It won’t be easy for the Washington Huskies to fill the shoes of program legend Michael Penix Jr. after he was selected No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons. That task has fallen to fifth-year senior Will Rogers.
Before Kalen DeBoer departed for Alabama, he secured a commitment from the former Mississippi State quarterback who, statistically speaking, was one of the best quarterbacks in SEC history during his four years in Starkville. Rogers briefly flirted with the transfer portal again after DeBoer left but quickly recommitted to new head coach Jedd Fisch.
Fisch welcomed the steadying veteran presence of Rogers as the team looks to break in an entirely new starting offense. Pro Football Focus recently ranked Rogers as the No. 30 overall quarterback amongst Power Four teams, placing him at No. 7 in the Big Ten, a ranking he is fully capable of improving on this season.
Rogers may not be a dynamic rushing threat like some of his peers, but he is more than capable of running Fisch’s offense at a standard that will allow the Huskies to be competitive in even the toughest of games. His experience should also help him hold off his biggest competitor in the room, former four-star recruit and true freshman Demond Williams Jr., who appears to be Fisch’s long-term plan at the position.
Rogers will bring experience and high-level decision-making to the Huskies this season, and if he’s able to operate as a top-five quarterback in the conference, he could elevate the Huskies above their projected finish of No. 10 in the conference.