LSU transfer target Justin Rogers commits to Auburn
The LSU football staff pursued former Kentucky defensive tackle Justin Rogers in the NCAA Transfer Portal, but Rogers has chosen to continue his career elsewhere in the SEC.
Rogers, who visited LSU and Auburn over the past week, has committed to play at Auburn.
Rogers signed with Kentucky in 2020 as a Top 50 prospect out of Michigan, becoming one of the highest-ranked signees in the UK football program’s history.
Rogers was ranked by the On3 Consensus as the No. 1 recruit in Michigan, the No. 6 defensive line prospect in the 2020 class and the No. 44 overall recruit in the country.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 332 pounds, Rogers logged 35 tackles as a full-time starter this past season. As a freshman in 2020, he registered nine tackles across seven games played. As a sophomore in 2021, Rogers totaled 16 tackles with four starts across 13 games played.
Rogers will be a senior during the 2023 season, though he could also tap into his eligibility-free season in 2020 to gain an extra year of college eligibility beyond next season.
LSU is set to return a pair of starters on the defensive line in Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo, and backups Jacobian Guillory and Fitzgerald West both saw extended action in the Citrus Bowl win as nose tackles. The Tigers have already landed a pair of defensive tackles out of the portal in West Virginia’s Jordan Jefferson and Florida’s Jalen Lee, and both could see time at nose tackle or as an interior defensive lineman.
Even after Rogers choosing Kentucky, the Tigers have still landed nine total players through the portal.
“This group helps fill some immediate needs for our team,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “Our staff did a great job of vetting each of these players to make sure they fit our program, not only from an ability standpoint, but more importantly, ensuring they are high character young men who are committed to academics.
“It’s important that when you add transfers to your roster, they have the traits we are looking for as we continue our mission to Graduate Champions. Along with the outstanding group of freshmen we signed (in December), we feel with this group of young men will significantly improve our roster for the present and the future of LSU football.”
