Connecticut has football talent

[UConnJim]

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

 

[Husky25]

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

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

How many of those kids can actually play?

 

[AAC Guru]

I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of the social scene, or lack thereof. I’m definitely not saying it’s the only reason, but I do think it has been a factor in the decline of sports. Players want to be in a laid back environment with a vibrant social scene. Not be surrounded by an army of state police everywhere they go shutting gatherings down at 10 PM.

 

[UConnJim]

How many of those kids can actually play?

Lot's of starters and major contributors on the list including Duke's starting QB, BC's starting RB, and 5 OL starters from Syracuse, TCU, Auburn, UMass, and BC.

 

[Meego1963]

If half stayed home program would be much better

 

[polycom]

Umm coaches keep players in-state..

 

[Meego1963]

The CT 21 class is very good if uconn can get 5 or 6 of the top 10 sure help program that what it going to take 1 class buying in there win able games on the back end of this schedule go uconn

 

[gampelcrazies]

Blame is on the coaches

 

[AndOne]

How many of those kids can actually play?

There's always been great players from CT for sure. But there may be less than 10 "good" starters on that list above.

 

[UConnJim]

There's always been great players from CT for sure. But there may be less than 10 "good" starters on that list above.

Not true. I count 21 starters on offense and defense and 13 2nd stringers. That is significant.

Let's go by position:

QB: Duke's 1st string, Penn St. 2nd string, Clemson 3rd string.
RB: BC 1st string
TE: UCF 1st string, UConn 1st string, Stanford 3rd string
WR: Temple 1st string, Michigan 2nd string, Michigan 2nd string, BC 3rd string, Iowa 2nd string.
OL: Syracuse 1st string, BC 1st string, UMass 1st string, Auburn 1st string, TCU 1st string, Rutgers 2nd string.
DL: UConn 1st string, UConn 1st string, UConn 2nd string, UConn 2nd string, Wake Forest 1st string, Villanova 2nd string.
LB: UMass 1st string, Duke 1st string, UConn 2nd string, Virginia 2nd string, UConn 1st string,
DB: BC 1st string, UConn 1st string, UConn 1st string, Michigan 1st string, Pitt 1st string, Penn St. 3rd string, UMass 2nd string, UConn 2nd string, UConn 2nd string
K: BC 3rd string,
LS: UConn 1st string, UMass 1st string, UConn 2nd string.

 

[hardcorehusky]

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.

 

[Exit 4]

There is talent here, but other states are just swimming in pools filled with more fish... fish that are jumping out of the water and smacking you in the face.

I’m not arguing we don’t need more instate talent - because we certainly do- just saying other places have more in state talent to work with (needless to say).

 

[UConnJim]

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.

I tried to exclude the prep kids from out of state, but I may have missed a couple. Thus, I didn't include prep kids like Josh Jobe from Florida who went to Alabama, Eric Rooks from Illinois who went to Hawaii, Maurice Gaines from California who went to Arizona, and Tyrik Henderson from Illinois who went to Northern Illinois. That said, having good prep school football players in your backyard is positive just like it has been for basketball recruiting.

 

[AndOne]

Not true. I count 21 starters on offense and defense and 13 2nd stringers. That is significant.

Let's go by position:

QB: Duke's 1st string, Penn St. 2nd string, Clemson 3rd string.
RB: BC 1st string
TE: UCF 1st string, UConn 1st string, Stanford 3rd string
WR: Temple 1st string, Michigan 2nd string, Michigan 2nd string, BC 3rd string, Iowa 2nd string.
OL: Syracuse 1st string, BC 1st string, UMass 1st string, Auburn 1st string, TCU 1st string, Rutgers 2nd string.
DL: UConn 1st string, UConn 1st string, UConn 2nd string, UConn 2nd string, Wake Forest 1st string, Villanova 2nd string.
LB: UMass 1st string, Duke 1st string, UConn 2nd string, Virginia 2nd string, UConn 1st string,
DB: BC 1st string, UConn 1st string, UConn 1st string, Michigan 1st string, Pitt 1st string, Penn St. 3rd string, UMass 2nd string, UConn 2nd string, UConn 2nd string
K: BC 3rd string,
LS: UConn 1st string, UMass 1st string, UConn 2nd string.

Oh come on! I know "good" starters is arbitrary, but you're including UConn and UMass players here. LOL. How many of these 21 starters could be considered top 50 at their positions in FBS? Dillon is arguably the only top 10 player.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

How is Isaiah Wright still in school?

 

[Exit 4]

How is Isaiah Wright still in school?

Hunter Renfro 7 year plan part deux.

 

[gtcam]

As with basketball, baseball, soccer etc
Some kids want to go elsewhere for a plethora of reasons
Imagine if all the HS football stars in FLA wanted to stay in state or NY hoopsters wanted to stay in state - impossible
Yes UConn is going to miss many top ranked in state football players but until the program wins..........

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Hunter Renfro 7 year plan part deux.

Dude was out there in Randy’s first stint scoring TDs on us.

 

[huskymedic]

How is Isaiah Wright still in school?

Geez - he was a 2016 commit? Should be his last year. Played all 4

 

[Exit 4]

Geez - he was a 2016 commit? Should be his last year. Played all 4

When kids play four years with a lot of snaps from day one it kinda of feels like 5 or 6.

 

[the Q]

As with basketball, baseball, soccer etc
Some kids want to go elsewhere for a plethora of reasons
Imagine if all the HS football stars in FLA wanted to stay in state or NY hoopsters wanted to stay in state - impossible
Yes UConn is going to miss many top ranked in state football players but until the program wins.....

Wasn’t this basically schianos pitch at Rutgers?

That’s how he had that dream season with a beyond impossible upset of Louisville.

Stay home and build something special with the home team.

 

[Purple Stein]

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

How long did it take you to pull this together? Nice work, @UConnJim!

 

[Vowelguy]

How many of them were 3-star or above in HS?

 

[Slasher]

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.