2018 Recruiting Thread

[huskymedic]

Can you go over 25 even with defections?

Where there's a will there is a way: How years of planning set up Signing Day

 

[JMick]

Games.

You get 25. But you can tag a few guys that arrive in January 2018 to the 2017 class. And likewise, you can Greyshirt a few into the 2019 class. Preferred Walk ons are to be watched as well.

I am sure we all remember Terry Richardson. In HCRE 1.0, you would hear virtually zip from TR until about January 12. Then suddenly, you would get two weeks of Florida kids visit Storrs and a handful of commits. Like? Jasper Howard & Darius Butler etc. I see no reason over the years that this won't happen in HCRE 2.0.

I'm relatively new to football recruiting so this helps, thanks. I thought 25 was a hard cap but I have seen 28-30 player classes at UM, Alabama etc. So it makes sense

 

[Exit 4]

We weren't in Jackson's released Top 10 - not convinced he will wander that far north.
I think Turay goes P5 - he has plenty of options.
I think they also have a legitimate shot @ pulling in DE Julius Welschof in the end.

I also believe there are folks on current roster that will be recruited over by signing day so I'm not locked on the scholarship number count per se...

I see someone like Welschof landing at Michigan when its all said and done. Of course, I would love to have him here. No doubt.

I was encouraged that Turay retweeted his 8/2 UConn offer the other day. I think Crocker visited him this spring and for him we are close which in this case may help. I agree - other P5s will be working him. Another kid we might be looking at for DE is Michael Taylor out of Flushing who I believe was on campus this winter or late last season.

Regarding Jackson, agreed its a long shot - but he also retweeted our 8/2 offer even though we didn't make his initial top ten. He's the kind of athlete that even if we have 5 LBs in this class you take him as the 6th because he's a baller. With some weight he might be able to become a Trevardo Williams type DE instead of LB.

With schools and kids committing earlier than ever, some places are already loaded up which may work to our advantage. USF has 26 commitments per one site!

Headed into December, I do want to have a couple slots on hand to get the Marvin Washingtons of the world. Right now, I'd be tracking Dequan Jackson as one of those potential Marvin Washingtons.

 

[uconnphil2016]

We weren't in Jackson's released Top 10 - not convinced he will wander this far north.
I think Turay goes P5 - he has plenty of options.
I think they also have a legitimate shot @ pulling in DE Julius Welschof in the end.

I also believe there are folks on current roster that will be recruited over by signing day so I'm not locked on the scholarship number count per se...

I'd think with a guy like Welschof it would make sense to put him in contact with Knappe, but that just sounds like something that probably isn't allowed under NCAA recruiting rules. I'm picturing HS QBs getting calls from Tom Brady as a favor for Harbaugh and thinking that wouldn't fly...but if it is allowed, it would be smart. Another big foreign guy who made it to the NFL and seemed to really enjoy his time in Storrs

 

[Exit 4]

Revisiting twitter this morning...from what I see, McCracken received official offers from Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Uconn at the first of the month and Turay tweeted about official offers from just Rutty and Uconn.

Need to get these guys on campus.

As for Michael Taylor (DE) in Flushing, looks he has mostly G5 interest at this point. A nice start to his senior year will likely change that.

And apparently Welschof's Uconn visit was one of his few (official) visits while touring the US, so I guess we have some decent odds here.

Anyways - eager to bring in DL beef after landing just Caleb Thomas last cycle.

 

[huskymedic]

OL from Mission Viejo CA:

 

[ktuck911]

OL from Mission Viejo CA:

We're about 2 hr's & 40 or so minutes away

 

[huskymedic]

We're about 2 hr's & 40 or so minutes away

22 offers and we weren't in his Top 5. If he heads east coast it will probably be Duke.

 

[huskymedic]

OL from Mission Viejo CA:

Arizona State University.

 

[HawkHusky]

It's been too long since the last signal. I'm started to enter RE recruitment withdrawal.

 

[ktuck911]

I'm wondering if it's something with grades. If that's the case then the best case scenario is juco->storrs

Gotta feeling Dillon Harris ticketed for Storrs for either January '19 or '20. His twitter page still implies he's all in for Storrs CT. just taking an indirect path. He'll be well prepared to play for us right away when he gets here.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Gotta feeling Dillon Harris ticketed for Storrs for either January '19 or '20. His twitter page still implies he's all in for Storrs CT. just taking an indirect path. He'll be well prepared to play for us right away when he gets here.

Huh? So he's not coming next year?

 

[huskymedic]

Huh? So he's not coming next year?

Appears that MAY be true based on comment on his Twitter and GameTimeCT. Discussed a page or so back in this thread (this past Wednesday). Nothing official.

 

[thedrowsyowl]

A good solid look at Collins and the staff he has hired ... and then the moves since ... Temple is a significant drop off of where Ruhle took them (and the Addazio/Golden run up). We (UConn - HC Randy Edsall) have a clear strategic focus ... and I perceive Collins has not got a good start. We talk a lot about Bobby Diaco: get used to my perspective. Sliding a extra-normal Assistant into the HC slot is not a slam dunk.

Maybe it's because I've been pretty closely following Temple's program (TU student from CT here) but he's doing the right things and saying the right stuff. His 2018 class is shaping up to be quite good, he has the energy the program needs, is a defensive mind, and was friends with Matt Rhule. There are no guarantees but he's doing everything he should be at this point, and more. If anyone was a drop off, it was Daz.

 

[ktuck911]

Appears that MAY be true based on comment on his Twitter and GameTimeCT. Discussed a page or so back in this thread (this past Wednesday). Nothing official.

IMO, works out better for both parties involved... He gets to play in live games for 1 maybe 2 years instead of sitting behind somebody up in Storrs.. He works out his academics as well, then blows the youknowwhatup when he gets to Storrs (with a major chip on his shoulder)...

 

[uconnphil2016]

Maybe it's because I've been pretty closely following Temple's program (TU student from CT here) but he's doing the right things and saying the right stuff. His 2018 class is shaping up to be quite good, he has the energy the program needs, is a defensive mind, and was friends with Matt Rhule. There are no guarantees but he's doing everything he should be at this point, and more. If anyone was a drop off, it was Daz.

Agreed. TU has a pretty good 2018 class at this point, especially compared to past years.

 

[ZOOCONN]

Maybe it's because I've been pretty closely following Temple's program (TU student from CT here) but he's doing the right things and saying the right stuff. His 2018 class is shaping up to be quite good, he has the energy the program needs, is a defensive mind, and was friends with Matt Rhule. There are no guarantees but he's doing everything he should be at this point, and more. If anyone was a drop off, it was Daz.

be careful, we were duped by a guy with all of those same traits.....

 

[huskymedic]

Mike Hughes‏ @ITVHughes 6m 6 minutes ago
3-star running back Javian Hawkins 14th 2018 commit for #Louisville

 

[Exit 4]

Looking at the RB recruiting situation -seems like the known names are as follows:

Steve Scott III (230 lb explosive RB from Syracuse) - we offered back in May - nothing on his twitter account to confirm we sent a written offer. Twitter activity shows heavy interest in Rutgers. He also has offers from Purdue, Villanova and I think BC along with several G5 schools. Looks like a Rutty lean.

Dylan McDuffie (210 lb RB from Buffalo) - visited our school back in April. Not clear if we ever offered. Listed as favoring Rutty, Western Michigan and Wake Forest on 247.

Jared Barron (200lb RB from New Rochelle NY) - so far just G5 interest. Small player at 5'8'' with a burst of speed through the hole. Seems like the kind of player whose stock could benefit from a solid senior year.

Chris Wells (182lb RB from Philadelphia) - similar to Jared Barron, compact runner with burst. No P5 or G5 offers from what I can see.

 

[Exit 4]

One other RB to watch this fall is Chris Chukwuneke who is now taking a PG year at the Peddie School - same school as OT prospect Eric Lovell who hails from Thomaston CT.

Chris Chukwuneke on Hudl

 

[Exit 4]

Another possible RB candidate for this cycle is three star Christian Izien out of Far Rockaway NY. Its reported he camped with us in July. So far he has an offer from Florida Atlantic. He's a terrific receiver and kick returner. Quick hips, great vision, great hands and makes people miss. Might not have the prototypical RB build, but neither does Newsome and many others.

• Ht 5-9
• Wt 180
• 40 4.42

Christian Izien, Pope John XXIII, Athlete

Yes, I have become a little obsessed with reloading our RB position.

 

[huskymedic]

One other RB to watch this fall is Chris Chukwuneke who is now taking a PG year at the Peddie School - same school as OT prospect Eric Lovell who hails from Thomaston CT.

Chris Chukwuneke on Hudl

Chukwuneke held offer from Diaco staff and there are multiple posts about in in 2017 thread (search by last name).

 

[Exit 4]

Chukwuneke held offer from Diaco staff and there are multiple posts about in in 2017 thread (search by last name).

Yes, but did the new staff honor the same offer? More to the point, is it your take that Chukwuneke would not consider UConn at this point because of how his recruiting went last year?

If we could get two more RBs in this cycle; first a power back like McDuffie or Scott III and second a nifty back like Izien, Wells or Chukwuneke it sure would seem ideal to me. I'm pretty pumped about Izien at this point based on video as his jukes seem a little more effective than the others.

 

[huskymedic]

Yes, but did the new staff honor the same offer? More to the point, is it your take that Chukwuneke would not consider UConn at this point because of how his recruiting went last year?

If we could get two more RBs in this cycle; first a power back like McDuffie or Scott III and second a nifty back like Izien, Wells or Chukwuneke it sure would seem ideal to me. I'm pretty pumped about Izien at this point based on video as his jukes seem a little more effective than the others.

I'm just pointing out he held offer from previous staff and there was a bunch of background on him in 2017 thread (easy name to remember).

He did decide to do a PG after coaching change so my sense is that original offer may not have been there - I'm not sure about present interest (I just don't know - haven't seen much).

I'm not that worried about RB - Terry Richardson will find his man.

 

[huskymedic]

More than a few familiar names on the list (including commit Jordan Morrison @ #50): Presenting the new NJ.com Top 50 list of FB recruits