Rutgers QB Dylan Lonergan talks decision to join Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Football got some welcome news on Jan. 5 when quarterback Dylan Lonergan decided to transfer from Boston College to the Scarlet Knights.

Lonergan appeared in 13 games for the Golden Eagles with nine starts, completing 190-of-284 passes (66.9 percent) for 2,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also spent two years at Alabama after coming out of high school as a consensus four-star recruit.

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The Snellville, Georgia native entered a quarterback room consisting of junior AJ Surace and sophomore Sean Ashenfelder, understanding he would have to compete for the starting job.

“I think nowadays nobody really knows what to expect with the portal,” Lonergan said. “The decision to come here was a no-brainer. I think competition is competition. I went through it last year, and I’m not afraid of it. It’s not like I’m against another person; we’re all working together to be the best as a team.”

Lonergan explained how head coach Greg Schiano did not sugarcoat anything and expressed his excitement working alongside his fellow signal callers.

“He told me exactly what it was gonna be, I knew it was gonna be a competition,” he said. “We’re all excited and come to work every single day to compete against each other and make each other better.”

Lonergan described how his up-and-down time at Boston College helped prepare him for his next journey with the Scarlet Knights.

“I’ve learned a lot and faced a lot of adversity,” he said. “I think last year helped me grow a lot, between being off the field, getting pulled, and then getting back onto the field. So, it was a really good year for me in that way, and I think it’s gonna help prepare me to face whatever I’m gonna face in the future.”

He also discussed what went into his decision to head to the banks.

“This was my second time through the portal, so I already had a little bit of experience with it,” Longergan said. “It’s a really fast-moving process, but Rutgers reached out early, and I took my first visit here and was blown away by the facilities and coaching. I loved it and knew this was the spot for me.”

The battle between Lonergan and Surace should be an interesting one, considering the Georgia product has experience on his side as a senior who made two stops at Power Four schools. However, Surace entered his third year in the program, enriched with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca’s system.

Lonergan talked about what it has been like learning Ciarrocca’s system, and how he looks to improve in it every day.

“It’s pretty different from what I’ve done in the past, but I think I’ve picked it up really well,” he said. “Obviously, I’m still trying to grow and learn every single day, but being out on the field makes it a lot easier.”

He also discussed how the development of former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis played a role in his decision.

“In my recruiting process, that came up while talking with coach Ciarrocca,” Lonergan said. “I think what he was able to do teaching Athan that offense and how he was able to perform definitely helped me make the decision to come here.”

Lonergan talked about whether he felt his starting experience helped give him a leg up in the competition.

“I think it definitely helps,” he said. “But at this point, I’m coming in and learning a new system, so I’m just working every day to be the best player I can be.”

Perhaps Rutgers’ biggest move during the offseason was retaining wide receiver KJ Duff, who had a breakthrough sophomore season with 60 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. He also made possibly the catch of the year in the Scarlet Knights’ season-finale against Penn State.

Lonergan explained what it has been like working alongside KJ and the type of leader he has shown himself to be.

“KJ is KJ, and he’s gonna do what he does; he’s a great leader and player,” he said. “But I’m really excited about everyone in the room, they’ve all shown really good things from the moment I got here, and I’m excited to keep building a relationship with them.”

He also discussed his relationship with Surace.

“It’s been really good, we’ve gotten to know each other a lot,” he said. “We’ve hung out in and out of the facility with all the quarterbacks, so I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of them.”

As a newcomer to the program, Lonergan understood that building relationships early on was key to ingratiating himself with the team.

“It’s tough, you gotta come in and kind of get out of your shell,” he said. “You can’t come in and try to boss everyone around, you gotta earn respect, and that’s what I’ve tried to do. Just come in, go to work, get to know the guys, and hang with them on and off the field.”

Lonergan described how his time at Alabama also helped him grow into the person he is today.

“It was an awesome experience being there for two years under coach Saban,” he said. “You learn something new every day under him, and he was really awesome to play for. You learn a lot about life, being a man, and growing up. Going there was great, but now I’m focused on here.”