Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a football recruit?

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram will follow along with seven of the top high school football recruits in Dallas-Fort Worth in what we’re calling “A Recruit’s Reality.”

In our third installment, we caught up with 4-star 2020 Arlington cornerback Jahari Rogers, who comes in as the second-ranked CB in the Fort Worth area.

A summer ago, Rogers was just another kid with no offers, but the 6-foot athlete quickly became a household name.

Rogers is ranked as the No. 10 corner in the nation and holds 32 offers, which include Texas, Florida, Notre Dame, TCU, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech and Alabama.

He’s projected to commit with the Longhorns at 60 percent, per 247Sports. Florida is second at 30 percent.

Rogers, who exceeded expectations as Arlington’s quarterback last season, will play defense this fall to get ready for the next level. He plans on enrolling into college early in January 2020.

“It’s only going to help me,” he said. “It will show me what I need to do; more work, more training, whatever I have to do to become a top-tier corner.”

Hook ‘Em

Rogers visited the University of Texas for the third time on June 21, but it was his first official visit.

“First time I went, I just kind of got my foot in the door. The second visit got better, but they continue to work their way up,” he said. “This visit was great. They showed so much love. I got to really interact with the other players which is what I wanted.”

Coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns offered Rogers in February.

“They took me around the campus, showed me everything because I’ll possibly be living there,” Rogers said. “It was great to see what Texas could offer and I had a great time.”

Herman and crew told Rogers they could develop him into a top corner.

But he could also see time on special teams.

“They said I could possibly be a kick returner or punt returner, which I’ve been wanting to do,” Rogers said. “But at the end of the day, it’s whatever gets me on the field.”

Top 8?

Rogers released his Top 8 in April which featured Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, LSU, Arkansas, Miami and TCU, but he quickly received offers soon after from other top programs.

“Georgia, Notre Dame and Alabama offered me after,” he said. “It was unbelievable. Some programs snuck their way in, we’ll see. But all these programs really have a chance, my recruiting isn’t all over the place, I just have to pick the school that’s best for me.”

Rogers plan is to commit before the 2019 season starts in August.

When asked if there’s another visit elsewhere in the near future, Rogers replied “no comment...it’s possible.”

Before his trip to Austin, Rogers’ previous visit was to Florida on May 17, which is another “warm” team according 247Sports.

“I had a great time there,” he said. “Florida is a different vibe. They also have great coaches and that’s what you want. You have to make plays on the field, but you have to find those coaches that will make a difference and help you get better.”

The Opening Finals and 7-on-7

In a matter of a week, Rogers went from the state 7-on-7 tournament with Arlington in College Station (June 28-29) to one of the top camps in the nation at The Opening Finals in Frisco (June 30-July 3).

“I was with some friends when I got The Opening invite. It’s crazy because it’s a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” Rogers said. “I get to go up against the best recruits in the country. That’s the cool thing about coming here, you get that experience and you get to meet new people.”

Rogers ran a 3.98 in the shuttle and a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash.

“I held my own. I came here and showed people how fast I was and what I could do,” he said.

Arlington made the championship bracket on June 29. The Colts defeated Denton Guyer and reached the second round.

“It’s only going to help. I got to go up against the top guys like Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Rockwall WR Ohio State commit). I’m going to give up some catches here and there, but overall I had a good tourney,” Rogers said. “I made some good stops, had a pick, just have to get back in the lab and get better.”

A Recruit’s Reality: Inside look at what really goes on with area football recruits

A Recruit’s Reality: Is the race to get Arlington CB Jahari Rogers reaching the end?

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