[the Talking Can]

if Da'Rick Rogers or Austin is there....boiing

Rogers is a virtual Julio Jones clone, exhibiting an exciting combination of size, strength and explosiveness.

He signed with Tennessee as one of the most highly regarded prep prospects in the entire country, and immediately showed off his versatility, racking up 167 yards as a receiver and 117 yards as a runner (reverses, etc.).

Rogers was expected to serve as the complementary piece to Justin Hunter in 2011, but stepped up once his teammate was injured and went on to lead the SEC with 1,040 receiving yards in 2011. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in six games, one short of a Tennessee record, and earned First Team All-SEC honors by the media and league coaches.

While there are plenty of traits about Rogers scouts will love, one they must be concerned about is Rogers' accountability on and off the field. For violating team rules, Rogers was suspended indefinitely by Tennessee coach Derek Dooley on Aug. 23 and ultimately transferred to Tennessee Tech.

"We're excited to have him and look forward to working with him," Tech coach Watson Brown said Aug. 27. "It's a unique situation for me, but we know he's a good kid. He knows a couple of the players on our team, and we know his high school coach, and we're going on their recommendations.

"After meeting with Da'Rick and his family, I can see what everybody is saying about him," Brown added. "We've met with Da'Rick and he understands our expectations."

Rogers played in all 11 games for Tennessee Tech in 2012, and was the man among boys he was expected to be, leading the team with 61 catches for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns. No one else on the roster had more than 28 receptions, and Rogers put up his staggering numbers despite every opponent game-planning to contain him.