UW RB Rogers, charged with rape, off team

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterMay 15, 2024, 05:03 PM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.

Washington running back Tybo Rogers, who was arrested and charged last month with rape in two instances that allegedly occurred during the 2023 season, is no longer with the program, a spokesman confirmed to ESPN.

The team had suspended Rogers following his April 5 arrest. Rogers, 19, was charged with second- and third-degree rape for incidents involving two women in October and November. He pleaded not guilty to the charges last month.

The first alleged rape occurred in late October, at the apartment of a 19-year-old Seattle Central College student, who reported the incident to Seattle police on Oct. 28. The second incident involved Rogers and a 22-year-old Washington student, whom he had met at a Halloween party. The alleged assault occurred at the female student’s apartment, and she reported it to Washington’s Title IX office on Nov. 28.

Washington suspended Rogers from team activities in late November and did not include him on the travel roster for the Pac-12 championship game Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, according to a certification of probable cause document from a Seattle police detective. The document also noted multiple emails within Washington’s athletic department stating that Rogers shouldn’t travel with the team to the championship game, but the emails included no reasons for the removal or possible discipline.

The detective also referenced text messages from Washington staff members referencing Rogers and what was happening with him. The communications occurred shortly after the Washington student’s report to the Title IX office, and after she had posted on her Instagram story, detailing the alleged assault and warning others to be careful around Rogers.

Ryan Grubb, then the team’s offensive coordinator, told reporter Dan Raley of Dailymotion in mid-December that Rogers was working through some off-field issues, and couldn’t comment further. Grubb, head coach Kalen DeBoer and athletic director Troy Dannen all have since left Washington to take other jobs.

Rogers returned to the team for the College Football Playoff semifinal and national championship games, where he had six total rushing attempts. He finished the season ranked third on the team in rushing.

Rogers and another Washington player, Diesel Gordon, were charged last month with allegedly assaulting a cyclist in a road rage incident in March. According to a police report obtained by KOMO News, Rogers and Gordon yelled at the man to get out of the street, and after he went to a nearby stairwell to hide, they “hit him and pushed him down, damaging his bicycle, before leaving.” Washington suspended Gordon from the team in early April, and Gordon is no longer with the team.