Former Big 12 quarterback enters transfer portal

Sean Labarby:Sean Labar01/24/22

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Anyone following the Big 12 closely may recognize the latest quarterback to enter his name in the transfer portal.

“UNLV QB Justin Rogers, who started his college career at TCU, has entered the transfer portal, @on3sports has learned. Former top recruit from Louisiana who ranked as one of the top QB prospects in the 2018 recruiting class,” On3’s Matt Zenitz tweeted on Monday.

In just nine career games played at UNLV, the former TCU quarterback completed 48 of his 82 attempts for 636 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He was the highest recruit in Big 12 history according to the UNLV athletics website.

Rogers now enters the transfer portal where there is a wide array of quarterback talent available for teams in need.

Former BIG 12 head coach embracing new job with rival

After spending two decades at the helm of the Horned Frogs’ organization, Patterson seems all in on Texas.

Patterson is joining Texas as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns confirmed Friday. He recently left TCU after 21 seasons with the Horned Frogs.

The winningest coach in TCU history, Patterson mutually agreed to part ways with the program in October. He amassed a 181-79 record as the Horned Frogs head coach after spending two seasons as their defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 1998-2000.

During his extended tenure in Fort Worth, Patterson became the first coach in BCS history to win Coach of the Year in 2009 as a part of a non-Power Five conference (at the time, TCU was a part of the Mountain West).

During this time, the Horned Frogs program reached a level it never has before, contending for national championships during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. A Rose Bowl win over the Wisconsin Badgers was the peak under Patterson, finishing with a perfect 13-0 record and No. 2 in the AP poll after Oregon lost in the national championship to Auburn.

Patterson has widely been known for his intense defensive scheme. He has put countless players into the NFL, especially in the secondary. Now, he will work with Texas, a school that has struggled to cover receivers in the Big 12 for years now.

If the role Patterson assumes is an on-the-field one, he will face off against TCU for the first time in his career on Nov. 12 in Austin. His Fort Worth homecoming will have to wait until next season, barring the Longhorns prematurely jumping to the SEC beforehand.

Texas was ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll coming into the 2021 season, but finished a disappointing 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 2016.

It was certainly a disappointing first step for Sarkisian in his first season as head coach of the Longhorns, but he knows what success looks like in an organization. He’s been a part of two national championship-winning coaching staffs (2003, USC. 2020, Alabama) and with Patterson by his side — who knows what winning looks like in the Big 12, Texas fans have reason to be optimistic heading into 2022.