Could Will Rogers Be One of the Best QBs in the SEC, the Nation in 2022?

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers put the nation on discover after breaking a number of program and SEC data in 2021. Heading into his junior yr, he might garner much more consideration because the Bulldogs face arguably the hardest schedule within the nation.

Some early 2023 NFL mock drafts have Rogers going as early as the primary spherical, which begs the query, might Rogers be the most effective quarterbacks within the SEC and maybe the nation within the upcoming season?

It is definitely not out of the image with the trajectory he is been on. After struggling some with ball placement and getting throws off rapidly, Rogers confirmed vital enchancment in each of these areas within the again half of the season and expounded upon it within the spring.

The sport continues to decelerate for Rogers and it feels like Bulldogs Head Coach Mike Leach is extra assured within the signal-caller on the line of scrimmage and extra.

“I feel he is extra constant. I feel he can sort of aggressively verify extra of the bundle on his personal,” Leach mentioned. “The opposite factor is – he is been good at this however even higher now maybe – he brings vitality to the offensive unit.”

Rogers completed out the 2021 as one of many strongest quarterbacks within the nation, statistically talking, finishing 73.9% of his passes for 4,739 yards with 36 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. That gave him the third-highest passing yards whole within the nation and the second-highest completion proportion throughout a season wherein he managed to crack into the late Heisman Trophy dialog.

He broke a variety of program data, together with Dak Prescott’s yards of whole offense in a single season (beforehand set at 4,435 yards) and his single season landing document (beforehand set at 29 touchdowns). 

The Bulldogs quarterback additionally surpassed the convention single-game completion proportion document (minimal of 30 makes an attempt) when he accomplished 92.3% of his passes within the 31-17 upset over No. 12-ranked Kentucky in November. 

One in every of his most spectacular video games exterior of the efficiency in opposition to Kentucky was when he led the biggest comeback in class historical past, finishing 44-of-55 passes for 415 yards with six touchdowns within the 43-34 win over Auburn after the Bulldogs confronted a 28-3 deficit.

As MSU enters the 2022 season with a decently extra skilled workforce than it has had within the first two years of the Leach period, it is easy to get the sense Rogers and the Bulldogs have the possibility to do one thing particular.

Taking a look at the remainder of the SEC’s quarterbacks, Bryce Younger of Alabama and Will Levis of Kentucky have been incessantly ranked above Rogers. With the roster Alabama has in 2022 and the way in which Younger confirmed he might ship in clutch conditions even when the Crimson Tide have been shaky at factors final season, it is arduous to see him coming off that No. 1 spot. Along with being the unanimous preseason QB1 within the SEC, he is additionally anticipated to be one of many first three picks in subsequent yr’s draft.

However a possible shakeup within the convention quarterback rankings might play out over the season — Levis is constructing hype as a possible first-rounder due to the bodily attributes and athleticism he brings to the desk on high of the development he confirmed as a passer in a brand new offense, however he must take one other step within the latter class. How properly he does that can have a big influence on what number of nonetheless view him because the SEC’s second-best quarterback by season’s finish.

The predictive rankings grow to be a toss-up from there, with some betting on the upside of quarterbacks like Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and South Carolina switch Spencer Rattler, whereas others are placing Rogers forward of all three of them. 

From a pure evaluation perspective, there isn’t any cause to imagine Rogers cannot grow to be the No. 2 quarterback within the SEC and he might even make his means into the early to mid-round dialog as one of the vital correct quarterbacks in school soccer so long as he continues to steadily enhance the way in which he has since he initially took over for KJ Costello in 2020.