Leonte Carroo

Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo announced that he will return to play for coach Kyle Flood next season.

((William Perlman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com))

DETROIT — As wild as the celebration was on the field, it was nothing – by all accounts – compared to what happened in the locker room soon after the Quick Lane Bowl victory.

Kyle Flood asked his star receiver if he wanted to address the team, and then told him to stand on a chair so everyone could hear what he wanted to say. Leonte Carroo quickly confirmed what many already had known or expected, but that didn't make the roar any less intense.

“Everyone was going crazy,” Carroo said a few minutes later. He looked relieved and excited about the prospects of one more season at Rutgers and what it might do for his draft status – and what this team might accomplish.

Really, this was far bigger than the 40-21 victory over North Carolina for the Rutgers program. Carroo will be a good NFL receiver, and deciding to wait an extra year to begin that career goes against the trend in college football. Players want to get to the league as soon as possible and start the clock ticking toward their second contract and bigger payday, and avoid the type of injury that could derail it entirely.

That Carroo and, just as significantly, tackle Keith Lumpkin are coming back for another season is huge news. It is hard not to look at some of the pieces this team has, with a loaded backfield with Josh Hicks (202 yards in the bowl), Robert Martin (100 yards) and the return of injured Paul James, plus Carroo and other young receivers, Lumpkin put it best:

“The talent is there.”

But is the quarterback? That's the biggest question facing these Scarlet Knights now, and we might discover that the player so many fans couldn't wait to get rid of all these years was pretty good after all.

Gary Nova played his last game, ending an up-and-down career with a pair of gems – a comeback against Maryland that was the best in school history and a blowout against the Tar Heels for his first bowl win.

The three candidates to replace him are Chris Laviano, Gio Rescigno and Hayden Rettig. Most around the program believe that Rettig, a strong-armed transfer from LSU, has the tools to win the job in the spring.

He might, and he's certainly shown flashes during practice. He has the pedigree, if you believe in the recruiting services that had him as a four-star recruit or the 3,400 yards and 40 touchdowns he threw as a senior in Los Angeles.

Still: He hasn't throw a live pass in two years. Until he performs in a game, Rutgers won't know if it has the answer or if the quarterback situation is going to be a free-for-all in Nova's absence.

“Whoever's next up, God bless him,” defensive tackle Darius Hamilton said. “This is a tough job. When everything goes right, you're the man. When everything goes wrong, it's all on your shoulders. You have to look no further than Gary to know that.”

Rettig certainly would benefit from the stability if offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen decides to return for a second year. Friedgen, 66, said after the Maryland victory that he would make a decision about his future after the season.

Maybe seeing the promising weapons will make that decision easier. If not, not only will the new quarterback face the challenge of becoming a college starter for the first time, he'll have to master a new offensive system.

He'll have eight months now to get started. The transition begins now and will continue through the spring, and Flood has to hope that someone will emerge as the clear leader heading into training camp when there will be plenty of storylines to follow.

Will James return healthy and assume his spot as the No. 1 running back? Will Hicks or Martin challenge him? Will some of the other athletes in the backfield shift to another position? Will Carroo, already one of the most productive receivers in Rutgers history, take his performance to another level?

And, most of all, who will emerge as leader of this offense and can he make the most of his weapons? The talent is there. Is the quarterback?

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood nearly drowns in post-game celebration 16 Gallery: Rutgers coach Kyle Flood nearly drowns in post-game celebration

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.