Rivals100 QB Justin Rogers names Top 7 -- LSU, Tennessee, Oregon make cut
The Latest: Rivals100 Justin Rogers is one of the hottest players in the country in terms of racking up new offers. But like most quarterbacks, his timetable is ahead of other position players in the Class of 2018. With that in mind he cut his list to seven on Wednesday night, TCU, Tennessee, LSU, North Carolina, Harvard, Oregon and Louisville. Rogers is now focusing on those schools with a decision likely to come in late May or early June. He spoke with Rivals.com to break down the seven programs that made the cut.
In His Words:
TCU: – “I’ve had a relationship with TCU for a long time. They were recruiting Keondre Wudtee, the quarterback before me at my school and they offered me right after our spring game. Me and Coach Cumbie have had a good relationship ever since. They took a chance and believed in me even before I started a game and that means a lot to me. They kind of grew on my parents and stuff, too. Coach Cumbie and my mom text all the time so the relationship and that's important. I've been there for quite a few visits."
Tennessee: – “I actually just got off the phone with Coach Canalas and Coach Butch Jones and we had a great talk. They had offered me before but when they hired Coach Canalas he let me know I was a priority so I appreciated that. The day they got hired he came down to the school the next day so that let me know they were interested and I was at the top of their board. When the day he got hired he was at the school the next day so I was like 'dang.' It really showed me a lot. I plan on making it up there for a visit sometime in April because I've never seen campus before."
LSU: – “They were actually reaching out and trying to talk to me and whatnot and I didn't know it because of a miscommunication. I just talked to Coach O and Coach Canada so I kind of backed off my stance about going out of state a little bit. I’m going to give the some them time and see what the offense looks like in the spring and go from there. Coach Canada said he’s going to run the same offense he’s been running for 12 years and it’s supposed to be more open and that fits my skill set more so I will be paying attention to that."
North Carolina: – “Coach Heckendorf is kind of the same, they started recruiting me early. They were here my first spring practice and they evaluated me and offered me and we’ve been building a relationship ever since. They have been talking to Brandon Harris now that he’s transferring from LSU and he and I know each other well so it's something we're both looking at. I’m looking forward to talk to them more. If Brandon does go there it would give me some input on things because he would tell me the truth on everything. I’ll be flying out Friday morning and going there for a visit and I'm looking forward to seeing it."
Harvard: – “You can’t turn down Harvard. I look at that on the football side and the academic side. My mom did the research and they only have one quarterback on the roster so that would be walking into the starting job and getting the degree from Harvard so I have to look at both sides and really consider what that would mean for me and my life after football."
Oregon: - “Everyone from Louisiana grows up thinking Oregon is a dream school. Growing up watching Deanthony Thomas and those guys and the uniforms and everything it's just something that stands out. Coach Arroyo is the offensive coordinator there and he was recruiting Keondre when he was at Oklahoma state and he’s a real cool dude. Me and him have been talking every day or every other day. We’re going to make the trip to see how it is. My dad has been talking with Coach Arroyo a lot just trying to set everything up and it might be April 19, kind of in the middle of April. Distance isn’t a factor so it’s kind of like my mom’s dream school, too. She loves them so we're all looking forward to seeing it in person."
Louisville: – "I’ve had a relationship with Coach Petrino for a long time and we talked today and they were watching my highlights and everything. They think I’m their type of guy. We’re going to make a trip up there in April so we can check out. From my perspective, watching Lamar and all the different stuff they do on offense is why they made the cut. We've been talking about that quite a bit, just how I would fit and the things I do that would work well in their offense."
On a decision: "I plan on making a decision in late May or early June. But I want to take those visits first. I've seen TCU and LSU before but I'm trying to work out everything else for the rest. I want to give everyone a shot but I know I want to make one soon."
Rivals Reaction: It seemed like once LSU offered last summer that they were the team to beat but the staff changes in Baton Rouge changed that and now it will be interesting to see where the Tigers fit into the equation. It's clear Rogers is a priority for programs like North Carolina, Tennessee and Oregon and his post-visit feedback will likely go a long way toward revealing which way he's leaning.