30 Players in 30 Days: #7 — Kendrick Rogers

Position: Wide Receiver
Classification: Junior
Hometown: Frankston, Texas
Listed Height: 6-4
Listed Weight: 204

Notes from McGee’s thoughts on Rogers

• He’s such an enigma. He’s such an outstanding football player, but you look at his stats, and it’s a flash of reality. He’s not there all of the time. He’s either hurt, or he disappears on first or second down. Rogers has to be there; he has to be healthy. The biggest thing for him is staying healthy.
   
• I’m most excited about what this guy showed in the bowl game. He showed he could be a consistently good player. He demonstrated he could be an every-down player. He has demonstrated those flashes of greatness.
   
• There’s no doubt that he has a very high ceiling. He reminds me of a Mike Evans-type player. You like him at X, going one-on-one. You want his skill set. But your quarterback has got to know that he’s there on downs one through three.
   
• I still think Jhamon Ausbon is the go-to target. Until I see otherwise, it’s hard not to say that it’s Kendrick. Rogers’ ceiling is still extremely high.
   
• I have a hard time hearing the argument when they roll coverages to you. Every good wide receiver is going to have coverages rolled to him. This receiving corps got shut down in the LSU game for four quarters, against man-to-man coverage. Rogers didn’t show up until overtime. This group can expose man-to-man. And nobody has a better chance to blow up man-to-man like Kendrick Rogers.
   
• I would take 40 receptions and 700 yards from him in 2019. With what we know about Kendrick, he’s got to stay healthy, and in this offense, it’s not as easy to distribute the ball to as many guys. You’re not going to see crazy numbers across the board. That would still be an excellent year for Rogers.

Key notes from Ryan Swope interview

• Ceiling-wise, it’s tough. We've got a chance to win nine games. 9-3 I think is the ceiling. I think we will land around 8-4, which, with this schedule, is not bad. You’ve got to look at the strength of schedule. Knowing this schedule, you have to stay healthy. You have to have everything go right. I’ll stick with 8-4, that’s where we’ll end up. The low is 7-5 this year.
   
• There’s a chance, with this coaching staff, that we could be clicking. We’re headed in the right direction. With this schedule, it’s still going to be tough. We need more depth on defense. You’ve also got to make plays. Guys need to step up who haven’t stepped up.
   
• The key for us in 2012 was staying healthy and having guys rise to the occasion. The combination of heart, talent and skill is enormous. We stayed healthy across the board. It’s part of the process of trusting your strength coach, taking care of your body, and acting like a professional.
   
• I hated seeing Baylor Cupp go down. He had a great camp. We’ve got depth at tight end and we should be fine. Great teams get tested with adversity. It’s about how you handle it.
   
• It's the time of camp for guys who want to be leaders to take control of their football team. It might be a freshman for all we know. But for these juniors and seniors, it’s their team, and it’s their chance to lead them. I think back to my last year; we had 18 seniors. The older guys have to tell everyone to embrace the grind and ensure them that we can compete in this league. This is where you find your warriors.
   
• If a young guy is going to be a leader, your play has to back that up. It’s hot out, but some of the leadership attributes are taking care of your body. The little things off the field that you can do that make your job easier on the field.
   
• Pushing guys to be accountable is enormous. To hear Mond say that, you can tell he’s mature. There’s a learning process in a system like Jimbo’s. The receivers have to do the little things, like watching the film with Kellen, to get it. That’s important.
   
• I love Kendrick Rogers’ playmaking ability. That stands out to me the most. He knows how to get the football. He has excellent hands, great route running, and a great athlete. He’s everything you ask for in a receiver.
   
• From Clemson to LSU, even though he had that ankle injury and was pretty banged up, he didn’t show up for us like we would’ve liked. My biggest concern is if he can stay healthy. My biggest fear last year was Rogers knowing the playbook. Now, I know Kellen and the receivers have that down. At this point, it’s just a matter of keeping his ankle right. I think he’ll be catching a lot of balls from Kellen Mond on Saturdays. He could lead our receivers in yards and touchdowns.
   
• Rogers is a great kid with so much raw talent. He’s just a playmaker.

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Follow the entire 30 Players in 30 Days series here.