Big Ten Media Days: Gio Rescigno will take first camp snap, but........

Josh Newman | Asbury Park Press

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CHICAGO -- If Rutgers wants to win six games and go to a bowl game for the first time since 2014, it has to improve drastically at quarterback.

Quarterback is the most-important position battle facing Rutgers, which will open Ash's third training camp on Aug. 3, ahead of the Sept. 1 opener against Texas State. Ash knows how critical this decision is, so he's doing it thoroughly.

Three candidates, redshirt senior incumbent Gio Rescigno, true freshman Art Sitkowski, and true sophomore Johnathan Lewis will all get first-team reps in an effort to figure this thing out.

"The guy who will take the very first snap (of camp) will probably be Gio," Ash said. "He’s the guy with the most experience, but we’ve got three quarterbacks that are in the mix and will receive reps with the 1’s to get an opportunity to see who will be our starting quarterback."

"It's just a trust factor at this point," redshirt senior left tackle Tariq Cole said. "I know how some guys play, I know how some guys get nervous. Other guys, I don't have to tell them to calm down, they just do whatever they need to.

"I have to learn them more than they have to learn me."

When spring practice came to an end on April 14, the lasting image was Sitkowski throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns, all to true sophomore wide receiver Bo Melton. That performance, which featured Sitkowski's big arm and several long, accurate passes, fed the already-fat notion he will start from Day 1.

There are obviously positives and negatives to Sitkowski starting. He appears to have the tools, not to mention moxie, to handle the job, but he is obviously inexperienced as a freshman.

Consider for a moment Sitkowski, with one game under his belt, walking into Ohio Stadium to take on Ohio State on Sept. 8. That task for anyone, let alone a true freshman, would likely wind up being as daunting as it sounds.

"The kid, he's just a grinder and he's committed to being the best that he can be," Ash said. "He's always studying football, and he's relentless in his pursuit to soak up knowledge and learn our offense. It's been really impressive.

"He has to earn the trust of the other players, and that takes time. It's takes a lot of reps and it takes time."

"He's confident, he's got that swagger about him," Cole said. "He watches enough film, he listens to the coaches enough to know what he's doing. He's a good quarterback."

Rescigno is the only quarterback of the three candidates to start a college football game. He has played in a total of 16 games over the last two seasons, but it is worth noting he has never won a quarterback competition.

Rescigno lost out to Louisville graduate transfer Kyle Bolin last summer, and Chris Laviano in 2016. In each season, Rescigno took control of the job after the starter was deemed ineffective.

"With all of our quarterbacks, we're not going to have a quarterback that will necessarily beat you with his feet, and has to make the great play, but what a quarterback is going to have to do for us, is be able to get the ball in the hands of other players and let them make plays," Ash said.

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