The Washington Huskies’ 3-2 start has overshadowed an extremely impressive season from quarterback Will Rogers. The transfer portal acquisition from Mississippi State has been an extremely effective passer throughout the season, throwing for 1,354 yards, 10 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
He also ranks No. 3 in the country in completion percentage at 74 percent and has cultivated a strong connection with wide receivers Denzel Boston and Giles Jackson, who both sit inside the top five of the Big Ten in receiving yards.
While his receivers have also made some impressive plays for him, as his completion percentage is about 9 percent over expectation, he has also done a great job learning coach Jedd Fisch’s system and getting comfortable in it. Although his average depth of target (ADOT) is just over 8 yards, which isn’t anything close to Michael Penix Jr.’s 10.7 ADOT in 2023, his completion percentage for that number is very strong.
Average depth of target and Completion Pct Over Expection for FBS QBs with 50+ passes (excluding drops, spikes, throwaways). Goal I guess is to be top right but higher takes more priority than right to left #CFB #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/Eq8gcyYkbE
— CFBNumbers (@CFBNumbers) September 30, 2024
Compared to Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, who leads the nation with an 81.5 completion percentage, Rogers is looking for receivers over three yards further downfield.
Now, Rogers will have to contend with a Michigan secondary that is led by a future first round pick in cornerback Will Johnson, but has many holes that he can exploit. The Wolverines have allowed 248.8 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 16 in the Big Ten.
If Rogers can continue to protect the ball and be as efficient as he has been through Washington’s first five games, he could lead the Huskies to an upset over the No. 10 Wolverines.