NC State WR Noah Rogers, a ‘freak of nature,’ ready for debut Wolfpack season

By Noah Fleischman

The modern era of recruiting seems to have its fickle ways. Teams spend a great deal of time going after a prospect, but they aren’t guaranteed to land them. That’s what happened with NC State and wide receiver Noah Rogers out of Rolesville (N.C.) High in 2023. 

Initially, Rogers decided to go elsewhere and committed to Ohio State out of high school. But his relationship with Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren, one that started in the Thomas household during Rogers’ seventh-grade year, proved to be helpful in the transfer portal. 

“We put a lot of time into recruiting guys, we want them to be happy and successful in college,” Doeren said. “Sometimes it works out where we get them, sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t think you get any benefit of mistreating somebody when it doesn’t go your way. … You may get them back, you may not. You never know when you’re going to run into that guy again.”

Well, NC State ran into their guy again.

Rogers redshirted with the Buckeyes last fall and was looking for a new home. And the Wolfpack was there, waiting for the former five-star route runner to return home. The two parties reunited, partly because of the preexisting relationship between Doeren and Rogers. 

“To see how far we came in the relationship,” Rogers said this week, “Coach Doeren has been great to me.”

Now, a year into his collegiate career, Rogers has what it takes to become the Wolfpack’s top outside wide receiver this fall. He has the skill set to do it with his 6-foot-2 frame after hauling in 1,432 yards with 22 touchdowns as a senior in high school.

But for Rogers, who is an uber-talented wideout, the fall camp slate is about proving he can do it each day with consistency.

“Noah gives us an X-factor,” NC State offensive coordinator Robert Anae said. “He could get open, he could catch a contested ball. Noah is still in the world of ‘proving myself’ day-in and day-out, but he does have that X-factor skill set.”

So far, however, Rogers has turned a lot of heads. 

Sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael’s face lit up as he talked about one of the Wolfpack’s new weapons on offense this season.

“Noah, he’s a freak of nature,” Raphael said. “He’s that guy. He’s really good.”

Raphael pointed to Rogers’ ability to make contested plays, while also grabbing balls that some other wideouts might not have the ability to do with ease. In a way, Rogers was a piece that Rapahel felt like the Wolfpack was missing.

“He’s a guy that we really needed on this team,” Raphael said with a radiant smile. 

As Rogers, who spent spring practice with the top group for the most part, has gotten used to playing in the Wolfpack system, he has excelled. The wideout was the star of the spring game with 7 receptions for 133 yards, which appeared to serve as a preview of what is to come this fall. 

While he has been able to make the move from Ohio State’s offense to NC State’s with what has seemed to be with ease, Rogers noted the Wolfpack’s desire to have him in Raleigh has accelerated that.

“I came into a smooth transition,” Rogers said. “The biggest thing for me was to focus on what I need to get done, my responsibilities and everything. It makes it really smooth having a lot of people around you that want to help you, that want to make you better.”

Now, Rogers hopes he can do what former Wolfpack men’s basketball player DJ Horne did by returning home. Horne, a Raleigh native, helped turn the postseason tide this past spring with a nine-game winning streak that ended with a trip to the Final Four in Phoenix. 

“I have a lot of respect for him because we’re from the same city,” Rogers said of Horne. “We’re doing a lot of great culture things for the university, and to see what he did for his team is very special. He said ‘Why not us?’ and I believe ‘Why not football?’ Why can’t we do the same thing and be successful?”

There is a lot of time between now and the College Football Playoff, the Wolfpack’s ultimate goal for the 2024 season, but Rogers feels like he corrected a mistake by joining NC State. 

“Getting recruited early, it’s a very difficult decision, especially when it’s time to sign,” Rogers said. “Sometimes you have to lean with your heart and what you feel like is the right decision for you. My initial decision was wrong, but at the end of the day, I’m thankful for every opportunity I have.”