Will Rogers discusses Washington’s withdrawal from the transfer portal and QB’s decision to not…

Will Rogers talks about Washington’s removal from the transfer portal and the quarterback’s choice to travel to Alabama without Kalen DeBoer.

The former quarterback for the SEC explains why he chose to stay at Washington.

After first joining the Huskies in early January, former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers is leaving the transfer portal and going back to Washington. The fifth-year senior, who will stay in Seattle under new coach Jeffd Fisch, re-entered the transfer portal following the hiring of Alabama’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer.

Regarding his choice to remain with the Huskies, Rogers cited “some of the individuals at Washington,” as reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “Last season, the squad finished 14-1. It will undoubtedly be difficult to continue where we left off. But I believe that is the reason you travel to Washington. Of course, this is the first conference of its kind. However, I think coach Fisch will be prepared to have us compete at a high level because I have a lot of faith in him.”

Rogers attended Mississippi State for his first four years of college, where he amassed 12,315 yards of passing touchdowns to rank second in SEC history. Among his 43 games with the Bulldogs, he started 40 of them. With 94 career touchdown passes, Rogers ranks fourth in league history and is the only quarterback in SEC history with more than 1,000 completions.

Throughout his four seasons at Mississippi State, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback completed at least 60% of his passes. Rogers’ completion percentage with the Bulldogs was 69% in the end.

Rather than enter the NFL Draft, Rogers chose to return to college football in 2024, using his additional year of eligibility from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He claimed that one of the reasons Fisch decided to stay at Washington was because of his NFL experience.

Per ESPN, Rogers stated, “That is the plan.” “I want to treat you like a professional football player, Coach Fisch told me today. I informed him that was my goal and what I wanted to accomplish.”

Fisch was the head coach of Arizona in the Pac-12 for the previous three years. He had 14 years of experience with different NFL teams and was the quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots prior to that.

“I can not wait to learn from someone with NFL experience who can help me get to the next level and tell me the dos and don’ts.”

Rogers is ranked as the No. 14 quarterback in the current cycle and is rated as a four-star transfer portal candidate. In addition, he is ranked as the 90th best transfer prospect overall.

Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. is expected to enter the NFL Draft in 2024, leaving Rogers as the starting quarterback at Washington. A number of quarterback prospects for the Huskies were lost via the transfer portal, including four-star freshman Austin Mack who left with DeBoer to join Alabama.

Demond Williams, a four-star quarterback, was also signed by Washington through the portal. Williams joined up and enrolled at Arizona State University before Fisch left to become the head coach of the Huskies.

Husky Stadium in Seattle will host Washington’s 2024 season opener on August 31, 2024, versus Weber State.