Tag: Will Rogers

SEC quarterback expected to transfer at season’s end

One of the SEC’s most distinguished quarterbacks could be on the market soon.

One of the SEC’s most distinguished quarterbacks could be on the market soon.

According to a report by Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, Mississippi State quarterback [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] is expected to enter the transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining. The news comes after the Bulldogs’ 17-7 loss to Ole Miss on Thursday night in Starkville, ending their season with a 5-7 record.

Rogers signed with Mississippi State as a member of the 2020 class and was a perfect match for former Bulldogs’ head coach Mike Leach. Under Leach’s leadership, Rogers passed for 10,689 yards and 82 touchdowns in three seasons.

Rogers will be a hot target in the upcoming portal, and it is easy to see why. Not only does Rogers have a proven record of being an efficient passer, but he has plenty of accolades in his suitcase as well. Rogers has won plenty of Player of the Week honors throughout his career from multiple outlets, he is on the watchlist for several awards this season such as the Maxwell and Wuerffel Award, and he owns 29 Mississippi State records.

It is too early to say what the quarterback room will look like for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn Tigers next season, but it may be worth taking a look at Rogers.

With [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] taking control of the offense, the status of [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] is now something to keep an eye on. If Ashford were to explore the transfer portal following the season, the Tigers would need to add depth to its quarterback room. Adding an experienced quarterback to challenge Thorne while also adding to the development of incoming freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] could benefit Auburn should they take that route.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs Mississippi State

The Auburn Tigers have lost four straight games in the SEC and are in danger of missing out on a bowl. How do they stack up against MSU?

The 3-4 Auburn Tigers are finally favored to win a football game this week when they host the 4-3 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday.

The Tigers are currently favored by nearly a touchdown to win this game according to BetMGM and ESPN FPI agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s team a 62.7% chance to snap their four-game losing-skid come Saturday.

Will the tale of the tape agree that Auburn will win their first game in over a month, or does a further look into the matchup show us this game will be closer than expected?

As always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Mississippi State faces uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into this one. Starter Will Rogers is dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss last week’s game against Arkansas. 

Head coach [autotag]Zach Arnett[/autotag] was ambiguous talking about his quarterback’s status, saying “he is progressing well” but refusing to label Rogers in or out for Saturday.

If Rogers is unable to go, the offense will be left in the hands of senior [autotag]Mike Wright[/autotag].

In limited work this year, Wright has thrown for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also added 106 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.

As for the Auburn signal-callers, they are still struggling.

Through 7 games, starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has thrown for 845 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

The Tigers top option is averaging just over 120 passing yards per game to go along with 0.7 touchdowns and interceptions per game.

That is not good.

Once again, Auburn loses the quarterback battle. It is much closer than it has been in previous SEC games however, and it’s almost even if [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] is forced to sit on the bench.

The battle of the skill positions is even closer.

Neither team boasts a top-notch playmaker that give a defensive coordinator a worse headache than a night out at Quixote’s, nor do they do anything on offense particularly well.

Mississippi State’s best player on the scoring side of the ball is probably running back [autotag]Jo’Quavious Marks[/autotag].

The senior back has been a workhorse for the Bulldogs offense. The senior from Atlanta is averaging 14 carries for 71 yards a game and has scored five total touchdowns.

Auburn’s best playmaker is also their number one running back, junior Jarquez Hunter.

After a slow start to the season for Hunter, he has come alive of late, and now leads all Auburn rushers with 309 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. He has also added 61 receiving yards.

Neither receiving core is worth mentioning ahead of the other, although Mississippi State receiver [autotag]Lideatrick Griffin[/autotag] has the most yards out of any pass catcher in this game with 494.

The skill position battle is a wash.

Auburn does finally get an edge in the defensive department, although it is closer than you might think.

[autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and the Auburn Tigers defense have been great all year long.

Unfortunately for them, Mississippi State has been pretty much just as good, at least according to the numbers.

Auburn’s defense has given up 25.7 points and 397.3 yards per game this season.

Mississippi State has given up 28.8 and 393.8, respectively.

As good as Auburn linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] has been, linebacker Nathaniel Watson has been even better.

Overall, these two teams are extremely similar and a 6.5-point spread only makes sense if Will Rogers can’t go. If he does, Auburn may be in some trouble come Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Alabama vs. Mississippi State: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Saturday

How to watch Alabama football take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 30

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football team will look to build off last weekend’s strong second-half performance against Ole Miss as they head into their Week 5 matchup with Mississippi State in Starkville on Saturday night.

With a win, the Crimson Tide would move to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in SEC play and despite the early season loss, all their postseason dreams remain intact.

Mississippi State is going in the opposite direction of the Tide. The Bulldogs have lost two straight (both in conference play) and are in desperate need of a win to try and salvage the early part of the season.

Davis Wade Stadium is sure to be ringing with the deafening sound of cowbells on Saturday night and here is how you can catch all of the action between Alabama and Mississippi State.

College football’s top performers in the SEC during Week 2

From Will Rogers to Jett Johnson, the Southeastern Conference’s best of the best from the Week 2 slate.

The premier conference in college football featured a wide variety of intensity in its Week 2 slate. Seven of the conference’s 14 teams won their second games by three scores or more, including a 17-point ranked victory over then-No. 24 Tulane for Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels.

Three other teams were locked in one-score games, including an overtime victory for Mississippi State to stave off a furious Arizona comeback. The conference’s second-ranked team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, fell at home to a non-conference opponent for the first time in 16 years.

Whether they entirely outmatched their opponents or stepped up in a major moment, see what players stamped their name on this past weekend.

Several 2024 QB draft prospects will be in the latest Manning Passing Academy

Several 2024 QB draft prospects, including Drake Maye and Michael Penix, will be at the latest Manning Passing Academy

The annual Manning Passing Academy featured a who’s-who of quarterbacks at the high school level. However, the famous quarterback grooming school uses college QBs as counselors, and it’s a prime chance for those collegians to impress an improved their potential NFL draft stock.

Several likely 2024 NFL draft prospects will serve as counselors for the 2023 Manning Passing Academy, which will take place from June 22-25 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Among the names of the 45 current college QBs that draft enthusiasts should know for the 2024 draft:

  • Jayden Daniels, LSU
  • Drake Maye, North Carolina
  • Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
  • Michael Penix, Washington
  • Will Rogers, Mississippi State
  • Cameron Ward, Washington State

The alumni list of Manning Passing Academy counselors as collegians reads like an All-Pro list. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence,  Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott are among many notable alums who used the Manning experience to help their NFL fates.

[lawrence-related id=646036]

Ranking Alabama’s 2023 opposing quarterbacks

Ranking Alabama’s opposing quarterbacks for the 2023 season!

Even though the 2023 college football season seems like a long way away, in reality, we are only a little over 100 days away until [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide host Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 2.

With the offseason in full swing, it is time to shift our focus to some 2023 season projections. Depth charts and the transfer portal will likely dominate the headlines from now until August when fall camp arrives.

As we look ahead to Alabama’s 2023 schedule, I think it is important to know the opponents. One of the most important aspects of each opponent to learn is the starting quarterback. So I thought this was a good time to rank Alabama’s opposing quarterbacks from best to worst.

Let’s roll!

Ranking returning SEC quarterbacks by passing yards production

A look at which teams return the most passing production in the SEC for 2023.

We finally get to take a look at the returning passers in the SEC. The conference has produced four-straight national champions and six of the nine champions since the CFP model was introduced.

Among last year’s passers that have moved on are Bryce Young, Stetson Bennett, Hendon Hooker, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson. Four of those passers should be taken in the upcoming NFL draft over the first two days.

Going into this year’s group, they will be led once again by Mississippi State Bulldogs gunslinger, Will Rogers. It will look a bit different with a new coordinator running the offense.

Notable names that return include former five-star quarterback Spencer Rattler, KJ Jefferson, and Joe Milton III. We will also see some talented passers who waited their turns at Alabama and Georgia in Jalen Milroe and Carson Beck.

Check out our other top returning quarterbacks in the rest of the Power Five:

ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | Pac-12

Here is how the SEC stacks up by team, the rankings are broken down by passing yardage.

Which SEC quarterbacks are the best in each category?

We broke down each quarterback in the SEC in 12 different categories. Who reigns supreme?

In today’s game, it is all about the quarterbacks. Without a top-notch quarterback at the collegiate level, it is hard to compete at a high level. Not impossible but when you get into a precarious situation, it is usually the quarterback’s play that can be the difference in a win or a loss.

The SEC is now different. A conference once known for its punishing defenses and running game has moved towards the vertical game of attacking defenses through the air. Current LSU starter [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is enjoying a career year after transferring from Arizona State.

Over the years we have seen gunslingers such as Joe Burrow, Mac Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, and Bryce Young rip apart defenses and give defensive coordinators fits on gameday.

We break down the top quarterbacks in each category, how does Daniels stack up with the SEC’s elite?

PHOTOS: Alabama’s bounce-back win over Mississippi State

Check out the top images from Alabama’s big win over Mississippi State!

Alabama now heads into an off week before facing LSU on the road in Week 10. After losing to Tennessee in Knoxville, the Crimson Tide returned home to take on a then-ranked Mississippi State team with a high-powered offense.

The Bulldogs’ offense remained silent until the game’s closing seconds, as Mike Leach’s team escaped a shutout. The final score was 30-6.

Bryce Young didn’t look as sharp as he did to start the season, but Nick Saban stated he is still nursing the shoulder injury that sidelined him for a few games earlier this season.

The Crimson Tide defense stole the spotlight from the typically high-powered offense, but no one’s complaining.

Here are the top images from the Week 8 win over the Bulldogs.

Alabama vs. Mississippi State: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Saturday Oct. 22

Alabama vs. Mississippi State: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Saturday Oct. 22

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football team look to get back to their winning ways on Saturday night when they host Mike Leach and the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The battle between the two SEC West rivals will be the 107th meeting between the two programs that are separated by just 90 miles.

The Bulldogs will bring their air-raid attack into Tuscaloosa to face an Alabama defense coming off a disappointing effort last weekend, when it surrendered an astounding 52 points.

Can [autotag] Bryce Young[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Anderson[/autotag] help lead the Tide back into the win column? Find out tonight when Alabama takes on Mississippi State.

Here is everything you need to know in order to catch all of the action tonight: