Former Bulldogs Quarterback Will Rogers Re-enters Transfer Portal
Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers entered the transfer portal on Nov. 24, 2023, and later committed to Washington. But on Friday, he reportedly re-entered the portal after Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer was hired by Alabama, meaning a return to Starkville, Miss. isn't out of the question.
Rogers had been with the Bulldogs since 2020 and was a staple of the offense since arriving on campus.
Rogers ranks second all-time in the SEC in passing yards with 12,315 and fourth all-time in the SEC in passing touchdowns with 94. Rogers first arrived on campus as the quarterback for the late Mike Leach and thrived in the air raid offense, but has regressed since his sophomore season when he threw for 4,739 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Rogers dealt with an injury during this past season, suffering a shoulder issue in his non-throwing arm in the Bulldogs' win over Western Michigan the first weekend of October. Rogers missed the next four games for Mississippi State. Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright led the Bulldogs to a 1-3 record in Rogers's absence before he returned to the starting lineup in a 41-20 win over Southern Miss.
Rogers' final game for Mississippi State came on Thanksgiving night, with the Bulldogs falling short of an Egg Bowl win. Ole Miss pulling out a 17-7 victory, ended Mississippi State's 13-year postseason streak. Rogers completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 207 yards in the loss and rushed three times for 10 yards and the lone touchdown for the Bulldogs.
Should Rogers return, he'll likely win the starting job, but he'll still have to battle Wright, Chris Parson and potentially incoming freshman Michael Van Buren for it.
Nevertheless, the Bulldogs look a lot different since Rogers transferred, as they're under new leadership with head coach Jeff Lebby, quarterbacks coach Matt Holecek, a yet-to-be-named offensive coordinator and more staffers and players that would make an impact on Rogers' performance.
