As a result of all mother and father like to listen to reward of their youngsters, Casey Rogers turned to the individuals subsequent to him within the crowd and paid one of many highest compliments to Cam Ward.
The second occurred Oct. 15, 2022, when Ward was quarterbacking Washington State towards Oregon State.
Rogers, an Oregon star on the time, was doing a little advance scouting throughout his workforce’s bye week.
It was lengthy earlier than the chance arose of Rogers and Ward changing into Giants teammates in 2025.
“For some reason, I’ve watched more Cam Ward games than any other college quarterback,” Rogers stated. “I actually sat next to his parents once, and I told them, ‘Your son is a heck of a quarterback.’ I played against him twice, and I remember after the first time telling him, ‘You might be one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever faced.’ ”
The Giants have two defensive rookies within the locker room — Rogers and UCLA product Darius Muasau — who possess the within data that the fan base is craving proper now as a result of they each confronted Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders final season.
Ward and Sanders are the consensus prime two quarterbacks obtainable within the 2025 draft, the place the Giants may very well be selecting No. 1.
Rogers and Muasau, whose groups went a mixed 4-0 in these 2023 faculty video games, took a break from preparation to play main roles for an injury-riddled protection Sunday towards the Ravens to share their recollections with The Publish.
“Shedeur brings the best out of everyone on his team,” Muasau stated. “He just seems like a special player. He’s one of those guys that you can’t really game plan for because he’s always going to do everything right no matter what situation he’s put in.”
The mixture of the breakup of the Pac-12 and motion within the switch portal put Sanders within the Large 12 and Ward within the ACC (as a switch to Miami) this season.
Ward earned a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist — a good distance from beginning his profession as a zero-star recruit within the FCS ranks at Incarnate Phrase — and Sanders helped his prime receiver (two-way standout Travis Hunter) earn a spot as a finalist.
The Giants, who haven’t any quarterbacks below contract for subsequent season, had heavy scouting presences at Miami and Colorado video games performed over previous month.
Rogers — who coincidentally was simply within the crowd once more for Ward’s could-be last recreation for Miami whereas visiting his father in Syracuse over Thanksgiving weekend — and Muasau can guess what the notes would possibly say.
“Cam is a guy a lot of people counted out and no one really knew much about, and he’s made a way for himself,” Rogers stated, pondering again to Ward’s 468-yard efficiency towards Oregon in 2023.
“He reminded me a lot of a Justin Fields-type body. His legs are huge, and he’s not going down on first contact. To add on top of that, the way he moves throughout the pocket, the way he escapes makes it that much harder.”
Muasau added: “It seems so nonchalant — like everything comes easy to him. Just a natural athlete.”
Accuracy was the massive speaking level within the scouting studies on Sanders.
“Not just from our one game, but his ability to extend plays with his feet and he’s good at putting the ball on the dot as a pocket passer,” Muasau stated. “Even when he’s on the run, he’s accurate. I’m expecting a lot from him coming into the draft.”
The face of the Giants — rookie receiver Malik Nabers — known as each Sanders and Ward “amazing players” earlier this week, and Ward returned the reward Friday on Heisman eve by teasing the potential of what it will be prefer to workforce up.
Nabers and Sanders first met within the finals of a 7-on-7 soccer recruiting camp as excessive schoolers.
The Giants (2-11) have an NFL-best 41 % likelihood of securing the No. 1 decide within the draft, in keeping with ESPN’s Soccer Energy Index.
The Raiders (2-11) pose the largest risk, and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders — the Corridor of Fame cornerback and Shedeur’s dad — lately joked that he needs each his sons enjoying below head coach Antonio Pierce (a former Giants linebacker).
One win by both workforce in any of the ultimate 4 video games might considerably alter draft place, given there are six different 3-10 groups lurking.
“Those two are elite quarterbacks,” Rogers stated, “so it will be cool to see where they end up and the success they have.”
Perhaps in New York, possibly not.