Ryan Dickens Article Critical of UConn Football

[uconnphil2016]

UConn reneges on scholarship offer, ditches N.J. football recruit in 11th hour

Holy crap...read this and was pretty floored. Feel bad for the kid.

 

[Jax Husky]

I feel bad, but this isn't the "11th hour". There's 3 weeks left, and if the kid were anywhere near a legit FBS talent, he would have other offers and will land somewhere.

I mean, even Monmouth couldn't find room for the kid.

That said, I feel bad for the kid, but such is life.

 

[noeynox]

It's certainly making its way around the twittersphere for sure. Buster Olney tweeted it and commented on it.

Feel bad for the kid, but Edsall and this staff have to do their own evaluations. This isn't like Edsall tool his commitment and pulled the offer at the last minute.

 

[Chuck]

I said in the other thread that this is a crappy process. An outsider can't blame UConn because this is the norm. Kids bail all the time and a new coach has to bring in the talent that he thinks will help the program. It reminds me of some of the people I've had to fire at work, however. Even if the person is incompetent and unpleasant, it still eats me up when I have to pull the trigger. I can't imagine Randy enjoyed the call.

That being said, it looks like Dickens was a reach for FBS football based upon his prior offers. According to the article, Monmouth reached out again recently. They must have known he is more of an FCS talent. The article also said he got an offer from URI. Looks like he'll be fine.

 

[Excalibur]

If the parents' version of the story is true (that he was contacted early, told he was still in, and then had the offer pulled), it's pretty damning. I have my doubts that their version is true, given that this is only a story because the parents decided to publicize it.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

let the fun begin...

 

[Jax Husky]

That being said, it looks like Dickens was a reach for FBS football based upon his prior offers. According to the article, Monmouth reached out again recently. They must have known he is more of an FCS talent. The article also said he got an offer from URI. Looks like he'll be fine.

If Monmouth wasn't even willing to find a spot for him, I'm not sure how much of even an FCS talent he is. Sucks but Edsall can't feed his family giving scholarships away to preferred walk-on type talents

 

[WhereistheDove?]

It sucks, but if he doesn't fit the system, this is the best for all parties involved. Better that he goes to find a spot where he can play now than to come to UConn, burn a redshirt year, and then decide to transfer if he really doesn't fit what they're looking for. It's a tough situation though, I empathize with the kid.

 

[uconnphil2016]

let the fun begin...

Colin McEnroe is such a joke. I am as far left as possible, and I don't understand who anyone on the left could even like him. Psuedo intellectual BS on his show on NPR and comments on sports without knowing anything

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

HCRE was brought in here to turn this horror show around. It is unfortunate for the kid, but there are going to be casualties of war. HCRE is going to run different schemes and needs different skillsets. Therefore, he needs to use his limited scholarships where they will yield the highest returns.

They should blame Diaco. If his teams won enough and he didn't get fired, then the kid gets his scholarship.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Leave it to The Star Ledger/NJ.com to run a hit piece against UConn.

You have to feel bad for the kid, but acting as if this is so out of the norm is pretty weak.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This is on Diaco for offering kids who were clearly FCS level players.

-ing Diaco.

 

[polycom]

Like I said in the other thread this would never happen to a player who actually had talent to play in our league... another school would fall all over themselves to pick him up... Diaco screwed this kid.

 

[Drew]

i dont get what people are upset about, this happens fairly regularly and the fact that he has zero other FBS interest and Monmouth said "thanks but no thanks" means we made the right move letting him go play at the appropriate level. Wish the kid well but this isnt a mercenary program we're operating here its a football program. The new staff has already begun to cut the guys that don't fit/are lower rated from our class and we will benefit from it in the long run. Hopefully he accepts the URI offer and gets his chance to play at the Rent when they come here in 2018

 

[businesslawyer]

If the parents' version of the story is true (that he was contacted early, told he was still in, and then had the offer pulled), it's pretty damning. I have my doubts that their version is true, given that this is only a story because the parents decided to publicize it.

This was not how Edsall did things the first time around, and we're only hearing (and can only hear since Edsall can't comment) one side of the story. It's quite possible Edsall was far more non-committal on the first call and the young man heard what he wanted to hear.

 

[huskymedic]

Wish the kid well but this isnt a mercenary program we're operating here its a football program.

LOL...well, maybe we should be after the last 6 years!

 

[huskymedic]

Wonder if i comes up

Joe D. announced that A.D. Benedict will be a guest today on WTIC Sportstalk.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

If the parents' version of the story is true (that he was contacted early, told he was still in, and then had the offer pulled), it's pretty damning. I have my doubts that their version is true, given that this is only a story because the parents decided to publicize it.

As we usually see in these cases...this probably isn't the whole story. I find it hard to believe that RE said his position was safe earlier...but probably said "we haven't made decisions yet on the make up of our class"....to the family..no decisions may feel "safe" to them. RE would have hedged a bit....at least I hope.

But..it does suck..and he seems like a good kid. Maybe Matt can call BD at Nebraska and get him a scholly.

 

[businesslawyer]

Wonder if i comes up

Benedict can't comment on a recruit anyway, so even if he knows that Edsall lied to him (like Edsall would admit to that), he can't really say much. All he can say is how the process works generally.

 

[Excalibur]

This was not how Edsall did things the first time around, and we're only hearing (and can only hear since Edsall can't comment) one side of the story. It's quite possible Edsall was far more non-committal on the first call and the young man heard what he wanted to hear.

Like I said, I have my doubts . . .

 

[huskymedic]

Benedict can't comment on a recruit anyway, so even if he knows that Edsall lied to him (like Edsall would admit to that), he can't really say much. All he can say is how the process works generally.

I agree... but with the way my Twitter search timelines are filled w/ this story even they couldn't ignore asking about it,

 

[Jax Husky]

This was not how Edsall did things the first time around, and we're only hearing (and can only hear since Edsall can't comment) one side of the story. It's quite possible Edsall was far more non-committal on the first call and the young man heard what he wanted to hear.

I guarantee you the first call was more of a "we appreciate your commitment, and we will continue to see how you fit into what we are going to be doing here at UConn", than a re-affirmation of the commitment. Randy and staff reached out to all the recruits, but that doesn't mean they were handing out promises. It was a courtesy thing.

 

[businesslawyer]

I would give one piece of advice to the young man and his family -- keep your mouth shut. Going to the press about a school acting in a manner that, while morally questionable, is clearly within the rules, is only going to make other schools think twice before offering you. Because there will be other times when morally questionable things occur and they don't want players who run to the press.

 

[Excalibur]

The only other question that comes from this is whether, from a strategic standpoint, it's worth it to pull the offer and risk alienating one or more high school coaches from an area that you intend to recruit heavily. I have some concern that, even viewed in the best possible light, the decision is short-sighted.

 

[Jax Husky]

The only other question that comes from this is whether, from a strategic standpoint, it's worth it to pull the offer and risk alienating one or more high school coaches from an area that you intend to recruit heavily. I have some concern that, even viewed in the best possible light, the decision is short-sighted.

I thought about that, but came to the conclusion that if UConn gets back to winning and putting kids in the NFL, it won't matter.