There will be a quarterback competition in Piscataway this offseason.
Rutgers has signed Boston College quarterback transfer Dylan Lonergan, a former four-star prospect who started his college career at Alabama, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media on Monday. The 6-foot-2, 211-pounder from Georgia has two years of eligibility remaining.
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Lonergan will compete with redshirt sophomore AJ Surace — who will return to Rutgers next fall, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media — for the starting position this offseason.
The son of Princeton coach Bob Surace, the Notre Dame High School product had long been seen as the heir apparent to the starting position after learning behind former Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who ran out of eligibility after this fall.
But head coach Greg Schiano made it clear last month across multiple public comments that Surace, who played just 34 snaps across three appearances in two years as a backup, would have to earn the starting spot.
“I love AJ, I think he is a very talented, committed player,” Schiano said in mid-December. “I don’t rule out anything as far as ‘is there going to be something that we do in the portal with a quarterback?’ Maybe. I don’t know. We are always looking, but I am confident. AJ has worked really hard. But there will be a competition.”
Surace will be battling with another former highly-ranked recruit looking for a career reset.
Lonergan fits the mold of Kaliakmanis, a former four-star quarterback in his own right who came to Piscataway after his career stalled at Minnesota. In two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, he threw for 5,820 yards, 48 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on 57.9% passing (442-of-763) across 25 starts, cementing his place as one of the best quarterbacks in program history.
Lonergan began his career at Alabama, where he committed to Nick Saban as the 12th-best quarterback prospect in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. But the 6-foot-2 signal-caller barely played during his two years in Tuscaloosa, completing 7 of his 8 pass attempts for 35 yards in 33 snaps across three games, per ProFootballFocus.
Lonergan transferred to Boston College ahead of the 2025 season, reuniting with Bill O’Brien, who was the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide when he committed there. In his lone season with the Eagles, the Georgia native threw for 2,025 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions on 66.9% passing (190-of-284) while rushing for 73 yards, a touchdown and four fumbles on 22 non-sack carries.
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Lonergan had an up-and-down season in Chestnut Hill.
A majority of his production (1,019 yards, 10 touchdowns) came in three games against Fordham, Michigan State and Georgia Tech. In a four-game stretch against California, Pittsburgh, Clemson and Notre Dame, he did not throw a single touchdown and tossed three interceptions. At multiple points in the year, he was benched for back-up Grayson James.
Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca will look to unlock Lonergan’s potential the way he did for Kaliakmanis, who he had previously recruited to Minnesota. Surace, meanwhile, will have the advantage of learning Ciarrocca’s system over the past two years.
And no matter who wins the competition, Rutgers will have dependable depth at the most important position on the field.
