Gavin Wimsatt

Last updated

Gavin Wimsatt
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Position Quarterback
ClassJunior
Major Africana Studies
Personal information
Born: (2003-10-29) October 29, 2003 (age 21)
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight227 lb (103 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High school Owensboro (KY)

Gavin Wimsatt (born October 29, 2003) is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. He attended Owensboro High School and has previously played for the Kentucky Wildcats and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Contents

Early life

Wimsatt was born on October 29, 2003. [1] He attended Owensboro High School in Owensboro, Kentucky, gaining the starting quarterback job as a sophomore in 2019. [2] That year, he helped them have a record of 12–2 before losing in the state playoff semifinals to Frederick Douglass, earning second-team all-area honors from the Messenger-Inquirer while totaling 2,792 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns, along with 564 yards and 12 scores rushing. [2] [3] He completed 54.7% of his passes on the year and only threw for 10 interceptions, and began receiving offers from major college football teams afterwards despite having only started for one season. [4] Wimsatt was also active in playing basketball and running track, contributing to Owensboro's regional runner-up team in the former. [4]

As a junior, Wimsatt led his team to a 12–1 record and an appearance in the state championship, being named first-team all-state by The Courier-Journal as he completed 176 of his 295 passes for 2,349 yards and 27 touchdowns, additionally running for 443 yards and six touchdowns. [5] [6] The Owensboro Times named him the state's offensive player of the year and Wimsatt became highly recruited, being ranked the best college recruit from Kentucky, the third-best dual-threat quarterback nationally and the 89th-best player overall. [6] [7] He did not play basketball as a junior, having left the team to focus on football, but continued competing in track, and helped Owensboro win the regional team title while also being the individual region champion in the triple jump. [6]

Prior to the start of his senior season, Wimsatt announced his commitment to play college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the Big Ten Conference, being the highest-ranked quarterback prospect in the team's history. [8] [9] He appeared in three games in 2021, going 46-for-80 passing for 581 yards with six touchdowns before abruptly leaving to enroll early at Rutgers. [10] He finished his time at Owensboro High School having thrown for 5,304 yards and 62 touchdowns. [11]

College career

Rutgers

Wimsatt became eligible immediately at Rutgers and made his debut in their eighth game of the 2021 season, playing one snap against Illinois, on which he threw a 13-yard completion for a first down on fourth down. [12] He played his second game two weeks later against Indiana, recording three rushes for 20 yards. [13] He briefly appeared in Rutgers' loss to Penn State on November 20 and saw his most extensive action against Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl. [14] [15] Against Wake Forest, Wimsatt completed 7-of-16 passes for 30 yards with an interception while running four times for 38 yards. [15] He finished the season with nine completions on 21 pass attempts for 45 yards and 68 rushing yards off nine attempts. [16] [17]

Wimsatt began the 2022 season as a backup, totaling five pass completions on nine attempts with an interception in the first game of the year. [18] He made his first start the following week in the Scarlet Knights' 66–7 win over Wagner, going 4-for-11 for 63 yards passing while running six times for 62 yards. [19] He also threw his first career touchdown pass in the game. [20] It would be one of six starts in eight appearances on the year for Wimsatt. [21] He posted his first start against a Big Ten opponent on his 19th birthday, October 29, completing 6-of-17 passes with a interception in a loss to Minnesota. [22] Wimsatt had his best game of the year in a one-score loss to Michigan State on November 12, posting career-highs with 20 pass completions on 34 attempts for 236 yards with two touchdowns. [23] The following week, he threw for 122 yards and one touchdown in a loss to nationally-ranked Penn State, before closing out the year against Maryland. [24] He finished his sophomore season having completed 65-of-145 passes for 757 yards with five passing touchdowns. [21]

Entering fall camp as a junior, Wimsatt was named Rutgers' starting quarterback for the 2023 season. [25]

Kentucky

After the 2023 season, Wimsatt transferred to Kentucky. [26]

On December 9, 2024, Wimsatt announced that he would enter the transfer portal for the second time. [27]

Jacksonville State

On January 5 2024, Wimsatt decided to transfer to Jacksonville State. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Lorenzen</span> American football player (1981–2019)

Jared Raymond Lorenzen was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the New York Giants. He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, where he set the school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns, and was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2004. At 285 lb (129 kg), Lorenzen was the heaviest quarterback to play in the NFL. He was nicknamed "The Pillsbury Throwboy" and "Hefty Lefty" because of his weight and being left-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike White (quarterback)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Michael White is an American professional football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Florida Bulls and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. White was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent one season, before joining the New York Jets the following year. A backup during his first three seasons, White did not see any playing time until 2021 in relief of injured starter Zach Wilson. He later replaced Wilson as the starter near the end of the 2022 season before being sidelined by injuries himself. White has also played as a backup for the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Boyle (American football)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Timothy Kevin Boyle is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UConn Huskies and Eastern Kentucky Colonels and signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Boyle has also played for the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins.

Joshua Leo Youngblood is an American college football wide receiver and kick returner for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. He previously played at Kansas State and at Rutgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Wilson</span> American football player (born 1999)

Zachary Kapono Wilson is an American professional football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the BYU Cougars and was selected second overall by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL draft. Wilson served as the Jets' starter during his first three seasons, but inconsistent play led to him being traded to the Broncos in 2024.

Tyler Jamal "T. J." Finley is an American football quarterback for the Tulane Green Wave. Finley attended and played high school football at Ponchatoula High School in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and began his college career at LSU before transferring to Auburn the following year and then would transfer to Texas State two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cade McNamara</span> American football player (born 2000)

Cade McNamara is an American college football quarterback who most recently played for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He previously played for the Michigan Wolverines, winning a Big Ten Conference title as the starting quarterback in 2021, and was a backup behind J. J. McCarthy in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailey Zappe</span> American football player (born 1999)

Bailey Michael Zappe is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first three seasons of college football for the Houston Baptist Huskies and used his last year of eligibility with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, where he set the FBS season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Zappe was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft and mostly served as backup until becoming their primary starter near the end of the 2023 season.

D'Wan Terence Mathis is an American college football quarterback for the Davenport Panthers. He began his career at Georgia in 2019 and transferred to Temple in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Levis</span> American football player (born 1999)

William Donovan Levis is an American professional football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and Kentucky Wildcats before being selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Petras</span> American football player (born 1999)

Spencer Petras is an American college football quarterback for the Utah State Aggies. He previously played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2018 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle McCord</span> American football player (born 2002)

Kyle Allen McCord is an American college football quarterback for the Syracuse Orange. He previously played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrett Guarantano</span> American football player (born 1997)

Jarrett James Guarantano is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and Washington State Cougars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Milroe</span> American football player (born 2002)

Jalen Oluwaseun Isaiah Milroe is an American football quarterback who played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Howard (American football)</span> American football quarterback (born 2001)

Will Howard is an American football quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He began his college football career at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. J. Warner</span> American football quarterback (born 2003)

Elijah "E.J." Warner is an American college football quarterback who most recently played for the Rice Owls. He previously played for the Temple Owls. He is the son of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. He played the first two seasons of his career with the Temple Owls before transferring to Rice University, where he will play for the Rice Owls starting in the 2024 NCAA football season.

Cole Robert Snyder is an American football quarterback who plays for the Eastern Michigan Eagles. He previously played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Buffalo Bulls.

Logan Smothers is an American college football quarterback for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Artur Sitkowski is an American college football coach. He is the assistant quarterbacks coach for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since 2024. He played college football for the Illinois and Rutgers.

Evan Michael Simon is an American football quarterback for the Temple Owls. He previously played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

References

  1. Dyer, Kristian (October 31, 2022). "Rutgers football: It is hard to believe that Gavin Wimsatt just turned 19-years old this weekend". USA Today .
  2. 1 2 Patton, Kevin (July 12, 2020). "Owensboro's Wimsatt up for the challenge". Henderson Gleaner . p. A1, A3 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. "High School Football". Messenger-Inquirer . November 28, 2019. p. C7 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. 1 2 Story, Mark (June 16, 2020). "Wildcats face fierce battle for recruit Gavin Wimsatt". Lexington Herald-Leader . p. B1, B2 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. Frakes, Jason (September 4, 2021). "Friday Night Rewind: Owensboro QB Gavin Wimsatt leaving school to enroll at Rutgers". The Courier-Journal .
  6. 1 2 3 Pickens, Jim (August 20, 2021). "Humble Hero". Messenger-Inquirer . p. S1, S2 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. Dixon, Tyler (December 29, 2020). "OT Offensive Player of the Year: Owensboro's Gavin Wimsatt". The Owensboro Times .
  8. Iseman, Chris (April 10, 2021). "QB Wimsatt commits to Rutgers". The Herald-News . p. S1 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. Mathis, Mark (April 10, 2021). "Wimsatt commits to Rutgers". Messenger-Inquirer . p. B1, B3 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. Pickens, Jim (December 25, 2021). "Wimsatt's departure top story of 2021". Messenger-Inquirer . p. B1 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. Nalwasky, Chris (April 19, 2022). "Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt shares freshman year experience, spring game next". Rivals.com .
  12. Dyer, Kristian (October 31, 2021). "Did Gavin Wimsatt just revive Rutgers season?". USA Today .
  13. Dyer, Kristian (November 14, 2021). "Greg Schiano explains plan for freshman quarterback Gavin Wimsatt in Indiana win". USA Today .
  14. Iseman, Chris (November 20, 2021). "Rutgers offense can't get anything going in blowout loss to Penn State | 5 takeaways". Asbury Park Press .
  15. 1 2 Dyer, Kristian (January 4, 2022). "Rutgers football: 12 reasons for optimism in 2022". USA Today .
  16. Iseman, Chris (April 19, 2022). "'It gives me chills': Why Gavin Wimsatt can't wait to play in Rutgers' spring game 2022". Asbury Park Press .
  17. Thamel, Pete (August 30, 2022). "Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt returns after playing high school and college games in a wild 2021". ESPN.
  18. Fonseca, Brian (September 5, 2022). "Rutgers-Boston College film review: Dissecting RU's QB rotation, revamped OL debut, relentless defensive front". NJ.com.
  19. Deren, Bobby (September 10, 2022). "Gavin Wimsatt makes first start at Rutgers". 247Sports .
  20. Dyer, Kristian (September 10, 2022). "Watch: Gavin Wimsatt throws his first ever touchdown pass...and makes it look effortless". USA Today .
  21. 1 2 Fonseca, Brian (August 3, 2023). "Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt is 'much more confident' after offseason 'transformation,' being named starter" . NJ.com.
  22. Fonseca, Brian (October 29, 2022). "Rutgers' Gavin Wimsatt makes 1st Big Ten start in loss to Minnesota: Here's how QB, Rutgers offense did". NJ.com.
  23. Fonseca, Brian (November 13, 2022). "Why Rutgers' Gavin Wimsatt took 'big step forward' in loss to Michigan State". NJ.com.
  24. Dyer, Kristian (November 19, 2022). "What we learned as Rutgers football lost to No. 11 Penn State". USA Today .
  25. Olinger, Daniel (August 1, 2023). "Big Ten Roundup (August 1): Rutgers Names Starting Quarterback, Nebraska TE Coach Resigns". Sports Illustrated .
  26. Roush, Nick (May 7, 2024). "Former Rutgers Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt Transfers to Kentucky". On3. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  27. Roush, Nick (December 9, 2024). "Kentucky QB Gavin Wimsatt Enters the Transfer Portal". On3.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  28. Peery, Wade (January 5, 2025). "Kentucky transfer quarterback Gavin Wimsatt commits to Jacksonville State". On3.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.