Will Rogers explains transfer portal withdrawal, Washington return as QB won’t follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama

Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers is withdrawing from the transfer portal and returning to Washington after initially joining the Huskies in early January. The fifth-year senior re-entered the transfer portal after Kalen DeBoer took the job as head coach at Alabama but will remain in Seattle under new coach Jedd Fisch.

“Some of the guys at Washington,” Rogers said of his decision to stay with the Huskies, via ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “The team went 14-1 last year. If we can pick up where we left off, obviously it’s going to be a tough task. But I think it’s why you come to Washington. It’s obviously a new conference and things like that. But I have a lot of faith in coach Fisch and feel like he’ll be ready to have us compete at a high level.”

Rogers spent the first four years of his college career at Mississippi State, where he became the second-leading passer in SEC history with 12,315 yards. He started 40 of 43 games played with the Bulldogs. Rogers is the only quarterback in SEC history with mor than 1,000 career completions and ranks fourth in league history with 94 career touchdown passes.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback completed at least 60% of his passes in all four seasons at Mississippi State. Rogers finished with a 69% completion rate with the Bulldogs.

Rogers opted to use his extra year of eligibility from the pandemic-shortened season in 2020 and return to college football in 2024 rather than enter the NFL Draft. He said that the NFL experience Fisch possesses played in a factor in his decision to remain at Washington.

“That’s the plan,” Rogers said, via ESPN. “Coach Fisch told me today, ‘I want to treat you like a professional football player.’ I told him that’s what I want, and that’s what I’m looking to do.”

Fisch spent the past three years as the head coach at Arizona in the Pac-12. Before then, he was the quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots and has 14 years of experience with various NFL organizations.

“I’m really excited to play under someone who has NFL experience, and can teach you the dos and don’ts and get you ready for the next level.”

Rogers rates as a four-star transfer portal prospect and ranks as the No. 14 quarterback in the current cycle. He is also considered to be the No. 90 overall transfer prospect.

Rogers expects to be the starting quarterback at Washington in 2024 with Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr. off to the NFL Draft. The Huskies lost several quarterback prospects to the transfer portal, including four-star freshman Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer to Alabama.

Washington was able to land four-star quarterback Demond Williams out of the portal as well. Williams initially signed and enrolled at Arizona prior to Fisch leaving to take the job as head coach with the Huskies.