For the second time in lower than a month, Will Rogers is again within the switch portal, The Athletic has realized Friday. After committing to Washington on Dec. 15, the quarterback re-entered the switch portal following coach Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama.
Washington QB Will Rogers has re-entered the portal as a grad switch, @TheAthletic has realized.
The Mississippi State switch is again in the marketplace after HC Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. SEC’s all-time chief in move makes an attempt and completions.
— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 13, 2024
Rogers was the No. 20-ranked participant obtainable in The Athletic’s switch portal rankings when he dedicated to the Huskies. After beginning 40 video games for Mississippi State and placing up over 12,000 yards with 96 touchdowns in his profession, Rogers seemed to be heading to Washington because the nationwide runner-up’s successor to Michael Penix Jr.
As a substitute, Rogers will as soon as once more be in search of a brand new dwelling for his last yr of remaining eligibility.
The Huskies had 5 extra gamers enter the switch portal Friday in mild of DeBoer’s departure: beginning cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, beginning defensive again Mishael Powell, newly signed linebacker Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt switch), new tight finish Tre Watson (Fresno State switch) and backup quarterback Will Haskell.
Rogers’ pool of doubtless faculties has shrunk because of the timing within the offseason. Earlier faculties to choose up a brand new passer within the portal embrace Ohio State (who nabbed Will Howard from Kansas State), Boise State (Malachi Nelson from USC), Oregon (Dante Moore from UCLA), Duke (Maalik Murphy from Texas), Florida State (DJ Uiagalelei from Oregon State) and UCF (KJ Jefferson from Arkansas).
Why Rogers is coming into the portal
This can be a difficult state of affairs for a newcomer who believed he was going to be the following beginning quarterback at Washington. Rogers re-entering the portal is a brilliant transfer within the sense that it permits him to renew communication with different coaches (together with DeBoer) and discover his choices within the occasion he’s not the fitting match for Washington’s subsequent coach.
If offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is promoted to the top job, for instance, it’s simple to see Rogers staying in Seattle. It’s additionally attainable the following coach of Washington will wish to usher in a unique switch quarterback to guide this system in 2024. We’ve already seen that happen on this carousel cycle when QB Aidan Chiles adopted Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to Michigan State.
If Rogers desires to flip to a different staff, he’ll seemingly have to maneuver shortly to satisfy enrollment deadlines. That’s why it made sense to place his identify in now earlier than the Huskies made a rent. — Max Olson, senior school soccer author
What’s Washington’s QB state of affairs?
Past Rogers, the Huskies’ teaching employees believed they’d two promising younger QBs of their program in true freshman Austin Mack and incoming four-star freshman Dermaricus Davis. Mack, a giant 6-foot-6, 226-pound passer, was a four-star recruit within the 2023 class and 247Sports thought-about him a top-100 prospect.
Whoever lands the Washington job ought to be happy by what they’re inheriting right here, although it’s seemingly there will probably be faculties attempting to steer them to enter the portal as nicely. This a unstable time and Washington gamers can enter the portal for the following 30 days because of the teaching change.
It’s going to be necessary for first-year AD Troy Dannen to get this rent accomplished comparatively shortly to assist maintain this gifted roster collectively. — Olson
Required studying
(Photograph: Justin Ford / Getty Photographs)
