Rutgers football: Artur Sitkowski named starting quarterback

Josh Newman | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption WATCH: Rutgers names Art Sitkowski starting quarterback True freshman quarterback Art Sitkowski will start for Rutgers when it opens the season Sept. 1 against Texas State

PISCATAWAY - From the beginning, Chris Ash said he was not going to drag his three-way open quarterback competition into game week.

The third-year Rutgers head coach flirted with that self-imposed deadline, but in the end, held to it. On Friday afternoon, true freshman Artur Sitkowski was announced as the starter for the Sept. 1 season-opener against Texas State at HighPoint.com Stadium.

Sitkowski, a four-star recruit out of IMG Academy (Fla.) by way of Old Bridge High School, will be the first Rutgers true freshman to start an opener since 2001 when Ryan Cubit was under center against Buffalo. Since 1945, only nine true freshmen have started a game for Rutgers, the last being Gary Nova in 2011.

"I'm really happy with the unit overall," Ash said Thursday evening. "The unit has really elevated its play. It's been very tight. The chemistry has been great, the connection (offensive coordinator John) McNulty's been great. The command of what we want to do offensively continues to improve.

"They're very confident, and they're pushing each other. It's been a great, healthy competition, and our football team is hopefully going to benefit from that whole unit. Regardless of who starts, the unit is going to continue to push each other.

It was thought that Ash would make an announcement after practice on Thursday. Addressing reporters, Ash said he had made his decision, but had not spoken with Sitkowski, incumbent redshirt senior Gio Rescigno and sophomore Johnathan Lewis about it.

Rutgers is not expected to release a depth chart until Monday, but Rescigno, who started 12 games over the last two seasons, is the likely backup. Lewis, who saw action in seven games last season, would be No. 3, but don't rule out some sort of situational, change-of-pace package for the dual-threat.

Things appeared headed this way for some time. Sitkowski enrolled in January, then went through spring practice. He showed flashes during the spring, highlighted by the Scarlet-White Game, where he threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, all to sophomore wide receiver Bo Melton.

With the anticipation cranked up after the spring, Ash pledged a three-way open competition between Sitkowski, Rescigno, and Lewis.

As the process began unfolding during spring ball, Ash, as he generally does, kept things close to the vest. McNulty, who is beginning the first season of his second stint as offensive coordinator, was slightly more transparent. Early in spring practice, McNulty said he felt like he knew where the quarterback situation was headed. He reiterated that point earlier this month as training camp began, but added the decision had become harder than anticipated.

One could deduce from McNulty’s comments alone that Sitkowski was the preferred choice all the way back to the spring, but that is moot at this point.

Starting Sitkowski represents the latest opportunity for Ash to figure out his quarterback dilemma. Of the quarterbacks he previously brought in, TCU graduate transfer Zach Allen never made a dent on the field, three-star dual-threat Tylin Oden was dismissed after one season, and Louisville graduate transfer Kyle Bolin was replaced by Rescigno last season after he was ineffective.

Staff Writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com; @Joshua_Newman