By Robert Wilson
Mississippi State junior quarterback Will Rogers had his second consecutive outstanding game last weekend when he passed for 313 yards and four touchdowns.
But Rogers wasn’t the only member of his family doing great things on the football field.
Rogers’ younger brother, Luke, anchored the offensive front from his center position and helped open holes and give pass protection as Brandon had 467 total yards in its 42-35 victory over Clinton Friday night in the non-region Class 6A offensive show at Clinton.
For his role in Brandon’s huge offensive numbers, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Rogers has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week.
Brandon had 275 rushing yards and 192 passing yards for the 467 total against Clinton, the second straight game Brandon has had at least 400 total yards. The Bulldogs had 405 total yards (252 rushing and 153 passing) in a 28-7 victory over defending MHSAA Class 6A state champion Madison Central.
“Luke is a phenomenal player,” second-year Brandon coach Sam Williams said. “He is a very cerebral kid who does a great job of getting in the right spots and executing. Luke is very athletic, so this helps him as both a run blocker and in pass protection. He has grown into a leader on our team and growing up as a coach’s son (Luke’s father, Wyatt, is Brandon’s offensive coordinator and a former head coach), Luke understands what it takes to be successful. He has bought into everything we have asked him to do since I have been here, and he continues to elevate us with his play on the field.”
“Luke is a hard worker that prides himself on being tough,” Wyatt Rogers said. “I’m very proud of him. Will (who played quarterback at Brandon from 2017-19) and Luke are a lot alike. They are both incredible smart as far as knowing the game. They both work hard. It amazes me. Both would be out on the field by themselves all summer long. Both are fox hole guys. They aren’t going to quit.”
Luke Rogers, a Southern Miss commitment, started at offensive left tackle for the past two seasons but has been starting at center in each of Brandon’s three games this season. Rogers is a member of the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Preseason Elite 11 Team. He is the rated No. 3 inside offensive lineman in Mississippi and No. 135 in the country in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports.
Rogers suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the season opening win against Oxford but has continued to play while recovering from the injury.
“Luke listens, learns, and applies just about everything you coach him up to do during the week,” Brandon offensive line coach Tyler Stanley said. “He has great feet and understands hat and hand placement in both run and pass game. Luke is a leader both vocally and by example. He’s always the first one on the field for practice and makes sure the locker room is clean also. While his physicality is apparent on Friday nights, I’d say the most impressive characteristic is his knowledge and understanding of the game. By transitioning to center, Luke has the ability to check the pass protection or run to put the offense in better situations, and so far, he’s done a great job doing that.”
Brandon has an open date this week and begins Class 6A, Region 3 play with a home game against Terry next week.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a football player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin County each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276 or email [email protected].
