PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Following a team vote, LB , QB , DL and OL were selected as the 2025 Rutgers football captains. The group leads the Scarlet Knights into Thursday's season opener versus Ohio. Kaliakmanis also served as a captain last year.
DARIEL DJABOME
An All-Big Ten Third Team selection in his first season as a starter, Djabome ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 8.1 tackles per game in 2024. He totaled 105 stops overall, the first Scarlet Knight to reach triple figures since Olakunle Fatukasi in 2020, the fifth-most in a season under head coach and second-most among returning Big Ten players. Djabome paced Rutgers in tackles in 7-of-13 games and had five outings with 10 or more. That included a high of 14 stops in the wins over Howard and Minnesota. The Longueuil, Québec, Canada, native owned a team-high 7.5 tackles-for-loss, posting sacks versus Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan State and Kansas State. He added forced fumbles versus Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Djabome was a finalist for the Cornish Trophy, which honors the top Canadian in college football, and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
ATHAN KALIAKMANIS
Kaliakmanis, a member of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, enters his second season with the Scarlet Knights after starting all 13 games in 2024. The quarterback completed 213-of-395 passes (53.9 percent) for 2,696 yards and 18 touchdowns in becoming the first Rutgers passer to reach 2,000 yards in a season since 2015 and accumulated the most passing yards since 2014. He was the only Big Ten player to attempt all its team's passes. For his career, he has played in 36 games with 5,480 passing yards and 41 touchdowns accounted for (35 passing, six rushing). Now a two-time team captain, the offense averaged 28.9 points per game for the season, the best mark since 2008. The unit converted on third down at a clip of 44 percent, the team's best mark in the Big Ten era, and picked up 293 first downs, the second-most in a season in program history.
JORDAN WALKER
Walker is coming off a season where he tied for the team lead with four sacks and second with seven tackles-for-loss. That included a sack in the end zone for a safety in the win over Minnesota. Now in his fourth year with the Scarlet Knights, the Rochester, New York, native entered the program as a walk-on on the offensive side of the ball before switching over and being rated as the No. 14 defensive end in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus in 2024. He is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
GUS ZILINSKAS
Voted honorable mention All-Big Ten each of the past two seasons, Zilinskas enters 2025 with 36 collegiate games of experience and 29 starts (26 consecutive). That included starting all 13 games at center last year in helping the Scarlet Knights to 28.9 points per game, the best mark since 2008, and 4,975 yards of total offense, fourth-most in a season in program history. He was rated as the No. 8 center in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus. The team rushed for 175.3 yards per game to place third in the Big Ten for the program's best placement since joining the league. In addition, the offense permitted two or less sacks in 9-of-13 games with none allowed five times and converted on third down at a clip of 44 percent, the team's best mark in the Big Ten era. Zilinskas was part of an offensive line that earned a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll and is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. The Englewood, Colorado, native was previously selected to the Rimington Trophy watch list and the Shrine Bowl 1000.
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a second straight winning season, posting a program-high points per game in the Big Ten era. The 2025 campaign, which starts Aug. 28 versus Ohio, opens with four consecutive games at SHI Stadium for the first time since hosting five in a row to begin 2007.
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