What is your assessment of Will Rogers and his legacy?....

[thekimmer]

T&L show today took a look back at Will Rogers and his career. Specifically how he stands to statistically be one of the best QBs in State history and a very good SEC QB but does not get the recognition he deserves even among many state fans.

So how does the pack sees Will Rogers? All opinions welcome. Here is mine.

I'm kind of on the fence. My assessment is he is a good solid QB but not a great one. I think his numbers are inflated by scheme and longevity. To me he is best characterized as kind of a dichotomy of doing some things above average and some below. What he does very well is make good reads and consistently throw the football with a high degree of accuracy within a limited range if given a fairly clean pocket. This has served him pretty well for multiple years. But what he does not do well is throw vertically or make plays with his feet. He still tends to roll into an approaching outside rush instead of stepping up in the pocket and then his instinct is often to turn his back and run backward to escape pressure. I'd put him way below Dak and maybe a couple of other former QBs but definitely in the top 5.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Ask me after the egg bowl

 

[Johnnie Come Lately]

I think this year will tell us a great deal.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

To be a fair assessment he needs to go through his senior season. If we go 9-4 I think he'd be cemented as a top 5. If we got 6-7 not so much.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

His book isn't completely written yet. This season will go a long way towards defining his legacy. A couple of things:

- Physically, he isn't very imposing, so he's already behind the 8-ball as far as what the sheep are going to think;
- He's very accurate, that's his strong suit;
- He's got presence, and people like that tend to find themselves in good situations, such as him walking into a situation as a freshman that led to him starting for 4 years.

He's an average QB so far. To be remembered as more than that, he has to take a jump. Sometimes he holds on to the ball too long, and we know his arm limitations. To me, he's got to adopt the Brady/Brees style - drop back, throw the ball quickly and accurately, no screwing around. He will have the line to protect him this year, so it's got to happen now.

 

[BigDawg0074]

He is accurate out to about 35 yards. He makes good pre-snap reads and knows his safety valves. His legs are a detriment although he’s not particularly slow. He’s clearly not a confident runner and is hesitant to make a move when he needs to sometimes. His legacy will be a good career and bunch of records but we will still be left longing for another Dak Prescott rather than another Will Rogers.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

This season will definitely clarify some things. From the small amount I have read the offense changes are very disconcerting. I have heard mention of RPO type plays. We have definitive proof that he should never go down field where he could come in contact with someone because that ball is coming out. If there is space where he could slide that is 80/20 the ball will not be on the ground. Therefore there is no R in the PO and calling those plays makes no sense.

He is a West Coast Offense type QB. He is a very good WCO type QB. If the coaches don't use him with his strengths in mind and are married to a system they like, It will be disasterous. He is the best short to mid range passing QB MSU has had in my knowledge of MSU football starting in 1978.

 

[QuadrupleOption]

He's not the athlete that Fitz or Dak were, but he belongs up there in the conversation as one of the best QBs in the modern era of MSU football (1990 - now).

My top 5 modern-era QBs:
1) Dak
2a/b) Rogers / Fitz
4) Madkin
5) Tyler Russell

Honorable Mentions: Sleepy (injury killed his career) and Taite.

If we'd won the Egg Bowl in 2020 or 21 there'd be no question. If we win this year I think he's definitely up there.

I just think people don't appreciate how accurate Rogers is with the ball. We'll get the opportunity to find out with an offense that is designed to push the ball downfield. I believe we will be pleasantly surprised.

EDIT: I'm rating QBs from 1990 until today, not previous QBs. We have had some great ones in the past too.

 

[Shmuley]

T&L show today took a look back at Will Rogers and his career. Specifically how he stands to statistically be one of the best QBs in State history and a very good SEC QB but does not get the recognition he deserves even among many state fans.

So how does the pack sees Will Rogers? All opinions welcome. Here is mine.

I'm kind of on the fence. My assessment is he is a good solid QB but not a great one. I think his numbers are inflated by scheme and longevity. To me he is best characterized as kind of a dichotomy of doing some things above average and some below. What he does very well is make good reads and consistently throw the football with a high degree of accuracy within a limited range if given a fairly clean pocket. This has served him pretty well for multiple years. But what he does not do well is throw vertically or make plays with his feet. He still tends to roll into an approaching outside rush instead of stepping up in the pocket and then his instinct is often to turn his back and run backward to escape pressure. I'd put him way below Dak and maybe a couple of other former QBs but definitely in the top 5.

I think he will make a helluva coach. I look forward to watching him start his coaching career.

 

[She Mate Me]

The most consistently accurate thrower in school history.

He's had some incredibly efficient and productive games in his career. 2021 UK and Auburn come quickly to mind. He has also struggled mightily against good defenses at times, but that's not a rare thing.

I can't easily call him Top 5 yet, but one more good year and he's there. The other sure things and candidates are Dak, Jackie Parker, Felker, Bond, Marler (short career). Quite a few others who had great qualities, but glaring weaknesses.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

Right now I’d have him neck and neck with Fitzgerald in our history. Not THE guy like Dak was, but a good player that won a lot of games and put up quality stats for us. We frankly don’t have many QB’s in our history like that, he is one of the few.

I was at the 2021 Auburn game and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of our QB’s totally command the game like Will did that day. Arguably not even Dak. Now what separates Dak is that he was able to rack up more frequent big time performances than Will, and Dak was maybe the most gifted locker room leader we’ve ever had. But as others have said, we do need to see what happens this year.

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Haters. But if he excels this year I would put him slightly ahead of Fitz. It would take a special year to get to Dak status. But I kind of expect a better season than most expect. If he plays poorly in this new offense I will call him a system QB

 

[thekimmer]

This season will definitely clarify some things. From the small amount I have read the offense changes are very disconcerting. I have heard mention of RPO type plays. We have definitive proof that he should never go down field where he could come in contact with someone because that ball is coming out. If there is space where he could slide that is 80/20 the ball will not be on the ground. Therefore there is no R in the PO and calling those plays makes no sense.

He is a West Coast Offense type QB. He is a very good WCO type QB. If the coaches don't use him with his strengths in mind and are married to a system they like, It will be disasterous. He is the best short to mid range passing QB MSU has had in my knowledge of MSU football starting in 1978.

One of my fears is that this season will go the way Fitz senior season did.

 

[LOTRGOTDAWGFAN]

He's not the athlete that Fitz or Dak were, but he belongs up there in the conversation as one of the best QBs in the modern era of MSU football (1990 - now).

My top 5 modern-era QBs:
1) Dak
2a/b) Rogers / Fitz
4) Madkin
5) Tyler Russell

Honorable Mentions: Sleepy (injury killed his career) and Taite.

If we'd won the Egg Bowl in 2020 or 21 there'd be no question. If we win this year I think he's definitely up there.

I just think people don't appreciate how accurate Rogers is with the ball. We'll get the opportunity to find out with an offense that is designed to push the ball downfield. I believe we will be pleasantly surprised.

EDIT: I'm rating QBs from 1990 until today, not previous QBs. We have had some great ones in the past too.

tyler russell was a major disappointment for me. I loved watching chris relf play.

 

[kired]

I'm excited to see what we get from him this year. But one thing is for certain - I'll always respect how he came in and ran an offense almost no one believed we could succeed in running. I was never a fan of us switching to Leach and the air raid, but it was more successful than I ever expected. Rogers has been through one hell of a roller coaster. Thrown into the fire as a freshman in the all SEC covid season (no gimme warmup games), his head coach and mentor passing away, and now having to learn a new offense before his senior year. If he can have a good season - he'll be near the top of the list in my book.

 

[BigDawg0074]

This season will definitely clarify some things. From the small amount I have read the offense changes are very disconcerting. I have heard mention of RPO type plays. We have definitive proof that he should never go down field where he could come in contact with someone because that ball is coming out. If there is space where he could slide that is 80/20 the ball will not be on the ground. Therefore there is no R in the PO and calling those plays makes no sense.

He is a West Coast Offense type QB. He is a very good WCO type QB. If the coaches don't use him with his strengths in mind and are married to a system they like, It will be disasterous. He is the best short to mid range passing QB MSU has had in my knowledge of MSU football starting in 1978.

Supposedly Barbay is keen on adapting to the players he has on roster at the moment. Perhaps that limits his playbook somewhat but we know there is talent to be taken advantage of. I think the TE situation is a bigger question than what Rogers can do.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

tyler russell was a major disappointment for me. I loved watching chris relf play.

Russell would be more revered if Dak hadn’t come along at basically the same time. Tyler was the one QB under Mullen where I didn’t feel like Dan did enough to play to his strengths. He would have thrived in an Air Raid type system. We should have played more wide open with Russell at QB, Perkins at RB, and WR’s like Bumphis, Lewis, a young De’Runnya and Fred Ross, etc.

I think many associate Tyler with the “We Believe” team and that probably didn’t help his legacy. And then he was hurt almost the whole season in 2013. He did give us an incredibly gutsy start against Arkansas in a game we absolutely had to win.

 

[QuadrupleOption]

tyler russell was a major disappointment for me. I loved watching chris relf play.

I liked watching Relf too but Russell was a better QB than Relf.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

If we win 9-10 including the bowl this year then he is a top 5 quarterback in MSU history

 

[DirtyDog]

T&L show today took a look back at Will Rogers and his career. Specifically how he stands to statistically be one of the best QBs in State history and a very good SEC QB but does not get the recognition he deserves even among many state fans.

So how does the pack sees Will Rogers? All opinions welcome. Here is mine.

I'm kind of on the fence. My assessment is he is a good solid QB but not a great one. I think his numbers are inflated by scheme and longevity. To me he is best characterized as kind of a dichotomy of doing some things above average and some below. What he does very well is make good reads and consistently throw the football with a high degree of accuracy within a limited range if given a fairly clean pocket. This has served him pretty well for multiple years. But what he does not do well is throw vertically or make plays with his feet. He still tends to roll into an approaching outside rush instead of stepping up in the pocket and then his instinct is often to turn his back and run backward to escape pressure. I'd put him way below Dak and maybe a couple of other former QBs but definitely in the top 5.

For the most part, I agree with you. His strength is his character, leadership, and accuracy. However, his stats are a bit inflated due to running the Air Raid. I watched him struggle with pressure again and again. He doesn't step up in the pocket well and doesn't have the foot speed to roll out and throw on the run. I throw stuff at my TV when he turns his back on the rusher loses even more yards rather than just going down on the play. His maturity will need to override that instinct for him to be better. It will be interesting to see his evolution in a new offense. I wish him the best. He is an easy young man to root for.

 

[onewoof]

his biggest legacy will always be how much he liked the average guy

 

[thatsbaseball]

If we win 9-10 including the bowl this year then he is a top 5 quarterback in MSU history

If we win 10 games this year he ought to be in the running for the Heisman Trophy,

 

[lazlow]

Well, his leading returning target is a 5'8" RB and he's surrounded by a bunch of 5'8 - 5'9" WR's. (Walley is the giant of the bunch 5'11"). I think this is the year.

 

[Mobile Bay]

I think this year will tell us a great deal.

This year will absolutely determine if he is a good QB or has many dismiss him, a system QB.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Ask me after the egg bowl

This and only this. I hope he's the Egg Bowl starter and we're all damn proud of the fact.

 

[aTotal360]

I'm going to judge him solely on his very last Egg Bowl.

 

[onewoof]

Once we finish the regular season 11 and 1 and we get a spot in the SEC Championship and playoffs, I think the argument is settled and Arnett will win National Coach of the Year.

Our 1 loss? Ole Miss.

 

[johnson86-1]

He's not the athlete that Fitz or Dak were, but he belongs up there in the conversation as one of the best QBs in the modern era of MSU football (1990 - now).

My top 5 modern-era QBs:
1) Dak
2a/b) Rogers / Fitz
4) Madkin
5) Tyler Russell

Honorable Mentions: Sleepy (injury killed his career) and Taite.

If we'd won the Egg Bowl in 2020 or 21 there'd be no question. If we win this year I think he's definitely up there.

I just think people don't appreciate how accurate Rogers is with the ball. We'll get the opportunity to find out with an offense that is designed to push the ball downfield. I believe we will be pleasantly surprised.

EDIT: I'm rating QBs from 1990 until today, not previous QBs. We have had some great ones in the past too.

You are underrating Fitz. In the era you are referencing, we have 1) Dak, then 2) Fitz, then everybody else. Right now, I'd put Relf and Rogers together behind Dak and Fitz. Both really good at some things and limited at others. Both have showed flashes of being great (Rogers against Auburn in 2021, Relf against Michigan) and games where they looked extremely limited (Rogers in Auburn and Ole Miss 2022, Relf in maybe UAB in 2011?; Wake Forest? Not sure on those). And I'm not sure there is that much difference between them and Tyler Russell. We never gave Tyler Russel a solid receiver corp plus the offense was a bad fit. Madkin and Taite are hard to judge because they were basically in a different era for MSU football. I think either one could have been as good as Relf and possibly a good bit better if they got the coaching and scheme that Relf got.

But as of right now, without the benefit of his Senior season, Rogers has been a good QB for us just like Relf. Both of them were a good fit for the system we had at the time. If Rogers improves this year and the offense works, he could catch or even pass Fitz. If he struggles and just can't operate the offense, not sure it affects his place that much. I think he's still around Relf, who also would have struggled if the offense had changed too much from the power spread.

 

[johnson86-1]

This year will absolutely determine if he is a good QB or has many dismiss him, a system QB.

I think the whole system qb jab is overplayed. Very few qb's can play in any system. Relf probably wouldn't have been good in many offenses other than what we ran and an option offense. He was a good QB if you played to his strength. The air raid is probably the ideal system for Will, but he could play in a lot of offenses that don't require a particularly mobile QB. I think he could easily have replicated what Bo Wallace did at Ole Miss in that system. Will wouldn't have been quite as big of a running threat but probably would not have made as many stupid decisions either.

 

[The Peeper]

Right now I’d have him neck and neck with Fitzgerald in our history. Not THE guy like Dak was, but a good player that won a lot of games and put up quality stats for us. We frankly don’t have many QB’s in our history like that, he is one of the few.

I was at the 2021 Auburn game and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of our QB’s totally command the game like Will did that day. Arguably not even Dak. Now what separates Dak is that he was able to rack up more frequent big time performances than Will, and Dak was maybe the most gifted locker room leader we’ve ever had. But as others have said, we do need to see what happens this year.

"I was at the 2021 Auburn game and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of our QB’s totally command the game 2nd half like Will did that day."

There, that's the way I think it really happened cause we were "perty turrible" the 1st half

 

[QuadrupleOption]

You are underrating Fitz. In the era you are referencing, we have 1) Dak, then 2) Fitz, then everybody else. Right now, I'd put Relf and Rogers together behind Dak and Fitz. Both really good at some things and limited at others. Both have showed flashes of being great (Rogers against Auburn in 2021, Relf against Michigan) and games where they looked extremely limited (Rogers in Auburn and Ole Miss 2022, Relf in maybe UAB in 2011?; Wake Forest? Not sure on those). And I'm not sure there is that much difference between them and Tyler Russell. We never gave Tyler Russel a solid receiver corp plus the offense was a bad fit. Madkin and Taite are hard to judge because they were basically in a different era for MSU football. I think either one could have been as good as Relf and possibly a good bit better if they got the coaching and scheme that Relf got.

But as of right now, without the benefit of his Senior season, Rogers has been a good QB for us just like Relf. Both of them were a good fit for the system we had at the time. If Rogers improves this year and the offense works, he could catch or even pass Fitz. If he struggles and just can't operate the offense, not sure it affects his place that much. I think he's still around Relf, who also would have struggled if the offense had changed too much from the power spread.

I won't argue too much about Fitz's standing as a QB - I loved the guy and loved watching him play. But he was very limited as a passer. He struggled just as much against good defenses as Rogers does, for different reasons.

Rogers can't run, Fitz couldn't pass it well. Dak could do both, which is why he's the clear #1 and everyone else is muddled together. Personally, I think Rogers is a better QB than Fitz but we'll see how it all comes out this year.

 

[MS-halfstep]

He’s better than Fant, York, Lee, Henig, Carroll, Connor, Rutland, Thompson, Costello, Russell. That’s all I got

 

[Podgy]

Since the 1990s,
1. Dak
2. Fitz
3. Rogers
4. Relf
5. not sure.
For me, Rogers can move to a tie with Fitz if he has another good year.
Someone mentioned Sleepy. Dude looked great before that injury.

 

[SchrodingersDawg]

We aren't exactly QBU so the bar is pretty low. Like who is the tallest midget type of low.

I'm looking forward to see what Will can do in the new offense. He's a sharp guy no doubt and a good leader. He was painful to watch at times last season though.

 

[Podgy]

The best receivers Rogers had was Polk. As explosive as Rara was, he dropped a lot of passes. I hope someone steps up big time for Rogers this year. Dan did well getting QB's to excel.

 

[kired]

He’s better than Fant, York, Lee, Henig, Carroll, Connor, Rutland, Thompson, Costello, Russell. That’s all I got

I see we got a tommy stevens fan here

 

[Dawg1976]

I think this year will tell us a great deal.

If he struggles this year then one can argue he was indeed just a good system qb. Still a very good career but not top tier overall.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

The best receivers Rogers had was Polk. As explosive as Rara was, he dropped a lot of passes. I hope someone steps up big time for Rogers this year. Dan did well getting QB's to excel.

If Eric Mould's clone shows up, we are in.

 

[was21]

T&L show today took a look back at Will Rogers and his career. Specifically how he stands to statistically be one of the best QBs in State history and a very good SEC QB but does not get the recognition he deserves even among many state fans.

So how does the pack sees Will Rogers? All opinions welcome. Here is mine.

I'm kind of on the fence. My assessment is he is a good solid QB but not a great one. I think his numbers are inflated by scheme and longevity. To me he is best characterized as kind of a dichotomy of doing some things above average and some below. What he does very well is make good reads and consistently throw the football with a high degree of accuracy within a limited range if given a fairly clean pocket. This has served him pretty well for multiple years. But what he does not do well is throw vertically or make plays with his feet. He still tends to roll into an approaching outside rush instead of stepping up in the pocket and then his instinct is often to turn his back and run backward to escape pressure. I'd put him way below Dak and maybe a couple of other former QBs but definitely in the top 5.

It's not over with yet. As a matter of fact, the entire scenario has changed with a different offensive philosophy (maybe)

 

[MS-halfstep]

I see we got a tommy stevens fan here

I knew I would miss one.
He was dead to me as soon as he put on that Stamps jersey