Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers has found a new home and it’s nearly 2,500 miles away from Starkville.
Rogers, who announced his intention to transfer a day after the Bulldogs’ season ended, was one of the SEC’s most prolific passers during his time at Mississippi State. In four seasons, he threw for 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns, making him the No. 2 passer in conference history. He confirmed to ESPN on Friday that he is shutting down his recruitment and is officially heading to Washington.
NEWS: Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers tells ESPN that he’s committed to transfer to Washington. Rogers is the SEC’s No. 2 all-time passer with 12,315 yards. He has one year of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/TIWOrNb1pG
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 16, 2023
The Brandon native will have big shoes to fill as he looks to replace Heisman runner-up Michael Penix, Jr. Penix, who is looking like a first-round draft pick come April, has led the Huskies to an undefeated record and their second College Football Playoff appearance since the four-team format was implemented in 2015.
Even though Washington still has up to two games left to play, once the offseason officially begins, the backfield in Seattle could look scarily similar to what fans have seen in Starkville over the past couple of years. After pulling former Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson out of the portal last season and turning him into one of the top rushers in the Pac-12, head coach Kalen DeBoer’s staff has shown interest in Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, another former Bulldog running back.
Marks finished an injury-ridden season in 2023 with 573 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 121 carries. A threat on the receiving end, too, he added 167 yards on 23 receptions with two touchdowns. He concluded his four years in Starkville with 3,108 total yards and 27 touchdowns.
The Starkville to Seattle express line isn’t just confined to the offensive side of the ball either. It was reported earlier this week that Washington is considering Decamerion Richardson as a viable option to boost the secondary. Richardson, who like Rogers and Marks has one year of eligibility left, finished his career at Mississippi State with 177 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and one sack.
