Advertisement
football Edit

Star LB likes Michigan, Pitt PSU

A big, strong inside linebacker from Pennsylvania has narrowed his focus to three schools, at least for now. Which schools are making an impression on him?
"My three favorites are Michigan, Penn State and Pitt," said Chris Rogers. "They've kind of separated themselves, at least for now.
Advertisement
"At Michigan I like the coaches a lot. They all have really strong personalities. The history of the program is really attractive, so that's something that draws me to them.
"At Penn State it's also all about the coaches. They're really personable people and they show an interest in all aspects of your life. Paterno has a great history there and playing for him would be a great honor. Just what he's done in terms of games won and success, but also the relationships he's built is incredible.
"Pitt has great coaches as well and their facilities are very nice. They're a program that's really on the rise. That game against Miami was really tough to watch," he laughed.
While Rogers didn't say any of those three programs stuck out, he does have closer ties to one school in particular.
"My brother and my parents both went to Pitt," said Rogers. "My brother just graduated and he loved it. I'm sure they all have their own opinions about where they'd like to see me end up, but they've given me a lot of freedom with this and haven't tried to influence me."
Rogers is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and bench presses 340 pounds. He also carries a 3.3 GPA in the classroom. As a junior Rogers made 75 tackles, 12 of which came for a loss, and caught 19 passes with four touchdowns at tight end. He also punted for Wexford (Pa.) North Allegheny, averaging 40.3 yards-per-punt.
"I'm going to camp at Michigan over the summer for sure," said Rogers. "I'm also going to Pitt for sure. I'd like to try to get to Penn State's summer camp, but I don't know yet. Our team starts practicing July 1, so we won't really be taking any camps as a group.
"I've already taken two trips to Michigan, two to Pitt and one each to Penn State, Kentucky and Virginia. The Kentucky campus was really nice but it was a seven hour drive and made all of us realize how far it was from home. Virginia was good too, but it was the game against Maryland so we just basically watched. I didn't get a chance to interact with the coaches really at all."
So what are the biggest factors going to be in Rogers' decision?
"The personality of the coaches is definitely going to be high on the list of things I'm looking for," said Rogers. "Just to see how they are as everyday people. The campus is another thing. I'm really looking forward to a college environment, which is an advantage for Michigan and Penn State. Pitt is more in the city and less intimate."
Rogers has already received scholarship offers from Michigan, Penn State, Pitt, Kentucky, Virginia, Boston College, Iowa, Purdue, North Carolina, Indiana and Northwestern.
Advertisement