What is Cal getting in QB Chandler Rogers?
Cal has had a bit of shuffling at the quarterback position during this transfer portal cycle: Redshirt sophomore Sam Jackson entered the portal while junior Chandler Rogers committed to the Bears after playing last season at North Texas.
Starting with Jackson, he played his first two seasons at TCU before spending this past season at Cal. He committed to TCU as a 3-star prospect with a 5.6 Rivals rating as part of their 2021 class, playing his high school ball at Naperville Central in Naperville, IL. During his time with the Bears, Jackson played in five games, going 51-97 for 556 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. Jackson was in the mix to be the starting quarterback for the Bears before redshirt freshman Fernando Mendoza locked up the position with his stellar play down the stretch. Given he is hoping for a chance to start somewhere, one can understand why Jackson is exploring his options by entering the portal.
Moving on to Rogers, he originally committed to Southern Miss as a 2-star recruit with a 5.3 Rivals rating as part of their 2019 class. After redshirting his true freshman season, he transferred to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas for the 2020 season before then transferring to Louisiana Monroe for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Following his two seasons at Louisiana Monroe, Rogers transferred to North Texas where he spent this past season (2023). Cal is his fifth different school, so he’s been on quite a tour.
This past season with the Mean Green, Rogers played in 12 games, going 262-421 (62.2%) for 3,382 yards, 29 touchdowns, and five interceptions for a 150.1 passer rating. On the ground he rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns. While he did so on 109 attempts (1.7 yards per carry), he’s a much better runner than that average indicates. He can clearly move and pick up yards when he gets holes to run through. He’s a legitimate dual threat quarterback.
A right-handed quarterback, Rogers has a quick release and has good vision. He is capable of making the deep ball throws all while taking good care of the ball. His touchdown to interception ratio says it all. He seems to be especially good at mid-range throws that are 10-15 yards in length. At least from the film I watched, he seems to be especially good at finding guys in that range with accuracy all while putting some stink on his passes.
One question that I’m sure is on the minds of some Cal fans is whether or not Rogers can actually compete for the starting job against Mendoza who in eight games played went 131-210 (62.4%) for 1447 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. I think what’s much more likely is that Rogers will serve as one who pushes Mendoza in practice all while getting some snaps in certain run packages. It’s always good to have a solid backup in place in case your starter goes down and that seems to be what Cal is getting in Rogers. He’s a veteran guy who can mentor Mendoza a bit and be a veteran leader in their quarterback room. Every team could use a guy like that.