Quarterbacks with more than 10,000 career passing yards don’t often pop up in the NCAA transfer portal. That’s set to change as Mississippi State senior Will Rogers is expected to enter his name in the database after wrapping up his regular season with the Bulldogs.
Rogers graduated from Mississippi State in May and will have two years to play out one season of eligibility at his next school. The Brandon, Mississippi native is second on the SEC’s all-time passing list with 12,315 yards. He needs just 852 passing yards to break former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray’s mark of 13,166 set from 2010 to 2013. In addition to his passing yards, Rogers ranks fourth on the SEC all-time passing touchdowns list, throwing for 94 scores during his four seasons with the Bulldogs.
After piling up 8,713 yards and 71 scores through the air in the late Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, the past two seasons, Rogers has put up modest numbers this year. Through eight games he has completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,626 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions.
Still, his experience and past success in the SEC should make him a popular name in the portal once he enters. With that in mind here are three potential landing spots for the prolific passer.
Auburn
Hugh Freeze tried to turn to the transfer portal in his first year at Auburn, pulling Payton Thorne from Michigan State. That hasn’t worked out as well as intended, as the junior has thrown for just 1,580 yards and 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions over 11 games.
Auburn is set to add four-star quarterback recruit Walker White to the roster this offseason. However, Freeze will likely want someone capable of providing an instant impact as he looks to take a big step from Year 1 to Year 2. Rogers has experience in the SEC and could help bridge the gap until the Tigers’ younger options are ready to take over the reins.
Kentucky
Another SEC option for Rogers could be Kentucky. The Wildcats reeled in one of the top passers from the portal last year in Devin Leary. That move has worked out relatively well as the N.C. State transfer has thrown for 2,234 and 20 touchdowns with nine interceptions through 11 games this season.
Leary, a super senior, could pursue an extra year of eligibility after suffering a pair of season-ending injuries during his time at N.C. State. However, when asked this week, he said he hadn’t looked into doing that.
If Kentucky ends up needing to part ways with Leary, it might make sense to go after another big name out of the portal. Rodgers would add a much-needed veteran presence to a Wildcats offense facing plenty of transition over the offseason.
Miami
Tyler Van Dyke’s future with Miami is uncertain. The junior quarterback was benched in favor of true freshman Emory Williams for the Hurricanes’ loss to Florida State. He then earned his starting job back when Williams suffered a season-ending arm injury in the fourth quarter of that game.
Van Dyke resumed his starting role last week, passing for 327 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s loss to Louisville. However, this week he was non-committal when asked about his plans for the future.
If Van Dyke elects to go pro or enter the transfer portal, Rogers would be an ideal replacement. The Mississippi State transfer excelled in the Air Raid offense and could have similar success under Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s version of that offense.