The secondary has started to piece itself together in head coach Zach Kittley’s vision, making one of his first additions to the unit with the program’s next commitment in cornerback Derrick Rogers Jr.
Derrick Rogers Jr.
Cornerback
6-1, 175 lbs
Transfer
Purdue
Rogers Jr. announced his commitment to the Owls on Sunday afternoon via X, weeks after entering the portal on Dec. 2. He joins the team with three years of eligibility remaining.
He looks for a new opportunity after being a member of the Purdue Boilermakers for two seasons, only appearing in every game of the 2023 campaign. Starting in four of the 12 contests he took part in, he totaled six tackles (five solo), two QB hurries and three pass breakups on the season, making a season-high two solo tackles against Northwestern on Nov. 18.
A 6-foot-1 athlete, Rogers Jr. is an athletic force at the cornerback position who is capable of making plenty of stops against opposing offenses. He also shares a relation to Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who played under head coach Ryan Walters at Illinois before Walters departed for Purdue in December 2022.
Rogers originally weighed just over 150 lbs when he joined Purdue, switching from wide receiver as he bulked up to be effective at cornerback for the Boilermakers, a trait that stood out to Walters.
“He has been covering his tail off. He has really embraced playing corner. This is his first time he’s ever played corner, and I think he’ll have a long career here, and God-willing, he stays healthy and continues to thrive,” Walters said to On3 in October 2023.
“And, so, sure enough, he gets here, he’s 151 (pounds) — and that’s soaking wet 151. Already, he’s gained 20 pounds. What I love about him is he loves ball. He’s naive enough to where the stage is not too bright. He doesn’t know any better.”
He played receiver at Jones High School, where he hauled in 49 receptions for 920 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior while being recognized as one of the top performers at the 2022 ESPN Elite Underclassmen Camp. He also caught 44 passes for 727 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, help the school go 11-3 and make a deep run in the 6A playoffs.
Rogers was viewed as a consensus three-star prospect by recruiting outlets coming out of high school. On 247Sports, he has an 86 score as the 140th-best player in the state of Florida and the 149th-best receiver in the Class of 2023.
Having made an unofficial visit to FAU in June 2022, he had multiple offers from Power Four teams like Miami, UCF, and Nebraska among other schools as he initially committed to Maryland then UNLV before flipping to Purdue in January 2023.
Rogers Jr. has the strength to bully opposing receivers and the ability to break up passes at a high level, giving FAU a significant boost to a key aspect of their defense.
His highlights at Jones High School can be viewed below: