PISCATAWAY — Mike Bimonte learned the disappointing news two weeks into training camp that redshirt freshman Chris Laviano had won the battle to be Rutgers backup quarterback behind Gary Nova.

As a redshirt junior, the writing was clearly on the wall that Bimonte had little chance of playing quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. Instead of pouting, Bimonte poured himself into his role as the holder on field goals and extra points.

An often-overlooked position, Bimonte stood out as a holder by smoothly handling a number of errant snaps from freshman long snapper Alan Lucy.

"It was more for (kicker Kyle Federico)," Bimonte said. "I really didn't want any recognition. I kind of just wanted to do it and put Kyle in the best position to make the kick."

That attitude is the reason Bimonte earned the "Loyal Knight Award" at the team's banquet on Sunday night. It's also the reason Bimonte will leave on good terms after coming to the decision that he'll graduate from Rutgers in the spring and then transfer for his final season of eligibility.

Bimonte hopes to land at a Division 1-A or 1-AA program, but he's casting a wide net.

"Whoever is interested in me, I'll go from there," said Bimonte, who will be eligible to play next fall. "I'm not going to turn anybody down."

A three-star recruit who starred at Manalapan High, Bimonte will leave Rutgers with nothing but positive memories.

"It was great," Bimonte said. "I've been here for a long time. I thanked (Flood) for everything and he thanked me for everything. I really enjoyed being here. I'm close to home, there's a lot of people from my hometown that come here. Even going back knowing I didn't play as much I would have liked to, I probably wouldn't have changed my decision."

While Bimonte has considered transferring for a while, he only finalized the decision last week in a meeting with Flood. The reality has hit suddenly that the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26 will be Bimonte's final game in a Rutgers uniform.

"That's what I kind of realized at the banquet: This is really dwindling down," Bimonte said. "It's so crazy because it flies by so quickly. I just want to cherish this next week and a half and this last game with all these guys."

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.