Notre Dame commit Isaiah Rogers came away from Nike’s The Opening Finals with more than memories. For the 2027 running back, the trip was a chance to test himself against elite competition, pick up lessons from some of the best in the game and return home with even more confidence heading into his senior season.
Rogers was one of just 120 high school players invited to the event, and he said that alone made the experience meaningful.
"It meant a lot being invited out of just 120 kids," Rogers told Irish Sports Daily. "It meant a lot to me just going there and taking advantage of the opportunity."
The Springfield Central standout described the three-day event as a special setting where he could meet new people, connect with athletes he admires and go head-to-head with top talent from around the country.
"It went great," the Notre Dame commit added. "I like to call it football heaven.
Those three days I got to meet a lot of new people that I've never met before in my region, meet a lot of athletes that I look up to, and just compete against the best high school kids in the country. It was a great experience.
It was fun.”
Rogers also spent time around several NFL players, including Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Ja'Marr Chase, Kyler Murray, Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan, among others. He said meeting Barkley stood out in particular, since the veteran has long been one of his idols.
But the camp wasn’t just about star sightings. Rogers said the bigger takeaway was learning how to bring that pace and standard back home as he prepares for his final high school season.
"Coming from that event, you're competing with the best guys in the country. So coming back home and applying what I learned and that game speed back at home, I should really be able to dominate this coming-up season."
At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Rogers has already put together a strong resume at Springfield Central High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. As a junior in 2025, he totaled 126 carries for 986 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 37 catches for 401 yards and three more scores.
Now the 4-star back is heading into a senior year that already had plenty of expectations attached to it. After this latest run against elite competition, he believes he’s even better positioned to make the most of it before eventually signing with Notre Dame.
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