The Mississippi State Bulldogs fired their head coach before the Egg Bowl and then lost to their hated rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving. Now, the Bulldogs might need to prepare to watch quarterback Will Rogers leaving the program thanks to the transfer portal.
Rogers, 6-foot-2, never quite fit in the new Bulldogs’ offense. Following the death of Mike Leach, changes were made to the coaching staff and a more pro-style system was brought in. Rogers’ numbers plummeted, as he finished with a career-worst 59.9 percent completion rate with the second-lowest QB rating in his career.
- Will Rogers stats 2023: 1,626 passing yards, 12-4 TD-INT, 46.6 ESPN QBR, 130.9 QB rating, 6.9 ypa
Now, following Thursday’s loss to the Rebels, it appears that Rogers is ready to leave the program he’s been committed to for more than six years.
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According to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sportz, Rogers intends to enter the transfer portal. After four seasons with Mississippi State, Rogers is eligible to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 4 because the Bulldogs fired head coach Zach Arnett, clearing the way for the graduate transfer quarterback to leave immediately
Rogers, a 6-foot-2, quarterback has been tied to Mississippi State for years. He originally committed to the Bulldogs in January 2018, enrolling two years later and becoming one of the best Bulldogs’ quarterbacks in recent history. Now, he’s reportedly poised to find an opportunity elsewhere.
Now, let’s examine a few potential landing spots for Rogers in 2024.
Will Rogers transfer landing spots
A majority of Will Rogers’ success in college came in the Air Raid system. From 2021-’22 with Mike Leach, he threw for 8,713 passing yards with a 61-17 TD-INT ratio and completed over 70 percent of his passes. While he does have some familiarity with a more pro-style offense, his best fit seems to be with a spread system.
- Will Rogers college stats (2020-’23): 12,315 passing yards, 94-28 TD-INT, 69.3 percent completion rate, 6.6 yards per attempt, 138.0 QB rating
Keeping that in mind, here are a few college football teams that could be in the mix for Rogers.
- Auburn Tigers – The first season with Hugh Freeze was a disappointment, but it also doesn’t help to have quarterbacks who can’t consistently make plays and execute the scheme. Rogers isn’t a ceiling-raser and he won’t put Auburn in the mix to win double-digit games, but he would be a good enough quarterback in this altered spread system to at least help the Tigers challenge for eight wins in 2024.
- Miami Hurricanes: Tyler Van Dyke just never replicated his play from the breakout 2021 season, with interceptions (12) proving especially costly this year. With Van Dyke not committed to returning in 2024, Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson could go after a quarterback who has excelled in a version of the Air Raid offense.
- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Matt Rhule watched as Nebraska’s quarterbacks struggled just to protect the football and complete even half of their passes this season. It’s put the Cornhuskers football program at a point of desperation, just seeking competent play from their starting quarterback. Rogers might not be the perfect fit for Nebraska’s more pro-style scheme, but he can at least be an effective starter. Considering the Cornhuskers, lost once in overtime this season and dropped three other games by three points apiece, Rogers could make a huge difference in 2024.
