2018 Recruiting Thread

[ktuck911]

So perhaps we are looking at Banks at SS, Morrison at FS, Lazarus at CB1, Carroll at CB2 and Lucien at CB3. But at 6'2'', I could see this kid becoming CB1 or CB2.

Looks like we're going with the prototypical DBs size route, which I'm not mad about...

 

[Exit 4]

Looks like we're going with the prototypical DBs size route, which I'm not mad about...

Yeah, seems to be the case. I think all of them are at least 6'1''. I noticed today Banks claims 4.43 speed in his HUDL page. Banks' junior tape indicates he does not shy from contact. Speed and penchant for contact are key elements to the Safety position. Banks is one of my sleepers for next year.

 

[ktuck911]

Yeah, seems to be the case. I think all of them are at least 6'1''. I noticed today Banks claims 4.43 speed in his HUDL page. Banks' junior tape indicates he does not shy from contact. Speed and penchant for contact are key elements to the Safety position. Banks is one of my sleepers for next year.

Banks is my sleeper too bro... Excited about him.. Physically he seems ready now... Hopefully the game isn't too too fast for him...

 

[ktuck911]

McCracken to Ohio Bobcats

TOS has him coming on an official on 12/8/17... Maybe we still got a shot here... Hoping so... our DL needs the help....

 

[huskymedic]

TOS has him coming on an official on 12/8/17... Maybe we still got a shot here... Hoping so... our DL needs the help....

That was the date he said he was coming before he committed. I'll believe it when we see it...

 

[TheDrifter75]

Does anyone know of any interest by UConn in Spencer Lockwood from Killingly? I know his competition is really suspect but he did just have 225 yds against Capital in a win and avg 242 on the year. I hate to think he doesn't get at least a walk on offer from his home state.

 

[huskymedic]

Devon Matthews was on an official visit to UConn today. He spent a good amount of time talking to Marvin Washington on sidelines during warmups.

 

[Exit 4]

If I learn how to post a shared doc on google links this week, I'll be able to show a plan in excel to get 8 more kids this recruiting class and meet the 25 slot annual cap. The plan assumes Donaldson is given a scholarship in January (and Keating remains off scholarship), but I'm not including him as one of the eight (so nine including Donaldson). Based on the best available info, we have room to add five now (four net of Donaldson), while anything after that would require players to exit the program early. The ceiling for this cycle is actually nine more kids (ten including Donaldson) which would require 5 kids to exit early. However to get to nine more kids, it would require not only 5 kids to exit early, but one more kid to enter the program early in Jan 2018 which would allow them to count towards unused space from the 2017 class. By my count we have 2 unused slots from the 2017 class, but that may actually be three if Omar Fortt as an early enrollee is counted toward the 2016 class. We can only access this unused 2017 capacity if kids come in Jan'18. Nyadu will be using one of these 2017 slots.

The tricky part for the staff is knowing we have four slots that are clear (five if we delay Donaldson's scholarship), but should have addition space once kids make decisions about their future with this team which is a unpredictable process.

 

[Exit 4]

TOS is reporting that [another recruit - name withheld for now) will also be an early enrollee with Nyadu. So, together those two will count towards our 2017 cap rather than 2018 cap per the recruiting rule below. Therefore, we could get to nine or ten more recruits this cycle if we can get 4 or 5 to exit early.

http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D112.pdf

15.5.6.3.2 Recruited Student-Athlete Entering After Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.8) by the awarding institution who enters after the first term of the academic year and immediately receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) shall be an initial counter for either the current academic year (if the institution’s annual limit has not been reached) or the next academic year. The student-athlete shall be included in the institution’s total counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)

Also, regarding Mason Donaldson, if we hold off awarding him a scholarship until after spring ball it will not count towards the 25 slot annual cap. That said, I think there is room to add him now and count him as a 2017 add if they choose to do so because Fortt should have counted as a 2016 recruit.

15.5.6.3.6 Aid First Awarded After Second Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete who has been in residence at the certifying institution for at least two academic years may receive athletically related financial aid for the first time without such aid counting as an initial award, provided the aid falls within the overall grant limitation. (Adopted: 1/11/89, Revised: 1/10/90 effective 8/1/90)

 

[UConnJim]

If I learn how to post a shared doc on google links this week, I'll be able to show a plan in excel to get 8 more kids this recruiting class and meet the 25 slot annual cap. The plan assumes Donaldson is given a scholarship in January (and Keating remains off scholarship), but I'm not including him as one of the eight (so nine including Donaldson). Based on the best available info, we have room to add five now (four net of Donaldson), while anything after that would require players to exit the program early. The ceiling for this cycle is actually nine more kids (ten including Donaldson) which would require 5 kids to exit early. However to get to nine more kids, it would require not only 5 kids to exit early, but one more kid to enter the program early in Jan 2018 which would allow them to count towards unused space from the 2017 class. By my count we have 2 unused slots from the 2017 class, but that may actually be three if Omar Fortt as an early enrollee is counted toward the 2016 class. We can only access this unused 2017 capacity if kids come in Jan'18. Nyadu will be using one of these 2017 slots.

The tricky part for the staff is knowing we have four slots that are clear (five if we delay Donaldson's scholarship), but should have addition space once kids make decisions about their future with this team which is a unpredictable process.

With the early signing period, recruiting is going to look a lot different than in the past. Once the coaches know who is not going to sign early, they will have to start recruiting other players just in case the non-early signers decide to look elsewhere. Of course, it's a double edge sword, as kids who don't sign early could get recruited over and end up losing their spot.

 

[huskymedic]

DB Devon Matthews (took official visit to UConn for Tulsa game back in October):

 

[huskymedic]

DB Devon Matthews (took official visit to UConn for Tulsa game back in October):

 

[uconnphil2016]

Wow. He retweeted and liked Robinsons tweet. Wild. I wonder what would flip him to UConn from USF if he does in fact commit to us. Good safety with size and speed he could start as a freshman

 

[huskymedic]

Wow. He retweeted and liked Robinsons tweet. Wild. I wonder what would flip him to UConn from USF if he does in fact commit to us. Good safety with size and speed he could start as a freshman

If he came up in October when committed to USF he was already having second thoughts... it’s all about fit (on both sides @ both schools). He also recently picked up an offer from Wake Forest.

 

[Saab04]

Wow. He retweeted and liked Robinsons tweet. Wild. I wonder what would flip him to UConn from USF if he does in fact commit to us. Good safety with size and speed he could star as a freshman

You answered your own question. Imo it’s playing time and education. Hope we land him.

 

[Exit 4]

If he came up in October when committed to USF he was already having second thoughts... it’s all about fit (on both sides @ both schools). He also recently picked up an offer from Wake Forest.

Unfortunately his announcement does coincide with his wake offer, but then again he liked Robinson’s tweet.... hmmm.

Devon would definitely see the field here as a freshman. He’s a tackling machine. This would be huge.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Unfortunately his announcement does coincide with his wake offer, but then again he liked Robinson’s tweet.... hmmm.

Devon would definitely see the field here as a freshman. He’s a tackling machine. This would be huge.

He hits like a Mack truck. Come to storrs, we need people to lay the thunder!

 

[Exit 4]

He hits like a Mack truck. Come to storrs, we need people to lay the thunder!

Indeed. And when you look at our recruiting and look at others in our conference, we have not been landing guys that hit like this while others have. At the AAC level you aren't going to pull in a full roster of hitters like this, but you need some and lately we have landed none. Hence the poor tackling D we have.

 

[Confident Carl]

Indeed. And when you look at our recruiting and look at others in our conference, we have not been landing guys that hit like this while others have. At the AAC level you aren't going to pull in a full roster of hitters like this, but you need some and lately we have landed none. Hence the poor tackling D we have.

Agree the tackling has been hideous. Losing aside, we have had some pretty talented, athletic dbacks that have gone to the next level, Byron Jones, Obi, Andrew Adams, most recently as well as others, Tyrone Branch, Robert McClain, Blidi Wreh Wilson and Darius Butler. Let's hope our young dbacks are motivated by their predecessors. They all got a lot of playing time this year but will need to get stronger, smarter and learn how to wrap their arms around the ball carrier.

They had to learn a brand new defense, were thinking too much and not reacting. We can only hope that they learned a lot this year and will be greatly improved next season.

Omar Fortt F
Eddie Hahn RF
Tyler Coyle RF
Marshe Terry RS
Tahj Herring Wilson RF
Brayden Brown F
Aaron Garland RS
Jordan Swan F

As it's been written we need some new big fast bodies for the front 6. As bad as our pass defense was the front 6 is the area that requires the biggest makeover!

 

[Exit 4]

Agree the tackling has been hideous. Losing aside, we have had some pretty talented, athletic dbacks that have gone to the next level, Byron Jones, Obi, Andrew Adams, most recently as well as others, Tyrone Branch, Robert McClain, Blidi Wreh Wilson and Darius Butler. Let's hope our young dbacks are motivated by their predecessors. They all got a lot of playing time this year but will need to get stronger, smarter and learn how to wrap their arms around the ball carrier.

Well, there is no law of football that says UConn DBs will always improve and every crop will produce some level of NFL talent. At this point I just don't see much of any talent back there. The staff is going to do what they can to coach them up and as a fan of the program, I sure hope I am wrong, but a sober assessment says we are dealing with a less capable group that in recent and distance past. They are slower, they don't see the ball well and they have lesser tackling ability. I think the answer lies in the next round of recruits to fix the secondary ills.

 

[Confident Carl]

Well, there is no law of football that says UConn DBs will always improve and every crop will produce some level of NFL talent. At this point I just don't see much of any talent back there. The staff is going to do what they can to coach them up and as a fan of the program, I sure hope I am wrong, but a sober assessment says we are dealing with a less capable group that in recent and distance past. They are slower, they don't see the ball well and they have lesser tackling ability. I think the answer lies in the next round of recruits to fix the secondary ills.

They are young and a lot of freshmen. A year can
make a difference.

 

[huskymedic]

If he came up in October when committed to USF he was already having second thoughts... it’s all about fit (on both sides @ both schools). He also recently picked up an offer from Wake Forest.

Add in Cincy and Indiana official visits first two weeks of December.
Former USF DB Commit Devon Matthews Pencils in Two Official Visit Dates

 

[ktuck911]

Add in Cincy and Indiana official visits first two weeks of December.
Former USF DB Commit Devon Matthews Pencils in Two Official Visit Dates

I hate that we got him in for an early OV... wish it was an unofficial... Cincy and Indiana are gonna have him forgetting about us... a spade is a spade here..

 

[ktuck911]

They are young and a lot of freshmen. A year can
make a difference.

On top of that, honestly guys, we gotta give these kids/this season a pass. Edsall 2.0 just got started...

 

[ktuck911]

Unfortunately his announcement does coincide with his wake offer, but then again he liked Robinson’s tweet.... hmmm.

Devon would definitely see the field here as a freshman. He’s a tackling machine. This would be huge.

He's exactly what we need for our D on the back end. One thing that we need more of are more tacklers back there. Some of the older kids didn't show the ability to tackle well enough for me.. the younger kids (true/redshirt frosh, with the new system and all) get a pass... Hate to call them out but the older guys are (or should've been) physically ready to make a tackle, new system or not... inexcusable... If we can somehow get this kid he may provide an immediate upgrade in that aspect for us...