Will Rogers deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his time at Washington. He decided to stay with Jedd Fisch and has anchored a flawed offense that has been efficient at points during the 2024 season, especially between the twenties.

He was stellar in the redemption game at Husky Stadium when he led Washington to a 10-point victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

The reality for Rogers and the 2024 program is that it is has become bridge season to what Washington will truly be under Fisch. The Huskies will not compete in the playoff, will not be in the conference championship game, and are fighting for bowl eligibility.

After a rough outing in Bloomington, Indiana, Rogers sits on the ledge to hold onto his starting job. With a loss to USC Washington will have a steep hill to climb to become bowl eligible with two road games against top-five programs.

Even with if he is benched, it really isn’t his fault.

First off, the offensive line has been hit with injuries which have exposed their lack of continuity and depth across the line. The injuries have forced players into new roles that they either aren’t ready for or they have not coalesced as a unit.

The bigger issue is that Will Rogers’ skill set does not perfectly fit the system that Fisch and co. want to run. When Arizona turned to Noah Fifita, a player that Fisch targeted and got to Tucson. When they made the move to Fifita the program took a monumental leap in their timeline to compete. Fifita had the big arm with the ability to break the backs of defenses with his legs. The Wildcats would have faced off against the Huskies in the Pac-12 championship if the conference had still recognized divisions in 2023.

The player that Fisch targeted to be the next starter in Arizona was Demond Williams who has a very similar makeup to Noah Fifita. That is the player who works best in the system that Jedd Fisch and Brennan Carroll want to run.

While Williams has the arm to be lethal as a thrower at the college level, his ability to beat defenses with his legs is what sets him apart. He is an expert in the RPO game that was so successful for Fisch while at Arizona.

Rogers on the other hand, is not a threat to keep the ball on the read options ran by the Huskies. He is not a great runner in the open field. The 4th down play where he was stopped inches from the line to gain was the latest example of that skill not being part of his makeup as a player.

With all that said, Will Rogers give Washington the best chance to win on a consistent basis which is important as Washington looks to become bowl eligible. He is usually smart with the football and has shown that he can do the job at the highest level.

Jedd Fisch said in his press conference that Demond Williams will be the face of Husky football.

But not yet.