Alabama RB commit Anthony Rogers high on new staff after Junior Day visit

The first Junior Day of the Kalen DeBoer era seems to have been a big success. A few offers have been handed out and reactions from recruits have been overwhelmingly positive.

One of the weekend visitors Bama247 has spoken to already is four-star commit Anthony Rogers (Bradenton, FL), the No. 1 running back in the country for 2025. Rogers committed to the Crimson Tide in June of 2023 and is one of two remaining commits in the 2025 class along with Myles Johnson (Brewton, AL).

“Coach (Gillespie), we’ve had a relationship since my eighth grade year,” he explained his decision to stay committed to Alabama.

 

What do Alabama players hope to gain from the Senior Bowl?

The tendency Alabama football has drilled into its players for years to avoid directly answering questions hadn’t left Chris Braswell before the Senior Bowl. During the week’s opening press conference, the outside linebacker put on a masterclass of saying words without really saying anything.

What musical artists is he listening to? He listens to a lot of music.

Which NFL players does he look to model his game after? There’s a lot of NFL players he looks at.

But when asked what sets him apart from some of the other edge-rusher options NFL teams have in the 2024 draft, Braswell got at least a little specific.

“What I bring to the game is quickness,” Braswell said Tuesday. “First quick step. Power and ability to get to the quarterback.”

Braswell is one of three former Crimson Tide players putting on their Alabama helmets for the final time in the Senior Bowl. He joins defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe and kicker Will Reichard in Mobile.

All three UA players are teammates once again on the American squad for Saturday’s game. The event offers a chance to show off their skills against other top college prospects before the draft.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” Braswell said. “Great opportunity to go out there and compete. A lot of the best guys in all these great conferences and just being able to go out there to compete with the best guys in the nation. It’s the best of the best.”

Braswell and Eboigbe were more visible during the practice sessions leading up to Saturday’s game. However, it was Reichard who picked up some hardware during the week, walking away with the American team’s top specialist award.

Reichard kicked on Tuesday and Thursday, and was seen hitting a 60-yard field goal at one point. He described his goals during the Senior Bowl media day session on Wednesday.

“At the end of the day we’re snapping, trying to kick the ball through the uprights,” Reichard said. “So there’s not that much that you’re really trying to learn for the most part, for a kicker. Just because you’re still trying to kick the ball through the uprights, so you’re just trying to showcase your talent.”

Eboigbe earned an invite to the game with a stellar 2023 season, which came on the heels of a neck injury that caused him to miss much of 2022. The 6-foot-5, 292-pound defensive lineman finished the year with seven sacks and 63 total tackles, 11.5 of them for loss

He was voted first-team all-SEC by the league’s coaches.

“Great source of teachers and great source of NFL teams around her to just learn from them, grow from them,” Eboigbe said of the Senior Bowl experience. “It’s great competition that’s gonna push me forward. A lot of guys don’t want to be out here, a lot of guys don’t want to compete, but I jump at the opportunity to be out here.”

The Senior Bowl is scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday in Mobile. The game will be aired on NFL Network.