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Will Rogers could be the transfer portal solution the Washington Huskies need to replace Michael Penix Jr. According to the latest reports, he is about to graduate from the soon-to-be Big Ten school.
The national title contenders for the 2024 edition of the college football playoff have long been preoccupied with how to replace Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr., who is set to leave at the end of the current season.
Per a report from 247 Sports Steve Wiltfong, they might be targeting Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers, who recently announced he would enter the transfer portal. Wiltfong published the following take on his Twitter account:
"#Washington is in the market and in great position to land a top-line transfer QB Will Rogers (also expecting them to swing at Cameron Ward) to bridge between Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr. and the future of the program in Top247 QB Austin Mack."
According to Wiltfong, the other option the Huskies could be targeting to replace Michael Penix Jr. is Washington State's Cameron Ward, who also declared for the transfer portal.
Who could be Michael Penix Jr.'s long-term replacement? Not in the transfer portal
According to the same reports that have Washington replacing Michael Penix Jr. with Will Rogers or Cameron Ward, the Huskies' long-term plan is to develop four-star recruit Austin Mack.
Mack started high school in 2022 and attended the University of Washington in 2023. He threw for 3,498 yards with 40 touchdowns and 5 interceptions that season. To commit to the Huskies, he turned down offers from Stanford, Colorado, Oregon State, Washington State, California, Oregon, Arizona, and Arizona State.
Will Rogers and Cameron Ward's 2023 season numbers
Will Rogers threw for 1,626 yards with 12 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 2023. He had a mediocre QBR of 47.1, which ranked him 94th among signal-callers in the nation. The arrival of Jeff Lebby as the new football head coach of the Bulldogs spelled the end for Rogers at the SEC school.
On the other hand, Cameron Ward threw for 3,735 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his second season. While he appears to be a far more appealing choice for the Huskies, they will face stronger competition to land him, as the player appears to be on Ryan Day's radar to replace Kyle McCord at Ohio State. McCord was forced into the transfer portal on Monday.
