Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns in his freshman season at Butte,[30][31] leading the school to a 10–1 record, the NorCal Conference championship,[32] and a No. 2 national ranking. While there, he was discovered by the California Golden Bears' head coach Jeff Tedford, who was recruiting Butte tight end Garrett Cross.[33] Tedford was surprised to learn that Rodgers had not been recruited earlier. Because of Rodgers' good high school scholastic record, he was eligible to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley after one year of junior college instead of the typical two.[34]