James: Mississippi State QB Will Rogers Is Having the Most Underrated Season in College Football
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In a conference dominated by quarterbacks such as Alabama's Bryce Young and Georgia's Stetson Bennett, Will Rogers of Mississippi State is quietly putting up some of the best numbers for a signal-caller this season.
Rogers solidified that this past weekend with a solid 42-24 win over No. 17 Texas A&M in Starkville, where he threw 31-45 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns.
In a stacked FBS division such as the SEC West, Rogers currently leads the conference in passing yards (1,715), completion percentage (73.08) and passing touchdowns (19). As a starter, he has thrown at least one passing touchdown in 23 of his last 24 games.
Since being put in the driver's seat in Mike Leach's Air Raid offense as a freshman, Rogers has made a name for himself across college football. The signal-caller currently ranks third nationally in passing yards, trailing UTEP's Frank Harris by just nine yards. To put that into perspective, Rogers has thrown for more yards than quarterbacks such as Young, as well as other Power 5 Heisman-contenders C.J. Stroud and Caleb Williams. Yet, Rogers is mentioned a lot less than his counterparts.
Mississippi State has only played five games so far this season, but Rogers is putting up one of the best quarterback performances for the Bulldogs in years.
He is the third player in school history to surpass 8,000 yards of total offense, and he is second in school history with 66 career passing touchdowns. Dak Prescott holds the school record with 70, so the record will likely be broken soon.
Rogers isn't the only reason why the offense has succeeded so far this season. His receiving corps and offensive line have improved so the Air Raid offense is starting to click together more than ever before. Even in losses, the offense is still totaling hundreds of passing yards.
Head coach Mike Leach has seen Rogers grow as a student-athlete in various ways during his time as a Bulldog.
"He’s definitely improved," Leach said after the Bulldogs' victory on Saturday. "He’s gotten better at utilizing the weapons around him more quickly and more decisively. There is a rhythm of timing that goes on. He’s doing a better job of getting back on balance [...]. He was younger and some of our players developed."
If the Bulldogs keep playing like they did last Saturday, Mississippi State could be a daunting team to play against in the SEC, and Rogers is the key to that success. While there is still a lot of football to be played, he is statically putting up one of the best quarterback performances in college football. It's safe to say that Rogers deserves more national recognition for the work he puts out on the field every week.
