When Clemson offered JiQuan Rogers back in April, it marked his first offer from a Power-4 school.
From that point on, the offers would start rolling in for the three-star edge rusher, with schools like Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, NC State and Colorado also throwing their hats into the ring. He ended up with close to two dozen in total.
However, Rogers never forgot which school was the first, and that played a big part in his decision to commit to the Tigers two months later. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder announced a verbal pledge in early June, fresh off the big official visit weekend.
“Because the coaching staff took a chance on me,” Rogers told The Clemson Insider. “Clemson was like my first big offer, so they took a chance on me. Once they started talking to me, they showed me the most love. And they showed my family the most love.”
Rogers made his first game-day visit last month for the Miami game, and he plans to be back for his second this weekend when Clemson hosts Georgia Tech.
“It was louder than I was expecting,” he said. “It was really loud.”
Florida and Florida State were the schools Clemson beat out for Rogers’ services. While both schools are still trying to recruit him, Rogers says he is fully locked in with the Tigers.
Another big part of the reason is the bond he’s developed with defensive ends coach Chris Rumph.
“It is very strong,” Rogers said of the relationship. “I can call and ask or talk to him about anything. We talk about things outside of football and with football. That is my coach right there.”
Rogers is one of three edge rushers currently committed to Clemson in the 2027 recruiting class, along with four-stars Desmond Malpress and Santana Harvey. With the trio in the fold, many believe Clemson has a bright future at the position.
“It is a blessing,” Rogers said. “We all want the same thing. To go in and take Clemson back to the top and just work.”
Rogers is part of the team at Ramsay High School in Alabama, and his senior season just wrapped up with a loss in the first round of the playoffs. However, despite the disappointment that comes with the early exit, the young edge rusher is extremely proud of the season he was able to put together.
Rogers finished with 46 tackles, 15 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three pass breakups. His 15 sacks rank third in the state of Alabama, something he worked hard for.
“It means a lot,” Rogers said. “I missed a game when I was like number two. I was bouncing from number two to number one most of the year. I was trying to stick at number one, but I could not pull it off. It’s all good, though.”
With his high school career now over, Rogers is getting ready for the next chapter in his football career, which includes enrolling in January and vying for some early playing time with the Tigers.
“They are getting a dog,” Rogers said. “I am going to come in, work every day and try to make a big name for myself at Clemson.”
