Athan Kaliakmanis is a quarterback and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota and the University of Rutgers. A native of Antioch, Illinois, Kaliakmanis played his high school football at Antioch Community High School and was recruited to Minnesota, where he served as a backup before earning starting opportunities late in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. His 2023 campaign as the full-time starter in Minneapolis produced 1,838 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, but he entered the transfer portal after the season and followed offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca to Rutgers, reuniting with his brother Dino, also a wide receiver with the Scarlet Knights. At Rutgers, Kaliakmanis became the unquestioned starter and delivered consistent production, throwing for 2,696 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2024 and setting a new career best in 2025 with 3,124 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions on a 62.2 percent completion rate, his senior season ranking fourth in program history in passing yards. He was a two-time team captain, earned multiple Academic All-Big Ten honors, and participated in the 2026 Hula Bowl. His career totals across Minnesota and Rutgers reached 8,604 passing yards and 65 total touchdowns.
Measured at approximately 6-4 and 212 pounds, Kaliakmanis carries prototypical quarterback size and a strong arm capable of working at all three levels, with a deep ball that he displayed in his memorable 338-yard, four-touchdown finale against Penn State. He is of Greek descent, is known for his leadership presence and his ability to elevate teammates, and his steady year-over-year improvement across four collegiate seasons demonstrates the kind of coachability that NFL teams value in developmental players. His completion percentage climbed consistently throughout his career as he became more comfortable operating within NFL-style concepts, and his experience under multiple coaching staffs in the Big Ten gives him foundational knowledge of diverse offensive systems. Kaliakmanis held formal visits with multiple NFL teams in the pre-draft process and projects as a late-round selection or priority undrafted free agent with the physical profile and developmental track record to compete for a backup role at the professional level.
