Will Rogers transfer rumors: 6 teams that must capitalize on QB re-entering portal
By John Buhler
And just like that, Will Rogers is back in the transfer portal. The long-time starting quarterback of the Mississippi State Bulldogs first hit the portal after Zach Arnett was fired in favor of Jeff Lebby. While he could have flourished in Lebby's Air Raid attack, he decided to pursue other interests. Rogers was initially tabbed as Michael Penix Jr.'s replacement at Washington, but then Nick Saban opted to retire.
Once Saban decided he was done coaching at Alabama, Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer became an obvious head-coaching target for the Crimson Tide. Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne long admired what DeBoer was about coaching out over on the West Coast. While Rogers could follow DeBoer to Tuscaloosa, Alabama still has Jalen Milroe, and he just said he isn't going anywhere.
So what is a poor quarterback to do in this situation? Rogers needs to go back to school to get another degree or something and throw for a ton of yards in the process. His NFL future is suspect at best because of his size, but a great final season of college football could do wonders for his weak draft stock. It is why where he chooses to go now will inevitably decide his future NFL life prospects.
Here are six places where Rogers could play his final season of college football at. Where will he go?
Will Rogers transfer portal: 6 landing spots for Washington's 28-day QB
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders need to be more than a hype machine already
At some point, the Texas Tech Red Raiders need to be more than just a feel-good story under their likable head coach Joey McGuire. Oh, he can recruit, alright. He will show up to all the banquets in his finest suit and look every high school coach in the eye before shaking their hand. I will never deny that he is not elite at that part of the game. It is a crucial one, but so is winning football games in the Big 12.
Historically, Texas Tech has been a great place for undersized quarterbacks to sling it. Rogers is not a big dude, and boy, does he love to sling it! Although Texas Tech is Patrick Mahomes' alma mater, he is the outlier in terms of Texas Tech quarterbacking lore. However, more and more Air Raid concepts have made their way into the NFL. More starts in this system could help Rogers get drafted next year.
Furthermore, with Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, there is a power void at the top of the conference. Assuming Jedd Fisch doesn't leave for a job like Arizona, you would think the Wildcats would be vying for a spot in the conference title bout. Other teams like Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and last year's runner-up Oklahoma State may be in the mix as well. So can Texas Tech.
Rogers helps raise the Red Raiders' ceiling, but the floor is pretty much what he experienced last year.