FOOTBALL Recruiting: Michigan DL Jaden Rogers is the first Army 2025 recruit.

Jaden Rogers was so certain that he wanted to play football at Army that the Brighton (Mich.) junior defensive lineman didn’t believe it was necessary to delay his college decision. Rogers revealed his commitment to the Army Black Knights, the inaugural class of 2025, on Sunday morning. However, on February 20, Rogers informed Army defensive line coach Sean Cronin that he was “ready to shut down my recruiting.”

“I called up coach Sean Cronin and explained to him and my dad and I were sitting at the kitchen table going over visits we had lined up and this and that for recruiting,” Rogers recalled. “To be honest, I had no desire to attend any of the other schools. West Point aligned with all of the demands and desires. From the people to the location to the uniforms, everything was ideal, and I thought, “Why go chasing all of these other schools when what I want is already at my fingertips?”

Rogers, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 240 pounds, received his first FBS offer from the Black Knights during Elite Junior Day on February 3. He received an offer from the Air Force four days following his visit to West Point. Rogers had previously planned to visit the Air Force on March 8-9. He canceled those plans and will instead make his second trip to West Point on March 7-8.

Rogers liked the personal contacts he formed with Army coaches Nate Woody (defensive coordinator), Sean Cronin (defensive line coach), and Sean Saturnio (special teams) while on post. “I knew it (Army) was my No. 1 for a while,” said Rogers, who made 58 tackles as a junior. “Instead of going around and chasing all of these other offers, I can comfortably commit to my dream school without any worries.”