Nico Ragaini named starting slot receiver at Iowa

[huskyrob1]

Nico Ragaini is the best HS player I’ve ever seen in person. He dominated against the best competition in the state. If UConn offered, Nico would’ve been a Husky. Fact. Per his dad, who was roommates with Penders. ... the story is he verballed as a sophomore to Albany for lacrosse. He then switched to Cornell, as a junior. but the lacrosse verbal kept football programs away. Senior year he felt he didn’t want to give football up, his first love. Disco didn’t offer. To get better offers, PGd at AOF. Edsall didn’t offer, but OKeefe, the Iowa assistant (who’s from CT) convinced Ferentz that Nico is legit. He doesn’t have track speed, but he’s got football speed, hands, IQ & competiveness. Big swing & miss by Edsall with a kid who WANTED to come here.

My two cents on Ragaini, saw him play twice, with NDWH losing both times to New Canaan. His junior year New Canaan blew them out, but his senior year NDWH almost pulled an upset. I always wondered why he didn't get more D1 offers. Great hands, great at catching long over the shoulder passes, was tough to bring down when defenders got a hand on him. I thought he had really good speed and balance when running with the ball.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Left untouched, did Ragaini ever wish to, pursue, and actually participate in a UConn summer camp? If yes, with which head coach? If not, it may undermine anonymous 3rd, 4th ... nth party unverifiable suggestions UConn was not interested.

 

[huskyrob1]

Left untouched, did Ragaini ever wish to, pursue, and actually participate in a UConn summer camp? If yes, With which head coach? If not, it may undermine anonymous 3rd, 4th ... nth party unverifiable suggestions of no interest.

This might answer some of your questions.

Iowa Football Recruiting: Hawkeyes Land Commitment From Connecticut WR Nico Ragaini

The Iowa Hawkeyes grew their 2018 recruiting class to 19 members with the addition of Connecticut WR Nico Ragaini.

www.google.com

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

This might answer some of your questions.

Similar Iowa-specific insights others shared above, indications of no bcu scholarship offer and possibly a Yale grant-in-aid, but absolutely no answers to the reasonable questions.

In your view @huskyrob1 , how does the Iowa fan site article clarify or verify 1. possible Ragaini participation in a UConn camp or 2. interest level by Edsall?

 

[Stainmaster]

I’m calling BS on a lot of the speculation in this thread.

 

[Hornet22]

Honestly, who cares? We should be focused on the UConn players that are here. He’s at Iowa and God bless him and his career. But an entire thread on a player that’s not even a Husky?

 

[huskymedic]

Honestly, who cares? We should be focused on the UConn players that are here. He’s at Iowa and God bless him and his career. But an entire thread on a player that’s not even a Husky?

Guessing you haven’t lived through the Tyler Matakevich era on here...

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Nico Ragaini is the best HS player I’ve ever seen in person. He dominated against the best competition in the state. If UConn offered, Nico would’ve been a Husky. Fact. Per his dad, who was roommates with Penders. ... the story is he verballed as a sophomore to Albany for lacrosse. He then switched to Cornell, as a junior. but the lacrosse verbal kept football programs away. Senior year he felt he didn’t want to give football up, his first love. Disco didn’t offer. To get better offers, PGd at AOF. Edsall didn’t offer, but OKeefe, the Iowa assistant (who’s from CT) convinced Ferentz that Nico is legit. He doesn’t have track speed, but he’s got football speed, hands, IQ & competiveness. Big swing & miss by Edsall with a kid who WANTED to come here.

Right... With a story like that, there's absolutely zero chance there may have been a miscommunication between the kid and UConn football program...

Good for the kid to get the job at Iowa.

Think this is a no harm no foul situation. Not sure what the OPs axe to grind here is.

 

[Stainmaster]

Think this is a no harm no foul situation. Not sure what the OPs axe to grind here is.

He has trouble handling his emotions and wanted to rope us all into his temper tantrum.

 

[huskyrob1]

Similar Iowa-specific insights others shared above, indications of no bcu scholarship offer and possibly a Yale grant-in-aid, but absolutely no answers to the reasonable questions.

In your view @huskyrob1 , how does the Iowa fan site article clarify or verify 1. possible Ragaini participation in a UConn camp or 2. interest level by Edsall?

As for question one, Ragaini during the summer of 2017 went to an Iowa summer camp, and was pretty clear in the article that his heart was set on Iowa at that point. He enrolled as a student in January 2018.

As for your question two, interest level by Edsall, you didn't mention Edsall by name and interest level from UConn at all in your post that I responded to with the article. That being said, I didn't see any recruiting of Ragaini by Diaco or Edsall. As far as interest in UConn by Ragaini, UConn fired it's football coach just as Ragaini completed his high school career with some intention to play Lacrosse at Cornell, so I don't see much there either. With O'Keefe in the recruiting picture around the same time then it was pretty much set that Ragaini would go to Iowa. Now there might be a slim possibility that if Diaco had been fired mid season, then Edsall could have reached out to Ragaini and his dad about a football career at UConn, but not likely.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

As for question one .... and two ...

Great, like the Iowa article, each of your comments, not answers, adds zero clarity regarding the kid’s interest in UConn and UConn’s interest in him by Edsall or Diaco. Regardless, good luck to the kid.

 

[nadav]

Really sad that a kid from CT, whose father played baseball at UConn, and wasn't even offered by Edsall, is now the starting slot at Iowa as a Freshman.

Sad for Iowa you mean? Because coming off a 1-11 train wreck, we have lots lots more to be ‘sad’ about.

 

[whaler11]

Kid way too good for UConn didnt go to UConn...
noticing this is this a thing?

 

[CTBballfan243]

If the kid has P5 talent, then good for the kid getting a shot on a P5 team. We should be happy for CT kids who get to play at the highest level. UConn football is not at that level. I will never hold it against a kid (in any sport) who wants to compete at the P5 level.

 

[lne001]

I just watched the first half of Rutgers/Iowa.

Ragaini looks legit, good size. Is Iowa's punt returner and tough yardage receiver.

 

[ZooCougar]

Really sad that a kid from CT, whose father played baseball at UConn, and wasn't even offered by Edsall, is now the starting slot at Iowa as a Freshman.

You mean someone chose a B1G school over this dumpster fire? This surprises you? That’s sad.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Guys, some Connecticut players do not want to play for UConn. Maybe he knew that he was going to move out of Connecticut after college (since Connecticut is not keeping young people) and maybe he knows that since Iowa offered, it is time to leave and not look back.