Zach Rogers still has plenty more to see before he makes his college decision.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound receiver from David Lipscomb High School in Nashville currently holds offers from 10 schools, including Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
Rogers visited UT earlier this spring to spend time with his brother, receiver Austin Rogers, and get to know the Vols' new offensive coaches.
Zach Rogers said he has been impressed by his conversations with offensive coordinator Dave Clawson and receivers coach Latrell Scott. Rogers said he still wants to see how well they handle things on the field.
"They know how to handle the game," Rogers said. "We'll see how they handle the big aspect at Tennessee, the big Division I level, the SEC. I think they can handle it. I really do."
Austin Rogers will be a good source of information on how Scott coaches. Zach Rogers said he will rely on his brother to know what it's like to play for Scott.
"He's going to tell me how it goes," Zach Rogers said. "I told him to help me with that to see how (Scott) is. He's a great guy, too, a great coach."
Rogers also has been in contact with former UT receivers coach Trooper Taylor, now Oklahoma State's co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach.
Rogers said he developed a good relationship with Taylor during his time at UT, which has carried over to recruiting.
"I love Troop," Rogers said. "I got to know him real well the two years he coached Austin. We've bonded up there together."
Rogers said he saw how Taylor was able to turn his receivers into better players and better people.
"He wants to see you succeed on and off the field," Rogers said. "Academics are a big thing with him.
"He's one of those guys you always want to be around. He puts a smile on your face and makes you feel good about yourself."
Rogers said he's been able to handle the pressure of recruiting because he saw his brother deal with it.
The elder Rogers committed to UT in September of his senior year of high school.
Zach Rogers said he plans to follow a similar path and commit to a school before his senior year or early into it.
"I want to get it off my shoulders so I can enjoy my senior year with my teammates," he said. "It would take the weight off my shoulders."
Zach Rogers said he would like to play at the same school as his brother, but said it won't be an ultimate factor.
"It would be great to play with him for a year," Zach Rogers said. "We've never gotten to do that.
"I still have to do what's best for me and not just think about playing with my brother for one year because then he's gone. Past that year is what I'm looking at."
Rogers said he's only visited UT and Vanderbilt this spring. He said he plans to take more visits this summer but hasn't made any definite plans.
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Comments » 47
FlushTheJohn writes:
Come wear the BIG ORANGE!!!!
Go Vols!
agr_vol writes:
I thought we had him in the bag...this would be a big blow if we didn't get him
VolPride_13 writes:
Well, if he is in contact with Trooper, it might be all over with him!!
Pullingguard writes:
Believe Trooper will have harder time getting top recruits to OK. State than he did for the Vols. Oh, he will contact them, offer them, and it will be in the resume' of the players, but when signing time comes it will become more difficult.
miamiVOL writes:
if he is anything like his brother, no thanks
bigtimevol writes:
Trooper will be successful because he gets to know recruits personally. But, he'll have a hard time pulling anyone out of the southeast. Plenty of prospects he'll get out west. Austin has been a great role player. Yes, we need 4-5 stars out at receiver, but also, good to have guys like Austin.
vtvol#210290 writes:
If he consistently drops passes like Austin then let him join Troop in Stillwater.
WestTennVol writes:
Eaaaasy on Austin, yeah he dropped a few passes but u remember the one he held on to against Miss State? He got ROCKED and made a game changing catch (hes a tough sob). Austin will be a soild slot guy this year, just think though Zach would have his brother's matrutity rubb off on him, that combined with his talent could make for a very good receiver.
newtonrail writes:
vtvol, I believe you'll find most Rogers routes are crossing the middle. Some of the hardest to catch, and not just because you are going to be hit. Let's see you do it before jumping on a young man.
TommyJack writes:
Don't underestimate the lure of the Sunsphere...
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
TommyJack,
Did you see the Simpsons episode where they chose the Sunsphere over Disney World?
10 bonus points if you remember what was in the sphere
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
I want to say shoes but for some reason I'm thinking it was wigs.
TommyJack writes:
nick: No clue
T0MMYJACK writes:
Ahhh ... this explains it.
The usual suspects stretching the limits of their collective intellect by discussing the cartoons.
D'oh. Or, in your case, is it duh?
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Burntorange has it! Wigs it was!!
TommyJack, it appears your wanna be poser has entered the discussion disguised as an educated person. I am sure his next post will confirm that he is only a disguise.
T0MMYJACK writes:
Is this the part where the usual suspects circle the wagons and support each other? Hand him a hanky, wuss. Instead of referencing The Simpsons, you guys should be talking about your favorite Oprah episodes.
The only thing missing now is for one of you idiots to put a YouTube link on here and then congratulate each other on how funny it is.
Is it more than coincidence that "u suck" is contained in "nicksjuzunk"?
Don't have a cow, man. But do stay the course and have another fritter.
volroadwarrior writes:
Negative nellies are clucking again. Austin caught some tough passes. One game he split 2 DBs, caught the pass and got sandwiched by both as he scored a critical TD. He had a fine year even with what the negative nellies call a dink and dunk offense. I hope we get his brother. If he is not good enough, let the coaches decide, but they know more than you armchair critics.
T0MMYJACK writes:
And you messed up on your last sentence, idiot.
T0MMYJACK writes:
warrior - these guys complain like a bunch of rich b!tches doing lunch at the country club. They're girly girls.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Given the abundance of WR riches we have recently amassed with more on the way with Stokes and possibly the Memphis kid, I would not blaim him if he considered alternatives that might give him a better chance to make the field. Hope he signs. I'm a fan of Austin and believe he'll improve his catching form.
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
Maybe it is just me, or the way this was written, but he seems very arrogant, and awfully light to play at Tennessee. 6' 2" and 175 lbs, he needs to hit the weights and bulk up, or he is gonna get thumped coming across the middle.
Oh, and I send 20,000 good reasons to the UTAD each year, so I will say exactly what I feel about a player or coach. The players free ride thru Knoxville to the NFL is there for those that perform well, not those that have ongoing issues with fundamentals like holding onto the ball.
utfpmd writes:
Read this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/...
Then compare that the UT administration is charging students for football tickets next year.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
volroadwarrior,
Agreed. He has quite a few offers from some big schools so it is definitely not a brother-for-a-brother deal like we seem to have done before.
I say bring em' in and let the coaches sort em' out!
volboy81#211803 writes:
there needs to be more "this comment removed" notations on these pages!
Most of these posters wouldnt know a football from their hind end!
1974Vol writes:
I guess that's Mr. Rogers to you negative nellies. Have a wonderful day in the 'hood. You want cheese on your fritter?
TommyJack writes:
Nick/Ashly: Pretty pathetic, huh?
agr_vol writes:
Austin is plenty tough...just a couple weeks ago we played the football team in softball and while he was running a ground ball out our third baseman hit him directly in the head with the softball. Though it temporarily knocked him out when he regained consciousness he went back into the game. And this was only intramurals
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I rest my case. Doldrums are roiling. Spring has sprung.
agr vol1:20 -good info - the same thing may have happened to old Rock H in Hollywood. My bad. LOL.
invisiblekid writes:
Austin Rogers had a couple of tough games but did a fine job IMO over his first full season. There weren't that many alternatives to play regardless: Jones was injured, Spotted Ape can't find a hash mark, and Paige came in at a whopping 165 lbs if memory serves.
I think Vol_in_Dawg_Land hit on a key point though, with the number of WR and DB types the Vols have signed the past two years, there may be a long waiting list for playing time and he may decide to go elsewhere.
One of the most telling statements that I expect we'll hear in one variation or another from other recruits was :
"We'll see how they handle the big aspect at Tennessee, the big Division I level, the SEC. I think they can handle it. I really do."
If Clawson and company can't handle it(which I don't believe will be the case), then the program will be in some serious trouble.
jfg1980 writes:
who cares? they can have him.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
Well if Bama, Auburn, Texas Tech, etc... have all offered him as a junior, then he must have some talent. I wouldn't worry about the 175lbs thing as much as I would be impressed by the 6'-2" height. He'll put on some weight over his senior year most likely. It doesn't look like we'll have trouble getting good WRs any time soon. I wish we could recruit DEs that well, like that #8 kid for UF. Did anyone see him in their spring game? He looks like he's going to be a beast!
Invisible Kid-
Who is the spotted ape that you refered to? D. Moore?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
invisablek 5:08 good points. Question - where is the cutoff point that we move from "trouble" to "serious trouble" since we haven't won the SEC in 9 years. Is it 12 -15 yrs etc. or is Phil and Chavis's free pass about to be pulled?
Just curious.
TommyJack writes:
PD: I think you hit on THE question. At what point would the faithful become severely disatisfied? 5 wins? 6 wins?
An SEC per decade? A BCS game per decade? Never? Just curious.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
Another bowl-less season and I'll join you guys in calling for Phil's head. I don't see it happening any time soon though.
miamiVOL writes:
sorry sjt18, we are loaded @ WR and i doubt he can live up to the "JUMP AWKWARDLY & DROP THE BALL WHEN IT COMES TO YOU" maneuver his brother has mastered
TommyJack writes:
I'm not quite ready to drop A. Rogers into the grease. Still think he will make some big snags before he's thru.
invisiblekid writes:
Ibleed, Kenny O'Neal. Taylor said something to the effect that he ran like a "spotted ape" last year.
PDHuff, interesting question, I'd speculate Fulmer has another 6 years to win that elusive SEC Championship. Both Fulmer and Chavis have made comments in recent months about wanting to coach that much longer. The 2 titles every 10 years that many allude to was merely Little Mike throwing some numbers out there, that particular guideline appears to be fluid in nature.
Now, if Clawson doesn't pan out and the offense tanks to 2005 levels, 5-6 would be a good year coupled with the performance of the defense in recent years. If that happens, all bets are off and Fulmer finds himself on the hot plate again. However, I think Clawson will prove to be a good hire and we'll see some improvement in the defense, although not to a championship level this year. Easy to talk about in April though.
VOLinDAWGland writes:
I will be greatly surprised if Clawson's offense matches 2005 given the difference in his resume compared to Randy Sanders. Clawson has actually demonstrated excellent success in difficult situations multiple times. Randy was a career position coach with potential but unproven who was expected to execute Cut's offense without Cut's ability. We've already seen that the model of success in lower tiers can translate to success at D1 level. From what I've seen, I fully EXPECT Clawson to be another successful example of that model.
TommyJack writes:
VOLinDAWG: I do too.
movol77 writes:
"The second brother recruit is usually a wasted scholarship"
Yeah, that's why nobody wanted Eli to come to Knoxville. Right?
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
marc_ash,
You got your points! Next time you play monopoly, just ask for and extra $10 when you pass GO the 2nd time. If you hit the gravel road, you've gone too far. Tell em' Nick sent ya!
Volgrad777 writes:
Austin Rogers might have dropped a few last year but he made the big time catches when we needed them , he always came through , more than one big TD cathces comes to mind. Hes tough goes across the middle and works hard every day , blocks well too. Ill take 4 Austin's on the field all day long. Like it or lump it the guy is a solid football player.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I guess the reason we shuddered at a drop by anyone, it usually meant the undermanned "D" was about to take the field.
Again.
InvisableK - 6 yrs, Lord how mercy, that would be 15 years without the Grail. Are Vandy caps cheaper? We could just motor into Nashberg on game day, buy a ducat for $5.00 and never plan on going to the SEC CG, much less winning it. Socialize.
I doubt if Mikey could save Phillip if we have another 5 or 6 win season. It will get no better without an anchored defense. You cannot run a 500 mile race with 200 mile parts. This is our TENTH next year.
TJ, Sunsphere was great. Man, Family Guy is over the top, kinda watching some of that. The dog is cool. Takes something to pry me away from Discovery-History-IFC-Sundance-48 Hours, etc. I digress...
murrayvol writes:
pdhuff: Is going from "trouble to serious trouble" the same as going from tragedy to catastrophe, or from Nashville to Memphis? Just curious.
invisiblekid writes:
I agree Vol_in_Dawg_Land.
Bravo Murray on the 1:08 post. Sorry, I realized I shouldn't congratulate you, it might upset TommyJack's alter ego.
pdhuff, I threw 6 years out there because both Fulmer and Chavis has mentioned that number. Keep producing winning seasons with bowl appearances and Fulmer has nothing to worry about IMO. With winning seasons comes eternal hope for next year and any equity lost in 2005 was restored with a small donation of 1 million dollars.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
True, invisablek, he may need to pony up another mil if he trips up in Cal again. The water gets much deeper after that. A good walk-up fan should get a deal for N. Ill. Watch the 6 years guess, you sent many geezers looking for their heart medicine.
But if winning the SEC is truly not important and little things like a 100 laid on us by Bama and Fla doen't matter, Phil is our man.
As far as "serious trouble" a few of us think the cheerleaders should have those signs ready to hoist. Hope we don't look like Saturday morning in front of the Mayberry filling station.
Who knows, doldrums are here.
dford9#209809 writes:
Wear the colors of dignity:
ORANGE and WHITE~!
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