Which SEC passing records Mississippi State football's Will Rogers could break in 2023

Mississippi Clarion-Ledger
STARKVILLE — As he enters his senior season, Mississippi State football’s Will Rogers will be inching toward history with each throw he makes.
Rogers, who already holds the SEC’s all-time completions and attempts records, has a chance to add accolades to his résumé despite a shift from Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. Kevin Barbay was hired by coach Zach Arnett as MSU’s offensive coordinator in January, and he’ll bring a more balanced attack to Starkville.
However, it shouldn’t be too drastic of a shift. Rogers will have a chance to boost his numbers and etch his name into SEC history.
Rogers came to Mississippi State in 2020 as a three-star prospect out of Brandon, Mississippi. He became a starter as a freshman and hasn’t given up the spot, with 35 games in three years.
Here’s a look at what Rogers needs to do to sit atop the conference record books.
Passing yards
Most SEC passing records belong to Georgia’s Aaron Murray (2010-13). Rogers broke Murray’s completions record last season.
Rogers has 10,689 passing yards, which ranks eighth on the conference's all-time list. He enters this season 2,477 yards behind Murray for the record.
Rogers averages 305.4 yards per game. At that pace, he would surpass Murray in nine games. Even if Rogers’ production dips to 250 yards per game, he’d have no trouble breaking the record.
Passing touchdowns
Rogers, eighth in SEC history with 82 passing touchdowns, will need a career-best year to surpass Murray’s mark of 121. In 2021, Rogers threw 36 touchdowns, which is his single-season high.
It’s unclear what Barbay’s red zone offense will look like, but it’ll need to include a heavy passing attack for Rogers to test the record.
MSU lost three key receivers this offseason, with Caleb Ducking exhausting his eligibility, Rufus Harvey entering the transfer portal and Rara Thomas transferring to Georgia. However, Rogers will have Lideatrick Griffin, Jaden Walley, Justin Robinson, Jordan Mosley and Zavion Thomas, along with newcomers such as Freddie Roberson and Creed Whittemore.
Completion percentage
Rogers often has been labeled a system quarterback because of the numbers he put up in Leach’s offense. However, one thing that separates him from other Air Raid quarterbacks is his accuracy.
He enters this season with a 70.7% pass completion rate. That is the SEC record, with LSU’s Joe Burrow in second place (68.5%).