FOW Staff Roundtable: Reactions to the Justin Rogers Commitment

TCU garnered a commitment from the highest-rated QB in school history yesterday, when Justin Rogers chose the Frogs over LSU and North Carolina. The Frogs O’ War staff weighs in on what his commitment means for the Horned Frogs.

1.What did you do upon seeing that Justin Rogers had committed to TCU?

Jamie: I peed a little.

JT: Almost spit up my burrito

Melissa: I yelled and did a happy dance. It was epic.

Chris: Went down to the freezer aisle in Tom Thumb and grabbed some celebratory Blue Bell.

2. There has been a lot of hype around guys who may follow Rogers to TCU. How much do you think his commitment will actually impact the rest of the class?

Jamie: I think at least two guys follow him to TCU, and I think his presence sways a handful more. Great players want to play with great players, and people will want to play with Rogers.

JT: Considering I just wrote an article about how much he will impact the class, yes I do. I think a lot of people want to play with Rogers, now that they know where he is going, others will follow.

Melissa: A player and person like Justin is going to draw lots of talent to Funky Town. Just like Shawn Robinson before him, Rogers is going to be the loudest voice for TCU on the recruiting trail, and with plenty of his friends already holding offers from the Frogs, several major dominoes will fall in short order. If Terrace Marshall commits - and I think he will - not only will he be the first five star to sign with TCU, but that combination should attract some other top targets. Guys like Slade Bolden, Ta’Zhawn Henry, Brennan Eagles, Jaylen Waddle… I could go on and on. But the point is, plenty of the top targets on TCU’s board are offensive players, and they are going to want to play with a talent and leader like Rogers.

Chris: Absolutely. We’re still early in the 2018 recruiting cycle and having a player like Rogers will lure some other guys from the Boot and will possibly even make some recruits that weren’t even interested take a look. The biggest advantage of him being committed so early is that not only will he be recruiting guys on social media and talking to them, but he can also recruit guys at some of the camps over the summer. The main name to watch because of him is definitely Marshall, given that he is a teammate with Rogers currently. I’d also watch Bolden, another talented WR from Louisiana who has expressed interest in TCU before the commitment. With the players that are on the board and interested in TCU, and with Rogers recruiting some if these guys, my bold prediction is that the Frogs will finish with a top 10 recruiting class for the 1st time in school history.

3. Rogers is the highest rated QB to ever commit to TCU. How do you think he impacts the program moving forward?

Jamie: It's huge. He and Shawn Robinson have a chance to alter the path of this program for the better. Think, consistent conference championship/playoff potential. It's a lot to expect from two QBs, but they're elite game changers at a critical position.

JT: Not only will he make the program better on the field, but this commitment is a microcosm for the strides that TCU has made in recruiting. This is the first victory of many more to come. Rogers commitment will impact recruiting for years to come.

Melissa: Someone on facebook made the comment “Foster Sawyer was similarly rated coming out of high school” (which is why you never read the comments). But there is so much more to Rogers’ talents than his star rating. He is an elite athlete who has played at a very high level of competition - you can’t compare Parkland to All Saints as far as the type of defenses he is matching up against week in and week out - and excelled. He has the same big arm, but is a much better fit for the Frog Raid offense - Sawyer was signed prior to the switch and is a more conventional pocket passer than typical Air Raid QB. And not only is Justin Rogers THAT GOOD, but he’s an exceptional leader, the kind of kid who competes differently than most. With he and Shawn Robinson on campus, not only will the QB play be elevated, but the competition in practice will make the entire team better. They are going to push each other so much and by proxy, the entire team. And that’s how you get better. As it stands right now, it’s hard to find a team in the Big 12 better situated at QB in 2018/2019 than TCU. With Rogers’ commitment, Shawn Robinson becomes the easy answer at backup this season, which puts him in the perfect position to take over next fall, with Rogers either redshirting or pushing him at QB2 the same way Shawn will Kenny this fall. And with that, the dreams of conference titles and playoff appearances become that much closer to reality.

Chris: In the near future, his impact is huge because this coming recruiting class can be built around him and he can help recruit other top talent to TCU. This 2018 class is setting up to be TCU’s best class ever and should be especially good if the Frogs have a solid season on the field. In the grand scheme of things, I think having him as a commitment that I feel is more solid than most lessens the pressure on wanting to redshirt Robinson. We can hopefully give Robinson some decent playing time at the end of games and once Rogers is on campus, they should challenge each other and only make each other better. Lastly, landing Rogers is yet another example of the recruiting efforts that have been made in Louisiana and a sign that things are only going to get better.