BREAKING NEWS:Minnesota Vikings QB enters transfer portal

QB Athan Kaliakmanis of Minnesota declares he is going to the transfer portal.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (AP) — After his first full season as a starter, sophomore quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis of Minnesota announced on Tuesday that he will use the transfer portal to exit the program.

Social media posts by Kaliakmanis stated that leaving his fellow Gophers teammates was “the most difficult part” of his decision, and that playing with them “has been the honor of all honors.” With two years of eligibility left, Kaliakmanis chose to leave because the coaching staff intends to hold a competition for the starting position the following season.

Due to an injury to Tanner Morgan, a five-year starter, the Antioch, Illinois native started five games as a freshman last season. In a road victory over rival Wisconsin, Kaliakmanis completed the regular season with a career-high 319 yards and two touchdowns passing, but he was never able to replicate that performance in 2023.

In 12 games, Kaliakmanis racked up 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Gophers (5-7), who had a dismal season and qualified for the bowl despite a dearth of six-win teams. He averaged 153 passing yards per game and had a 53.1% completion percentage. Cole Kramer, a senior in his fifth year of eligibility, served as his backup.

After two years with the Gophers, Kaliakmanis will have accumulated 2,784 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He was a four-star recruit out of Illinois when he joined the Gophers. After starting five games as a freshman in 2022, he redshirted in 2021 and this season took over as the team’s full-time starter. There are still two years left on his eligibility.

Drew Viotto and Max Shikenjasnki are the two rookie quarterbacks for the Gophers. Cole Kramer, a redshirt senior, is another one of them. It’s likely that P.J. Fleck, the head coach, will search the transfer portal for Kaliakmanis’ replacement.

This season, the bowl-eligible Gophers finished 5-7. This was just their second sub-.500 season under Fleck, excluding the 2020 season that was cut short due to COVID-19. On December 3, the bowl matchup will be revealed.

After three seasons in Minnesota, Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis declared on Tuesday that he intended to use the transfer portal.

In a tweet, Kaliakmanis stated, “After several days of discussion with my family, I am announcing my intention to enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility left.”

In 2023, the redshirt sophomore’s first season as the Gophers’ full-time starter, he had moments of difficulty. For the 5-7 Gophers this season, Kaliakmanis passed for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

In the loaded 2021 recruiting class that now includes several highly sought-after quarterbacks expected to enter the upcoming draft, Kaliakmanis was ranked 26th among quarterbacks. According to 247Sports, the Antioch, Illinois native was a four-star recruit.

“Thank you to the Minnesota coaching staff who believed in me before I ever stepped foot on this campus,” Kaliakmanis said. “To all of the Gopher supporters, please accept my sincere gratitude for allowing me to be a part of this amazing university and community. You all welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I will always cherish Minnesota, a place that over the past three years has undoubtedly contributed greatly to my development as a man and as a player.”

Drew Viotto, a rookie quarterback, also declared his intention to use the transfer portal.

The announcements were made just one day after it was revealed that the Gophers had extended a transfer offer to Max Brosmer, the top passer in New Hampshire.