Washington 'got who they wanted' in Will Rogers

In his three season under Mike Leach at Mississippi State, Will Rogers put up monster numbers. He threw for nearly 10,700 yards and 82 touchdowns over that span before Zach Arnett opted to install a pro-style offense after Leach’s sudden death a year ago.

Rogers then decided to spend his final year of eligibility elsewhere, opting to enter the transfer portal. With those stats in mind, the question became which school — and system — would best fit Rogers while also getting him ready for the NFL.

He found that in Washington, and according to On3’s Pete Nakos, the Huskies found a fit in Rogers.

“I think there’s probably a select handful of schools that would’ve really fit well with Will Rogers, and I think Kalen DeBoer’s offense is a great fit,” Nakos told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “I know everyone loves talking about Will’s crazy stats at Mississippi State. I think he’s really talented. I also think that’s a mix of the Mike Leach Air Raid offense, and I think that he can kind of mirror that with the Huskies in the Big Ten now. Yeah, I think it’s a good fit.”

Rogers will now be the heir apparent to Michael Penix Jr., who’s likely off to the NFL Draft after the College Football Playoff. While Kalen DeBoer doesn’t necessarily run the Air Raid to the extent Leach did, Penix flourished under his watch. Over two years in Washington, he threw for 8,859 yards and 64 touchdowns and still has at least one more game left.

Now, the Huskies will have a quarterback with an extensive resume as they prepare to transition to the Big Ten. That’s important, and it’s why UW probably had its sights set on Rogers the whole way.

“I know Washington’s really excited about Will Rogers and what he brings to the table,” Nakos said. “I mean, they’re gonna go into the Big Ten with a quarterback who has SEC experience. That’s something not a lot of teams are gonna be able to tout at the quarterback position. I think Washington got who they wanted.”

The next question for Washington will be what happens with a fellow Mississippi State transfer. Rogers and Woody Marks visited Seattle together, and the sense is it could be between the Huskies and USC, Nakos said. Either way, DeBoer — the 2023 AP Coach of the Year — might not be done trying to sustain the success he’s had through two seasons at Washington.