Louisville Grad Transfer QB Kyle Bolin Commits To Rutgers Football

After backup quarterback Zach Allen tore his ACL last week, Rutgers was left with just one scholarship player for this past weekend’s spring game. Starter Gio Rescigno had a solid performance and incoming freshman Johnathan Lewis will be on campus soon, but the need to add more depth was very important. The staff got even more than that, as they added a player who could end up starting this coming season. Today, Rutgers received great news, as Louisville grad transfer Kyle Bolin committed to the program.

This is a huge pickup for head coach Chris Ash and offensive coordinator Jerry Kill. It’s not everyday you can add a veteran quarterback with power five experience that has started multiple times, including a bowl game. In fact, Bolin is now the most experienced quarterback on the roster next season.

He is set to graduate Louisville this May, which means he will be eligible to play immediately next season. After redshirting as a freshman, he played three seasons for the Cardinals, so he has just one more left to play. Bolin also reportedly received interest from Texas and Cincinnati, among others.

Bolin has a solid arm and is a natural drop back passer. How his pro-style of play will fit into the spread offense of Rutgers remains to be seen, but there should be confidence that Kill will tailor it to his strengths if he wins the job. It is expected that Bolin will compete with Gio and Lewis for the starting position this summer. Even if he doesn’t win the job in training camp, he will be a great insurance policy for the offense, in the event the starter is ineffective or suffers an injury. For a review of all the quarterbacks expected to be on the roster for next season, click here.

Here is Bolin’s stat line during his Louisville career:

2014: 45-78, 57.7 completion %, 716 yards, 9.2 ypc, 4 TD, 3INT

2015: 78-137, 56.9 completion %, 1154 yards, 8.4 ypc, 7 TD, 6 INT

2016: 18-28, 66.7 completion %, 234 yards, 8.7 ypc, 2 TD, 1 INT

For more on Bolin’s career at Louisville, click here.

You have to credit Ash for having a knack at adding power five grad transfers during his tenure so far. They include wide receiver Damon Mitchell, defensive back Ross Douglas, Gus Edwards at running back, Allen at quarterback, and now Bolin. While it remains to be seen how much of an impact each will make this coming season, there is no doubt Ash and the staff are always exploring every option in upgrading the roster. In Bolin’s case, he could end up having a major impact on the field this fall.

I was fortunate to speak with Kyle on his decision to transfer to Rutgers, which you can read here.

Congratulations to Kyle and welcome to the banks!

Note: Bill Greene is a football writer for Scout.