Connecticut has football talent

[huskyrob1]

How many kids are from CT high schools and from CT as opposed to out of state kids who played at CT prep schools? Not arguing but it gives a better read on in state talent.

Some are both, Tarik Black grew up in Hamden, but graduated from Cheshire Academy. Taisun Phommacanh is from Bridgeport, went to Harding for two years then transfered to Avon Old Farms. AJ Dillon is from New London but went to Lawrence Academy. CJ Holmes is from Hamden, but went to Cheshire Academy. Then there are the few oddballs who were among the greatest to ever play football in Connecticut, and they played baseball or lacrosse in college. Mark Evanchik, Rico Brogna, Bobby V, and a few others like Matt Milano of New Canaan who could have played FBS football but wanted to play right away and start his freshman year and get a good education so he went to Middlebury College.

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[UConnDan97]

I've always argued that if you can land 5 or 6 of the top 10 CT players every year, you'll have a core that you can build a winning program around. When we were winning and making bowl games a decade ago, this was true.

But the trick is: you've got to win a little for that to happen. Let's hope we can somehow win a little this year and get the CT train rolling again...

 

[Northbound]

State talent isn't great, but it’s also not putrid.

Hard to have kids stay at home and play for this program. Unfortunate, but true.

Always give Arkeel a TON of credit for doing that - it was probably to his detriment.

 

[Husky25]

State talent isn't great, but it’s also not putrid.

Hard to have kids stay at home and play for this program. Unfortunate, but true.

Always give Arkeel a TON of credit for doing that - it was probably to his detriment.

Newsome would have had to shine in college to maybe have a shot at a Danny Woodhead type of impact an a professional career, no matter where he went to school.

 

[jonsmith]

The media controls the narrative. The media is largely adversarial.

And, right or wrong, the narrative is now that UConn gave up on football in order to save the basketball program. Not exactly a recipe for moving upstream with regard to recruiting football talent.

 

[Husky25]

And, right or wrong, the narrative is now that UConn gave up on football in order to save the basketball program. Not exactly a recipe for moving upstream with regard to recruiting football talent.

The media's adversarial relationship with UConn is not a new revelation.

The program has 11 commits so far for next season (10 2*s, 1 3*. 81st ranking). Of course they can back out at any point before the NLI day in December or not sign at all, but in the days following the announcement, the program immediately received a handful of verbals. The words between the lines indicate that the coaches are telling the kids something they are relying on.

 

[UConnJim]

This is a nice list, but you're never going to get 100% of players from the state. UConn needs to recruit the NE, but also Pennsylvania and Ohio. Lots of quality FB players from those two states. There's only one P5 team in Ohio. No reason UConn couldn't pick up some really solid Ohio kids like Beavers.

Actually, Ohio is really hard to recruit. Although there is only 1 P5 school in Ohio, there are 8 FBS schools in Ohio and the Big 10 is all over the state. According to 247, Ohio has 100 3* and above recruits. Georgia has 213 3*s and above with 4 FBS programs and Florida has 343 3*s and above with 7 FBS programs. Seems to make more sense to hit Georgia and Florida harder than Ohio.

 

[Slasher]

Actually, Ohio is really hard to recruit. Although there is only 1 P5 school in Ohio, there are 8 FBS schools in Ohio and the Big 10 is all over the state. According to 247, Ohio has 100 3* and above recruits. Georgia has 213 3*s and above with 4 FBS programs and Florida has 343 3*s and above with 7 FBS programs. Seems to make more sense to hit Georgia and Florida harder than Ohio.

Yes, there's 8 FBS schools, but UConn should absolutely be able to beat out schools like Ohio and Kent State and Miami. Georgia is another good one, but a ton of schools recruit Georgia too (all the SEC schools.)

 

[UConnJim]

Yes, there's 8 FBS schools, but UConn should absolutely be able to beat out schools like Ohio and Kent State and Miami. Georgia is another good one, but a ton of schools recruit Georgia too (all the SEC schools.)

Look at the top 60 out of Ohio last year:

Big 10: 31
Cincinnati: 5
MAC: 5 (1 out of state)
ACC: 5
SEC: 4
Big 12: 3
Ivy: 2
No info: 2
Pac 12: 1
ND: 1
Other G5: 1

So out of the top 60 recruits from Ohio, only 1 went to a G5 school that is not associated with an Ohio conference, although 2 went Ivy.

Out of the top 100 players in Ohio last year, 4 went to G5 schools excluding MAC and Cincy, 3 went Ivy League, and 3 went FCS.

In the last 15 years, UConn has gotten 3 players out of Ohio: Beavers, Vann, and Witten, all good players, but I think there are better areas for UConn to recruit as the state is dominated by the Big 10 and the in state G5 schools.

 

[Slasher]

Look at the top 60 out of Ohio last year:

Big 10: 31
Cincinnati: 5
MAC: 5 (1 out of state)
ACC: 5
SEC: 4
Big 12: 3
Ivy: 2
No info: 2
Pac 12: 1
ND: 1
Other G5: 1

So out of the top 60 recruits from Ohio, only 1 went to a G5 school that is not associated with an Ohio conference, although 2 went Ivy.

Out of the top 100 players in Ohio last year, 4 went to G5 schools excluding MAC and Cincy, 3 went Ivy League, and 3 went FCS.

In the last 15 years, UConn has gotten 3 players out of Ohio: Beavers, Vann, and Witten, all good players, but I think there are better areas for UConn to recruit as the state is dominated by the Big 10 and the in state G5 schools.

That's exactly my point. There's plenty of talent there, but it hasn't been a focus. UConn is more desirable than those five top 60 recruits that went to MAC schools.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

State talent isn't great, but it’s also not putrid.

Hard to have kids stay at home and play for this program. Unfortunate, but true.

Always give Arkeel a TON of credit for doing that - it was probably to his detriment.

Pretty sure he had no other offers.

 

[Steelerone]

Imagine if UConn kept all the instate talent, the team would be very competitive. Clearly, we need to grab more instate players, but the narrative around UConn football needs to change. Here is what a current roster would look like:

QB:
Quentin Harris Duke
Will Levis Penn St.
Taisun Phommachanh Clemson
Nick Henkel Yale
David Summers Syracuse
Mike Collins TCU

RB:
AJ Dillon BC
Khyon Gillespie UConn
Donevin O'Reilly UConn
Lavarney Blanton UConn
Gilberto Torres UMass
Justin Brown Monnouth

TE:
Scooter Harrington Stanford
Jake Hescock UCF
Jay Rose UConn
Spencer Witter BC
Luke Schoonmaker Michigan

WR:
Isaiah Wright Temple
Cornelius Johnson Michigan
Tarik Black Michigan
CJ Lewis BC
Bryce Sebastian BC
Nico Ragaini Iowa
Russell Thompson-Bishop Syracuse
Jaquan Allen Villanova
Michael Monios Maine
Jacob Flynn UConn

OL:
Evan Adams Syracuse
Anthony Palazzolo BC
Michael Yerardi UMass
Jack Driscoll Auburn
Lucas Niang TCU
Jack Stewart Michigan
Jack Conley BC
Anthony Red Syracuse
Andrew Steuber Michigan
Sam Vrettman Rutgers
Gerrik Vollmer Virginia
Seth Willis BYU

DL:
Anthony Giudice Fordham
Malachi Burby Rutgers
Cletus Mathurin UMass
Ben Mason Michigan
Dillon Harris UConn
Jared Nelson Villanova
Casey Rogers Nebraska
Travis Jones UConn
Kevon Jones UConn
Rondell Bothroyd Wake Forest
Andrew Migliaccio UConn

LB:
Jarvis Miller UMass
Koby Quansah Duke
Jacob Morgenstern Duke
Zachary Kastenhuber Harvard
Charles Thomas Michigan
Jackson Mitchell UConn
Garrett Braden Rice
Elliott Brown Virginia
Omar Fortt UConn
TJ Gardner UConn

DB:
Will Harris BC
CJ Holmes Penn St.
Tahj Herring-Wilson UConn
Tyler Coyle UConn
Tyler Rudolph Penn St.
Marquis WIlson Penn St.
Tanner Davis UMass
Brad Hawkins Michigan
Brandon Sebastian BC
Jason Pinnock Pitt
O'Neil Robinson UConn
Jeremy Lucien UConn
Kyle WIlliams UConn

K:
John Tessitore BC
Joe Tacopina Temple

LS:
Brian Keating UConn
Jeff Sidebotham UConn
Evan Deckers UMass

Out of those seventy six players only seven have played for a top ten college team but you did a great job in identifying the players and their schools.

 

[huskymedic]

Out of those seventy six players only seven have played for a top ten college team....

Really??? That’s the measure of a successful/quality college football player.

There’s only 1,050 quality players in the FBS?

 

[kibblesnbits]

Not only won’t you get 100%, but the talent pool just isn’t that deep. I just looked at the SHU roster. They have 11 players from CT. By comparison, they have 38 from NJ, 24 from NY and 15 from MA. If a low-level FCS school has to reach out of state to fill its roster, there’s little chance that the Huskies will be heavily dependent on in-state talent. UConn should shoot for several of the top ten players from the state, thereby ensuring a solid CT presence in the starting lineup, but it will always need to bring in a majority from outside our borders.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Imagine if UConn kept all the instate talent, the team would be very competitive. Clearly, we need to grab more instate players, but the narrative around UConn football needs to change. Here is what a current roster would look like:

QB:
Quentin Harris Duke
Will Levis Penn St.
Taisun Phommachanh Clemson
Nick Henkel Yale
David Summers Syracuse
Mike Collins TCU

RB:
AJ Dillon BC
Khyon Gillespie UConn
Donevin O'Reilly UConn
Lavarney Blanton UConn
Gilberto Torres UMass
Justin Brown Monnouth

TE:
Scooter Harrington Stanford
Jake Hescock UCF
Jay Rose UConn
Spencer Witter BC
Luke Schoonmaker Michigan

WR:
Isaiah Wright Temple
Cornelius Johnson Michigan
Tarik Black Michigan
CJ Lewis BC
Bryce Sebastian BC
Nico Ragaini Iowa
Russell Thompson-Bishop Syracuse
Jaquan Allen Villanova
Michael Monios Maine
Jacob Flynn UConn

OL:
Evan Adams Syracuse
Anthony Palazzolo BC
Michael Yerardi UMass
Jack Driscoll Auburn
Lucas Niang TCU
Jack Stewart Michigan
Jack Conley BC
Anthony Red Syracuse
Andrew Steuber Michigan
Sam Vrettman Rutgers
Gerrik Vollmer Virginia
Seth Willis BYU

DL:
Anthony Giudice Fordham
Malachi Burby Rutgers
Cletus Mathurin UMass
Ben Mason Michigan
Dillon Harris UConn
Jared Nelson Villanova
Casey Rogers Nebraska
Travis Jones UConn
Kevon Jones UConn
Rondell Bothroyd Wake Forest
Andrew Migliaccio UConn

LB:
Jarvis Miller UMass
Koby Quansah Duke
Jacob Morgenstern Duke
Zachary Kastenhuber Harvard
Charles Thomas Michigan
Jackson Mitchell UConn
Garrett Braden Rice
Elliott Brown Virginia
Omar Fortt UConn
TJ Gardner UConn

DB:
Will Harris BC
CJ Holmes Penn St.
Tahj Herring-Wilson UConn
Tyler Coyle UConn
Tyler Rudolph Penn St.
Marquis WIlson Penn St.
Tanner Davis UMass
Brad Hawkins Michigan
Brandon Sebastian BC
Jason Pinnock Pitt
O'Neil Robinson UConn
Jeremy Lucien UConn
Kyle WIlliams UConn

K:
John Tessitore BC
Joe Tacopina Temple

LS:
Brian Keating UConn
Jeff Sidebotham UConn
Evan Deckers UMass

Connecticut is underrated in sports, because we usually don't play out of state teams. Yes, I know Enfield plays Longmeadow, and a few years ago Greenwich played Fort Meyers, but it doesn't happen often. You don't see a RHAM against Plant (Tampa) or East Hartford against Steinbrenner (yes, named for the Yankees owner) or Hartford Public against Highland Park (Texas). Of course, you could put 5 RHAMs into Plant, since it is so big. Steinbrenner and EHHS might be a good game, since SHS is one of the area's weakest team.

 

[BlueMAB]

It doesn’t matter how much talent is in this state if they don’t want to go to UConn. We’re never going to keep the best players here. Never. Accept it.

 

[uconnbill]

There is talent in the state but you can't live in state talent along as you are always going to have players leave. That's why recruiting New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia and Canada is the way to go with a sprinkling elsewhere