Texas a top school for 3-star ATH Jahari Rogers

Two-thirds of the teams involved in Arlington athlete Jahari Rogers’ recruitment now find themselves on the outside looking in.

On Monday evening, the versatile talent cut his list of 24 offers to a top eight, and the Texas Longhorns are still a factor, alongside Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Arkansas, Miami, and TCU.

Currently considered a three-star prospect, Rogers has been on Texas’ radar dating back to last season, and made his first trip to the Forty Acres in November for the West Virginia game.

“It was crazy, the stadium was amazing. The people that support them are amazing, too,” Rogers previously told Burnt Orange Nation. “I really didn’t get to talk to a lot of coaches when I was down there, but it was obviously a cool feeling to there on game day just to feel that experience.”

However, it wasn’t until a few months later that Rogers added a Texas offer to his invitation list on Feb. 7.

“I talked to coach [Jason] Washington the day of National Signing Day, and then I talked to him the next day too, and that’s when he offered me,” Rogers said.

“It was amazing getting that offer. Knowing that they’re a top program popularity wise in the state and how big their legacy is in the state. It’s just crazy to know that they want a guy like me,” Rogers added. “It was kind of a dream come true knowing that it was a Texas offer. A whole bunch of my friends and their families were super proud and happy for me and so were my teammates.”

Just days after adding the Longhorns to his offer list, Rogers returned to Austin for Texas’ Junior Day, when Rogers was able to get a more in-depth look at the program and develop a relationship with the Longhorns coaching staff.

“The coaches are super cool,” Rogers said. “Coach Washington, coach [Drew] Mehringer, they’re all good dudes and it’s just a blessing.”

Considering the coaches involved in his recruitment, it’s clear Texas isn’t recruiting Rogers as a quarterback, which is the role he filled for Arlington last season en route to District 4-6A MVP honors behind 2,670 yards and 31 touchdowns through the air and another 819 yards and 15 scores on the ground. The Longhorns envision Rogers on the other side of the ball as a cornerback, while some other programs are recruiting him as a wide receiver.

Rogers is ranked as the nation’s No. 400 player, No. 31 cornerback, and as the No. 57 player in Texas, per the 247Sports Composite. His national ranking marks nearly a 300-spot rise from his placement just within the top 700 at the time of his Texas offer.

At this juncture, Oklahoma is considered the team to beat ahead of his summer decision, owning three of Rogers’ four Crystal Ball projections.