Phil Steele

[Blades]

HC JM getting the word out for 2023....

 

[DoctorWho85]

Phil Steele seems to be one of the most objective writers for college football.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Going entirely off of memory, so I readily concede I may be wrong, but........

I seem to remember Steele being big on OLIne continuity and total starts by OLinemen as a metric for success. UConn returning 4 starters with Haynes being a four-year starter would seem to bode well for the Huskies when Steele's rankings come out.

 

[Husky68]

He is big on new coaches second year is when a lot of improvement comes. Teams now have schemes in and can try and get more aggressive in what players can absorb, guys not with new "program" leave (and that was before portal where new coach can attempt to fill in needs rather than having to wait 3 years for recruits to mature).

 

[HuskyDogArt]

If I'm not mistaken, I've read that Phil Steele was surprised on UConn. He thought that UConn would improve but not be in a bowl.

Can't wait to see the College Football magazines to read what they say about us. Most of them thought we'd be with 1 or 2 wins and some thought JM was foolish for taking a dead end job. Bet they will say we knew JM was going to be great..

 

[Blades]

Huskies Picked for Phil Steele All-Preseason Teams - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS, Conn. - The UConn football team continues to collect some preseason honors as they Huskies head toward training camp and the start of the 2023 season. The 2023

uconnhuskies.com

 

[RSTuthill]

If I'm not mistaken, I've read that Phil Steele was surprised on UConn. He thought that UConn would improve but not be in a bowl.

He was not alone. Only the most fanboy crazies thought that. But by the time that actually happened, I had long ago changed my tune on the hire and I think that 100% of the fan base were enthused. And without apology we forgave the Ball State and Army games and chalked them up to "that's football". Fresno, Liberty, and BC far overshadowed those two missteps.

 

[gioff2323]

Some interesting individual picks for preseason awards, esp at qb and OL. Wonder what he gleamed from convo

 

[ZooCougar]

If I'm not mistaken, I've read that Phil Steele was surprised on UConn. He thought that UConn would improve but not be in a bowl.

Can't wait to see the College Football magazines to read what they say about us. Most of them thought we'd be with 1 or 2 wins and some thought JM was foolish for taking a dead end job. Bet they will say we knew JM was going to be great..

He said we would be improved but wouldn’t make his most improved list.

 

[Nostical]

There are four Independents playing football: Notre Dame, UConn, UMASS, Army.
Phil Steele (after in-depth discussions with each program) put out his 2023 All Independent team.
10 Huskies made the 1st and 2nd teams.
1st Team:
—Sr OL Christian Haynes
—So TE Justin Joly
—Sr LB Jackson Mitchell
—Sr DE Eric Watts
—JR DB Durante Jones
—-RJR DB Malk Dixon-Williams
2nd Team:—-—
—RJR WR Kevan Clercius
—RJR DL Dal’mont Gourdine
—R.JR OL Valentin Senn
—SR QB Joseph Fagnano
—SO RB/KR Victor Rosa
How interesting that Joe Fagnsno was the QB selected. What does that say about what he learned from Mora in his advertised discussion. And should we now expect JF to be our starting QB on Aug 31st?

 

[giddyup]

How interesting that Joe Fagnsno was the QB selected. What does that say about what he learned from Mora in his advertised discussion. And should we now expect JF to be our starting QB on Aug 31st?

He’s working with a very small group, but it’s interesting JF tops the QB list when you’d think ND’s No. 1,2 and 3 probably rate out higher on paper than all the rest on any day of the week. Very interesting.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Very odd that Fagnano is there. It makes me wonder if Roberson won't be healthy enough at the start of the season. Hard to imagine that at this point Fagnano would be ahead of a healthy Roberson.

 

[RSTuthill]

There are four Independents playing football: Notre Dame, UConn, UMASS, Army.
Phil Steele (after in-depth discussions with each program) put out his 2023 All Independent team.
10 Huskies made the 1st and 2nd teams.
1st Team:
—Sr OL Christian Haynes
—So TE Justin Joly
—Sr LB Jackson Mitchell
—Sr DE Eric Watts
—JR DB Durante Jones
—-RJR DB Malk Dixon-Williams
2nd Team:—-—
—RJR WR Kevan Clercius
—RJR DL Dal’mont Gourdine
—R.JR OL Valentin Senn
—SR QB Joseph Fagnano
—SO RB/KR Victor Rosa
How interesting that Joe Fagnsno was the QB selected. What does that say about what he learned from Mora in his advertised discussion. And should we now expect JF to be our starting QB on Aug 31st?

I am not a member of the spelling police, but I think it is Kevens Clercius. It took me all year to learn that. I don't want to unlearn it now.

Agree with you on Fagnano. That means he is regarded as the second best QB of the independents. Presumably behind ND but ahead of Army and UMass. So we have a competition with a clear front runner.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Very odd that Fagnano is there. It makes me wonder if Roberson won't be healthy enough at the start of the season. Hard to imagine that at this point Fagnano would be ahead of a healthy Roberson.

I think the reason people are putting Fagnano ahead of everyone else is because he's technically the most experience at this level with play time and has the most time in Charlton's offense. So on paper he's ahead of everyone else. If Roberson's legs are 100% then I'm thinking he gets the nod for being a true dual threat. But I'm an idiot so take that with a grain of salt

 

[RSTuthill]

I think the reason people are putting Fagnano ahead of everyone else is because he's technically the most experience at this level with play time and has the most time in Charlton's offense. So on paper he's ahead of everyone else. If Roberson's legs are 100% then I'm thinking he gets the nod for being a true dual threat. But I'm an idiot so take that with a grain of salt

I kinda wondered if Fagnaro is a dual threat. I do know one thing, though. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and never is it more true than in sports. If the OC recruited him and he really likes him, if the HC sings his praises to the press, then it is a done deal. That said, if Fagnaro has trouble moving the team in the first half, I would not be surprised to see another QB start the third quarter. Maybe even earlier.

 

[Guru13]

I think the reason people are putting Fagnano ahead of everyone else is because he's technically the most experience at this level with play time and has the most time in Charlton's offense. So on paper he's ahead of everyone else. If Roberson's legs are 100% then I'm thinking he gets the nod for being a true dual threat. But I'm an idiot so take that with a grain of salt

devil advocate here, wasn’t the same said with Mike Beaudry when he came to UConn? I know sometimes that FCS qbs tend to struggle at the next level due to game speed/higher competition. I get he looks polished and what not, but you are not gonna find many top fbs programs go for an FCS qb to be a starter when you can get you a backup fbs qb from a somewhat respectable program. I believe that we couldn’t get any backup qbs from a respectable program to come play for us, due to us not being at the level where a lot of good back qbs can come here for redemption.

 

[Nostical]

I am not a member of the spelling police, but I think it is Kevens Clercius.

LOL, you're correct, but you better tell UConn Football, who put this gem in their writeup--"Earning a spot on the Preseason All-Independent second team was r-junior wide receiver Kevan Clercius (Montreal, QC)"
Bottom line, Mora must have sung QB Fagnaro's praises pretty highly during his interview with Steele. Otherwise he could have said, 'Hey Phil, just wait till you see----'the improvement in Zion Turner" or 'how Ta'Quan Roberson is moving the ball!"

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Bottom line, Mora must have sung QB Fagnaro's praises pretty highly during his interview with Steele. Otherwise he could have said, 'Hey Phil, just wait till you see----'the improvement in Zion Turner" or 'how Ta'Quan Roberson is moving the ball!"

Yeah....for Steele to make the assumption that Fagnano will be the starter, that has to be based off of what he learned from Mora.

And to me that has to mean Roberson isn't healthy yet. It he was healthy it would at least be a tough competition.

 

[huskymedic]

Mora's insight on the QB room in last night's wide ranging interview w/ the New England Football gents begins @ 31:25 +/-

 

[Guru13]

Yeah....for Steele to make the assumption that Fagnano will be the starter, that has to be based off of what he learned from Mora.

And to me that has to mean Roberson isn't healthy yet. It he was healthy it would at least be a tough competition.

Mora said in the podcast last night we won’t know till prolly closer to NC State

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Mora said in the podcast last night we won’t know till prolly closer to NC State

That's what I would expect he would say....and if everyone is healthy, that makes the most sense. But... Steele thinks it's Fagnano....and he spent a lot of time one on one with Mora. I would think Steele made an assumption based on what Mora told him. Enough so that he had Fagnano on the all independent team.

I hope it's because Fagnano has looked that good already. Just a little surprising that he is leading Roberson, Turner and McDonald so early.

 

[RSTuthill]

Well, we will get reports from the preseason camp. The tea leaves are interesting now. They will be more so then.

 

[Bongo Fury]

As an observation, the QB that starts game one typically is not the QB for the season.