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Mississippi State finally has a full offseason for Mike Leach to work with as the Bulldogs enter their second season running the Air Raid offense.
Last year, the offseason was greatly affected by restrictions surrounding COVID-19 as the Bulldogs transitioned from a scheme based on the power running quarterback to one based on throwing the ball — the two could not be any more polar opposite.
Mississippi State currently has seven quarterbacks on the roster, but based on what we’ve seen, it seems most likely that Will Rogers (so long as he beats out the likes of graduate transfer Jack Abraham) is the one who assumes the helm when LSU opens SEC competition against the Bulldogs on Sept. 25.
Here’s a look into what the sophomore quarterback brings to the table:
Pros
In an offense based on execution, repetition and throwing the ball, having an accurate quarterback with the ability to push downfield is paramount.
Rogers brings these things to the table, in addition to his ability to manipulate defenses, finishing out last season with a completion percentage of just over 69.1% of his passes for 1,976 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions over nine games with six starts.
He has the third-highest adjusted completion percentage
It’s clear that Rogers is a quick learner and picks up on things quickly. Leach himself said the quarterback was “ahead of schedule” last season, and that showed as his decision-making and play overall steadily improved throughout the season.
Another thing to notice about Rogers is his ability to extend plays and use some mobility in terms of creating space to throw. The Air Raid scheme is certainly not one that asks its quarterbacks to make plays with their legs (look back at Mississippi State in recent years previous if you want to see that), but Rogers certainly can evade pressure and buy additional time.