Jahari Rogers has taken three official visits, and the standout from Arlington (TX) could be closing in on a decision.
The 6-0, 170-pound Rogers saw Arkansas and Florida in May before taking a visit to Texas in late July, just before the dead period. According to Rogers, he’s still sorting through is options, but a commitment could come in the next couple weeks.
“I was going to do it on the 4th (of July) … but I’m probably going to do it at the end of this month,” Rogers said. “I have some people to talk to. I need to talk to my mom and my dad, so they’re straight with it because they’re a big part of it too. Some coaches, too.”
Arkansas made a strong impression during Rogers’ official visit in early May, but this one is pretty much down to a two-team race between Texas and Florida. Other schools have caught his attention as well, but look for Rogers to side with either the Longhorns or Gators when the dust settles.
“Texas and Florida, of course,” Rogers said of the strongest contenders for his commitment. “I just don’t want to say too many. You could say Texas and Florida. There are a couple more schools but we’ll see what happens – Tennessee, Georgia, they’re up there too,” Rogers said. “Really, I’m talking about who is recruiting me the best and who really wants me. That’s really it. At the end of the day, if you don’t want me, then I don’t want you either. That’s how I’m feeling, you want to go somewhere where they want you. I don’t want to go somewhere where I’m like third or fourth DB on the list. That’s what I liked about Arkansas, they really liked me. But we’ll see what happens at the end of the day.”
Earlier this month, Rogers took part in The Opening Finals, where he got a chance to compete against some of the nation’s top talents, as well as get coached up by guys like Texas safety Caden Sterns. Overall, Rogers said it was a great experience.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. When I got the invite, I was lit. I was with some friends, I was tearing everything up,” Rogers said. “It’s a great experience, picking all these guys’ brains like Caden Sterns, Grant Delpit, all the coaches. They’re really helping me out to develop me into a DB.
“Technique - that’s the main thing everybody is talking about. If my technique isn’t good, nothing is going to be good. That’s the thing I need to get better, that’s the thing I’m working on. You can be the fastest of guys, you can be the tallest of guys ,you can be the strongest of guys, but if you don’t have technique you’re not going to live out there like that.”
Sterns, the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2018, earned the respect of Rogers when the two interacted at The Opening.
“When we were doing one-on-ones, he helped me a lot. Caden is a great dude to talk to because he knows what he’s doing. You see, he’s doing it on Saturday and he’s going to be a top pick, first or second round,” Rogers said. “He’s a great dude to talk to. Those are the players you want to be around. You want to be around great players who want to get to the league, but he’s still doing things off the field too with his team. That’s the kind of dude you want to play with.”
With the Longhorns and Gators seemingly battling it out for Rogers’ commitment, the Rivals250 member talked about what he likes in both programs.
“I’ve been up to Texas three times. The first time, it was during a game, they lost so it was whatever. The second time they showed a little more love. The third time was on my OV, so of course they’re going to show love,” Rogers said. “It really wasn’t about the coaches, it was about what the players had to say. That’s what you want to know. They’re living it right now, so that’s what I had to really pick their brains about certain coaches, certain people. I had to really ask them the questions because they’re living it right now. I got a lot of good answers, my parents did. It was a great experience overall.”
On Florida … “It’s just different. Being there, the vibe, there’s a whole bunch of great players – Texas has great players, Georgia has great players, LSU has great players. It’s just different though. The DB coach, coach Gray is second to none, best in the country of course. And coach Savage, the best strength and conditioning coach. If you really think about it, you have to put them in a different category. I’ve been hearing people say I’m going to Florida, but we’ll see, the process is not over. I could pop out with something so unexpected, people are going to be like ‘what?,’ but we’ll see what happens.?
A four-star prospect, Rogers is ranked No. 189 on the Rivals250.
