Transfer DL Justin Rogers 'a handful' early in Auburn spring camp
AUBURN — Coming out of Oak Park, Mich., Justin Rogers was one of the top-rated defensive players in the country. Rogers was the No. 44 overall player in the On3 Consensus rankings, and of the four major scouting services, the lowest Rogers was ranked was No. 123 overall.
Interestingly enough, he landed at Kentucky, where he enjoyed three pretty productive seasons. He racked up 61 tackles and three sacks in three seasons, including 35 tackles in his most productive season in 2022. But entering his senior season, Rogers wanted to make a change, and that change landed him at Auburn after entering the transfer portal.
Now, standing 6-foot-4 and over 325 pounds, Rogers is poised to anchor the Auburn defensive line alongside senior Marcus Harris.
“Justin Rogers is a football player,” Hugh Freeze said last week. “He’s a handful. He’s going to be somebody that Lord willing stays healthy, we depend upon to factor in the middle. But, he requires a double team, I think he will. I’ve been really pleased with how he works. He loves the game, he loves to practice and he’s got a joy about him that’s fun to be around. I’ve been really, really pleased with him.”
Those comments shouldn’t come as a surprise. Auburn Live spoke to defensive analyst Vontrell King-Willams this winter. King-Williams came to Auburn from Eastern Michigan, but recruited Rogers out of high school. The two remained in contact and King-Williams was a factor in landing Rogers on the Plains. King-Williams remembers “everybody in the country” being after Rogers out of high school, telling of the talent that Rogers possesses.
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And now, new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett loves what he sees early in spring camp, but make no mistake, he wants more. The ability to play multiple positions, mainly nose tackle and defensive tackle, across the defensive line is of paramount importance to Garrett.
“He’s been great. He’s a fundamental guy, he’s very coachable, he’s explosive, he’s one of those leaders in the room also,” Garrett said. “He will call me at any time, ‘Coach, can we watch film, can we watch this, I’m going to come in at this time.’ He’s been a great addition to this team.”
And in addition to his talent, Rogers’ experience in the SEC is already paying dividends for Garrett and Justin Rogers’ teammates.
“It’s huge with his experience because he’s not shocked about what he’s going to see on Saturday,” Garrett said. “He knows what it’s going to look like, how it is going to feel. He knows what it takes to win games and what it takes to play these teams we’re trying to beat. It’s awesome.”
The Tigers will practice every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the most part leading into the April 8 spring game inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here’s the schedule of practices: February 27, March 1, 3, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, April 3, 5, 7 and 8. Auburn took the week of March 5-11 off for spring break.
