5,820 and passing touchdowns with 38 total.
Beyond his career totals, Kaliakmanis made his mark in the Rutgers Football record books with a standout 2025 season, throwing for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns, both ranking fourth in program history for a single season.
Stay tuned to see where the other former Scarlet Knights end up getting drafted or signed, as we put together our one stop shop Rutgers Football NFL Draft / Free Agency Tracker here.
💬 Wondering what other Rutgers fans are saying?
Head to The Round Table and jump into the discussion →
