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Quarterbacks Rogers, Wright Continue Battle to Become ULM Starter

Quarterbacks Rogers, Wright Continue Battle to Become ULM Starter

Football Aug 18
By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

The quarterback battle between Chandler Rogers and Jiya Wright is so close, both players were invited to participate in ULM Football Media Day earlier this week.

"The tough decision is figuring out who that guy is," ULM offensive coordinator Matt Kubik said. "They're both pros and both come to work every day. I know they're going to handle that decision the right way."

Throughout the spring and preseason camp, the two have jockeyed to win Kubik's favor. Back for his second stint on the ULM coaching staff, Kubik notably developed quarterback Caleb Evans into a big-time offensive playmaker in his first tour, from 2016-19. The hope is that he can work his magic again with a pair of talented competitors.

"Chandler is a great quarterback, but Jiya is also a great quarterback," ULM receiver Boogie Knight added. "They have similar skillsets. I'm very, very grateful to have two guys like that."

Rogers, who comes from the same city as Evans (Mansfield, Texas), said Kubik began recruiting him during high school.

"Coach Kubik and I go back to my sophomore year in high school," Rogers said. "He actually recruited me. Even when I transferred to junior college after Southern Miss, he tried to get me back to play for him. He's somebody who always believed in me."

While Wright didn't have a prior relationship with Kubik, he's been impressed with his new coordinator.

"I respect him a lot," Wright said. "He's a great coach, and I love his offense. I love the type of guy he is. He's not the guy to yell at you all the time, but if he needs to be serious, he can be really serious."

Mobile quarterbacks thrive in Kubik's system and Rogers and Wright both fit that mode. Because of their similarities, its unlikely ULM will utilize them in a platoon.

"I've never been a two-quarterback guy," Kubik said on Media Day. "There have been times in the past where it made some sense. I think if you have two guys with two different skillsets, that's something you consider. You've got a drop-back guy and one more athletic and you want to do some different things offensively.

"For me, we're lucky to have two guys with basically the same skillset. They do things really well. With what we do, we want quarterbacks who are a little more athletic."

Rogers, a sophomore, brings the most experience to the derby. He appeared in all 12 games in 2021, including six consecutive starts in the middle of the season while accumulating 1,678 yards total offense and 10 touchdowns. The 6-foot, 194-pounder completed 112-of-179 attempts for 1,311 yards, nine TDs and three interceptions. Rogers recorded four 200-yard passing games, including a career-best 369 yards and four TD passes in a 41-31 victory over South Alabama.

"It's been a battle," Rogers said. "We split reps and things are going back and forth. He makes a play and I make a play. Things definitely look neck and neck right now. There are definitely other things, like experience, that coaches will look at. But watching him play, watching me play, it's been fun honestly."

A late summer addition to the ULM roster in 2021, Rogers made a few stops before reaching Monroe. He finished his prep career at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas, with 6,182 yards total offense, 65 total TDs (34 passing and 31 rushing), 3,576 passing yards and 2,606 rushing yards. He signed with Southern Miss, where he redshirted in 2019, before transferring to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.

Rogers started four games at quarterback during the second half of the 2021 spring schedule, completing 56-of-116 passes (.483) for 750 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions . He ranked second on the Buccaneers in rushing with 63 carries for 343 yards (5.4 avg.) and three scores.

"He's been doing great throughout camp," Knight said of Rogers. "He works hard each and every day and he's a playmaker you know you can trust each and every day. We have a good connection. There are times when we're the only ones out there doing routes. You see a quarterback who works hard and it builds that trust even more.

"He's not only a threat throwing the ball, but he can run really well. I'm grateful to have a guy like that. We did some great things last year and I'm looking to build on that and take it to another level."

When ULM head coach Terry Bowden hired Kubik after Rich Rodriguez left to become Jacksonville State's head coach, Rogers was obviously excited.

"I knew the coach, we have a relationship," Rogers said. "I've had his number saved ever since. When he called me, he told me what was going on and that he was going to come to Monroe. He also told me I had to compete for the job, so this competition is no surprise at all."

Rogers came out of last season with mixed feelings. After playing well after replacing injured starter Rhett Rodriguez, he felt like he should have remained the starting quarterback.

"Personally, there was some frustration obviously," Rogers said. "I felt like I deserved to play. Rhett was a good quarterback and he'd played in that system for at least a year when his dad was head coach at Arizona.

"But sitting those games, I saw things from a different perspective. For one, there were fewer shots on my body. Also, being able to watch the game, that helps mentally."

Moving forward, Rogers said ULM needs to build on the gains made during last season's four-win campaign. He wants to be a part of that continuing improvement.

"Our focus on offense is to finish," Rogers said. "We left some games out there on the table where we didn't finish. If we just finish the drives, go score, we would have a completely different season. We'd probably have eight or nine wins, and everybody would look at ULM differently.

"Since we didn't finish, we have to make sure we finish this year. That's definitely been our focus."

Wright played in four games last season and accounted for 291 yards total offense and three TDs.

"I'm just excited to have the opportunity to go out there and play," Wright said. "Obviously, there's only one quarterback on the field at a time. Chandler and I are both more than capable of leading this offense."

The 6-1, 207-pounder played two-plus quarters at App State and produced 249 yards total offense and two scores. He connected on 9-of-17 passes for 158 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to Dariyan Wiley, and led the team in rushing with 20 carries for 91 yards, including a 3-yard TD run.

"That was my first real game of D1 football," Wright said. "It was a little nerve-wracking, getting thrown in there. It was not the best start, but we kind of turned things around in the second half. To see us be able to produce, it definitely gave me a confidence boost in myself. I hadn't played football at this level since high school. It was definitely exciting."

A journeyman on his fourth college stop, Wright followed a winding road to ULM after his final high school season in 2017.

As a senior dual-threat quarterback at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Wright threw for 2,307 yards with 28 touchdown passes and added 11 scores and 750 yards rushing.

Wright enrolled at Northern Illinois in 2018 but was moved to safety after a coaching change and entered the transfer portal. He landed at Division II Florida Tech, which offered a degree in aviation. But when Florida Tech ceased football operations in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, he moved on to Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College. He arrived at ULM in July 2021.

"I'm just excited to have this opportunity again," Wright said. "I've been all over the place … D1, D2, JUCO."

Wright said he found a kindred spirit in Knight, who became his workout partner and friend away from football.

"I've gained about five pounds of solid muscle," Wright said. "Boogie's the first guy I met here and I saw him working on the field and doing his stuff all alone. I've always been the kind of guy who wants to get out there and work. When I saw him, I wanted to surround myself with like-minded people. I saw him and knew he was the guy I needed to be with because he's here 24-7. I took on the same schedule. … We're not always together but we're here from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day, doing whatever it takes."

Said Knight: "He's someone who comes to work each and every day. I truly respect Jiya's work ethic. Outside of being best friends and roommates, we're really close."

With ULM's Sept. 3 season-opener at Texas approaching quickly, a quarterback decision is coming too.

"We haven't really talked about a timeline," Kubik said. "Typically that first scrimmage is wide open and both guys worked with the ones. It will be like that again Saturday. We'll probably get to a decision over the next week and kind of go from there.

"From a practice standpoint, it's not going to be an 80-20 reps thing. I'm pretty close to 50-50, maybe 60-40 with the one and two. You're always one snap away. It's a physical game and both those guys will be ready to roll."
 
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