As Oregon continues to build its roster for the upcoming season, there remains some players who have decisions to make. Tuesday evening, one of those players announced his plan to return to Eugene for one last season with the Ducks. Defensive lineman Casey Rogers will be back at Oregon next season after announcing his decision with a video posted to social media Tuesday.
"I’ll never forget my first game at Autzen Stadium. The noise, the smell, the feeling of pure excitement. Nothing in my life has ever compared to that," he said in a voiceover accompanying the video. "This year has been the best year of my life for many reasons. My coaches, my teammates, the Oregon fans. And, that’s why I can’t leave. I’m coming back.”
Rogers is the latest key veteran to announce his return to Eugene for the 2023 season joining the likes of quarterback Bo Nix plus defensive players such as Brandon Dorlus, Mase Funa and Popo Aumavae.
The Nebraska transfer turned in some career numbers during the 2022 season, his first with the Ducks. Rogers finished the year with 34 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss to go with two pass breakups and a fumble recovery over Oregon's 13 games.
His most productive game of the season came against Utah as he finished that matchup with 5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. He also had 5 tackles in the win over Stanford.
Rogers will be a sixth-year senior this fall after beginning his career at Nebraska. He redshirted as a freshman in 2018 and has played in at least four games in each of the last four seasons.
His 13 appearances during the 2022 season with Oregon is the most in his career.