Lets Compare Recruits & Transfers vs. Opponents this year

[Forte]

Ok, let's have a little fun before the season starts. The argument for years has been if Edsall found diamonds in the rough, which given how much better our recruiting rankings once were, explains why we beat teams like Buffalo but lost to WVU's usually etc. I took the rankings for 2023 recruits (granted they are freshmen but there's bound to be good ones every program uses immediately) and 2024 immediate impact transfer portal players and compared them to opponents we will face this year. At first glance, if Mora filled the right areas in need AND AND AND AND we don't continue the major preseason injuries/first game in curse... things could be promising.

Date	Opponent	Location	2024 Transfer Portal Ranking	UConn (74) transfers compared to opponent	2023 Recruiting Ranking	UConn (124) recruiting compared to opponent
Aug. 31	Maryland Terrapins	at Maryland Terrapins	87	Better	36	Worse
Sep. 7	Merrimack Warriors	Rentschler Field East Hartford	Not listed (FCS team)	N/A	Not applicable	N/A
Sep. 14	Duke Blue Devils	at Duke Blue Devils	42	Worse	56	Worse
Sep. 21	Florida Atlantic Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	72	Worse	82	Worse
Sep. 28	Buffalo Bulls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	84	Better	84	Worse
Oct. 5	Temple Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	91	Better	85	Worse
Oct. 12	OFF
Oct. 19	Wake Forest Demon Deacons	Rentschler Field East Hartford	113	Better	54	Worse
Oct. 26	Rice Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	109	Better	86	Worse
Nov. 1	Georgia State Panthers	Rentschler Field East Hartford	90	Better	116	Worse
Nov. 9	UAB Blazers	at UAB Blazers	94	Better	92	Worse
Nov. 16	OFF
Nov. 23	Syracuse Orange	at Syracuse Orange	25	Worse	88	Worse
Nov. 30	UMass Minutemen	at UMass Minutemen	79	Better	127	Better

 

[UConnJim]

Ok, let's have a little fun before the season starts. The argument for years has been if Edsall found diamonds in the rough, which given how much better our recruiting rankings once were, explains why we beat teams like Buffalo but lost to WVU's usually etc. I took the rankings for 2023 recruits (granted they are freshmen but there's bound to be good ones every program uses immediately) and 2024 immediate impact transfer portal players and compared them to opponents we will face this year. At first glance, if Mora filled the right areas in need AND AND AND AND we don't continue the major preseason injuries/first game in curse... things could be promising.

Date	Opponent	Location	2024 Transfer Portal Ranking	UConn (74) transfers compared to opponent	2023 Recruiting Ranking	UConn (124) recruiting compared to opponent
Aug. 31	Maryland Terrapins	at Maryland Terrapins	87	Better	36	Worse
Sep. 7	Merrimack Warriors	Rentschler Field East Hartford	Not listed (FCS team)	N/A	Not applicable	N/A
Sep. 14	Duke Blue Devils	at Duke Blue Devils	42	Worse	56	Worse
Sep. 21	Florida Atlantic Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	72	Worse	82	Worse
Sep. 28	Buffalo Bulls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	84	Better	84	Worse
Oct. 5	Temple Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	91	Better	85	Worse
Oct. 12	OFF
Oct. 19	Wake Forest Demon Deacons	Rentschler Field East Hartford	113	Better	54	Worse
Oct. 26	Rice Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	109	Better	86	Worse
Nov. 1	Georgia State Panthers	Rentschler Field East Hartford	90	Better	116	Worse
Nov. 9	UAB Blazers	at UAB Blazers	94	Better	92	Worse
Nov. 16	OFF
Nov. 23	Syracuse Orange	at Syracuse Orange	25	Worse	88	Worse
Nov. 30	UMass Minutemen	at UMass Minutemen	79	Better	127	Better

I appreciate what you did, but in the portal era, I think is is hard to compare teams, especially if you look at schools below the top 50. For example, Temple had 31 HS recruits, 11 inbound college transfers, and 29 outbound transfers in 2023 and 31 outgoing transfers, 17 inbound college transfers, and 26 HS recruits in 2024. So in 2023/2024, there were 57 HS recruits, 28 inbound college transfers, and 50 outbound college transfers. And, you have to add in kids that graduated as well. That is a lot of roster movement to analyze and rate.

Also, in 2023, UConn only had 13 HS recruits which means they were going to be ranked low.

 

[Windham4th]

I wonder how past our past target EJ Warner will perform for Rice.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Ok, let's have a little fun before the season starts. The argument for years has been if Edsall found diamonds in the rough, which given how much better our recruiting rankings once were, explains why we beat teams like Buffalo but lost to WVU's usually etc. I took the rankings for 2023 recruits (granted they are freshmen but there's bound to be good ones every program uses immediately) and 2024 immediate impact transfer portal players and compared them to opponents we will face this year. At first glance, if Mora filled the right areas in need AND AND AND AND we don't continue the major preseason injuries/first game in curse... things could be promising.

Date	Opponent	Location	2024 Transfer Portal Ranking	UConn (74) transfers compared to opponent	2023 Recruiting Ranking	UConn (124) recruiting compared to opponent
Aug. 31	Maryland Terrapins	at Maryland Terrapins	87	Better	36	Worse
Sep. 7	Merrimack Warriors	Rentschler Field East Hartford	Not listed (FCS team)	N/A	Not applicable	N/A
Sep. 14	Duke Blue Devils	at Duke Blue Devils	42	Worse	56	Worse
Sep. 21	Florida Atlantic Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	72	Worse	82	Worse
Sep. 28	Buffalo Bulls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	84	Better	84	Worse
Oct. 5	Temple Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	91	Better	85	Worse
Oct. 12	OFF
Oct. 19	Wake Forest Demon Deacons	Rentschler Field East Hartford	113	Better	54	Worse
Oct. 26	Rice Owls	Rentschler Field East Hartford	109	Better	86	Worse
Nov. 1	Georgia State Panthers	Rentschler Field East Hartford	90	Better	116	Worse
Nov. 9	UAB Blazers	at UAB Blazers	94	Better	92	Worse
Nov. 16	OFF
Nov. 23	Syracuse Orange	at Syracuse Orange	25	Worse	88	Worse
Nov. 30	UMass Minutemen	at UMass Minutemen	79	Better	127	Better

Just compare UConn to itself in the 3 prior years, the differences in recruiting are remarkable, thanks to the portal and what’s been available in the portal.

 

[Kembafan]

Appreciate the effort here. Good work. Not sure how useful portal rankings are but it's interesting to see it the way you organized it.

With nothing but the eye test (and looking up how good teams were last year), I would categorize our schedule like this:

1. MUST WINS (5): Merrimack, Buffalo, Temple, Rice, UMass. These are teams we should definitely beat, because they're not good. It would be a giant disappointment if we don't beat all of these teams.

2. EXPECTED WINS (2): FAU, UAB. These are teams we can beat if we are much improved from last year, which I believe we are. It would be disappointing to lose these, but not embarrassingly so, like the MUST WINS.

3. LEGITIMATE SHOT WINS (2): Wake, Ga State. I think we can beat these two teams, but I'm not expecting it.

4. LONGSHOT (3): Maryland, Duke, Syracuse. These are Ls. None of these are like Tennessee last year or Michigan the year before, so I don't quite give these a zero chance. If we have a magical season, and they have bad games, maybe, just maybe we can pick one of these off, but it's a fool's bet.

So that gives 7 wins to be a successful season IMO. Anything less is a disappointment. Under 5 is a giant disappointment.

Over 7 would be a giant success.

Over 9 means we're running on pixie dust.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Appreciate the effort here. Good work. Not sure how useful portal rankings are but it's interesting to see it the way you organized it.

With nothing but the eye test (and looking up how good teams were last year), I would categorize our schedule like this:

1. MUST WINS (5): Merrimack, Buffalo, Temple, Rice, UMass. These are teams we should definitely beat, because they're not good. It would be a giant disappointment if we don't beat all of these teams.

2. EXPECTED WINS (2): FAU, UAB. These are teams we can beat if we are much improved from last year, which I believe we are. It would be disappointing to lose these, but not embarrassingly so, like the MUST WINS.

3. LEGITIMATE SHOT WINS (2): Wake, Ga State. I think we can beat these two teams, but I'm not expecting it.

4. LONGSHOT (3): Maryland, Duke, Syracuse. These are Ls. None of these are like Tennessee last year or Michigan the year before, so I don't quite give these a zero chance. If we have a magical season, and they have bad games, maybe, just maybe we can pick one of these off, but it's a fool's bet.

So that gives 7 wins to be a successful season IMO. Anything less is a disappointment. Under 5 is a giant disappointment.

Over 7 would be a giant success.

Over 9 means we're running on pixie dust.

We should win at least 8, winning 9 is possible.

 

[Woof 101]

We should win at least 8, winning 9 is possible.

And that would most likely without being in a conference not even get us a bowl game.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

And that would most likely without being in a conference not even get us a bowl game.

They’re not playing for a bowl game, they’re playing for respect, and quite frankly I’d rather have the respect than the bowl game.

 

[Windham4th]

We don't even know if we have a viable QB yet. So all these predictions are a bit premature.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

We don't even know if we have a viable QB yet. So all these predictions are a bit premature.

Is Evers hurt?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Is Evers hurt?

Guessing Fagnano and 3 others with virtually no college game experience.

 

[uconnfan68]

Guessing Fagnano and 3 others with virtually no college game experience.

There were a few freshmen last year that did just fine with no college game experience. Why can’t we have one?

 

[Windham4th]

There were a few freshmen last year that did just fine with no college game experience. Why can’t we have one?

Because the college football gods hate us

 

[freescooter]

They’re not playing for a bowl game, they’re playing for respect, and quite frankly I’d rather have the respect than the bowl game.

9 wins would absolutely get us both respect and a bowl.

 

[Woof 101]

They’re not playing for a bowl game, they’re playing for respect, and quite frankly I’d rather have the respect than the bowl game.

No attack personally but myself and Jim Mora Jr have to disagree. He has said time and again without a conference recruiting is an up hill battle. Players want to have the opportunity to go to a bowl or conference championship.

As a season ticket holder I will not see a lot of respect around me in the stands once again this year as in multiple past years with a so so home schedule. With 133 D1 teams and 82 making bowl games the other 51 do not garner much respect. Bowl teams do have a level of respect others are not afforded. Simple math / simple fact.
Hope you remain a fan as I have for decades. But ........................ No respect shown to those not playing games into December or the new year. Just a sad fact for UCONN football fans.

 

[huskymedic]

And that would most likely without being in a conference not even get us a bowl game.

No attack personally but myself and Jim Mora Jr have to disagree. He has said time and again without a conference recruiting is an up hill battle. Players want to have the opportunity to go to a bowl or conference championship.

As a season ticket holder I will not see a lot of respect around me in the stands once again this year as in multiple past years with a so so home schedule. With 133 D1 teams and 82 making bowl games the other 51 do not garner much respect. Bowl teams do have a level of respect others are not afforded. Simple math / simple fact.
Hope you remain a fan as I have for decades. But ........................ No respect shown to those not playing games into December or the new year. Just a sad fact for UCONN football fans.

You do realize we went to a bowl game two years ago as an Independent?

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

No attack personally but myself and Jim Mora Jr have to disagree. He has said time and again without a conference recruiting is an up hill battle. Players want to have the opportunity to go to a bowl or conference championship.

As a season ticket holder I will not see a lot of respect around me in the stands once again this year as in multiple past years with a so so home schedule. With 133 D1 teams and 82 making bowl games the other 51 do not garner much respect. Bowl teams do have a level of respect others are not afforded. Simple math / simple fact.
Hope you remain a fan as I have for decades. But ........................ No respect shown to those not playing games into December or the new year. Just a sad fact for UCONN football fans.

no attack personally, but his name isn’t Jim Mora Jr. He isn’t a junior.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

No attack personally but myself and Jim Mora Jr have to disagree. He has said time and again without a conference recruiting is an up hill battle. Players want to have the opportunity to go to a bowl or conference championship.

As a season ticket holder I will not see a lot of respect around me in the stands once again this year as in multiple past years with a so so home schedule. With 133 D1 teams and 82 making bowl games the other 51 do not garner much respect. Bowl teams do have a level of respect others are not afforded. Simple math / simple fact.
Hope you remain a fan as I have for decades. But ........................ No respect shown to those not playing games into December or the new year. Just a sad fact for UCONN football fans.

If they get the respect during the season, and don’t get pushed around, the bowl games will come. That was my whole point.

 

[freescooter]

If they get bowl eligible they will get to a bowl