Summer transfers

[whaler11]

Rose was offered by Wisconsin and others as a tight end. I think he will be better than any of the TEs from the recent past.

Jay Rose is an athlete. I see good things ahead from him.

And on the worst team in the country his highlights as a sophomore were:

Had a 17 yard catch against Memphis and made a tackle against SMU.

Other than that I’m sure he is way better than the other tight ends who played.

 

[CL82]

Guys, Whaler lives for these moments. Yada-yada.

As for Edsall, I’ll delete my account if things don’t get better this year. No, I don’t think switching coaches makes sense at this junction. I want a full year three. I don’t want a hint of change unless we lose that 12th game by double digits again. The kids are still in camp Randy.

We don’t get kids that can play year one or year two. That won’t change much regardless of who is coaching. Edsall needs three to four years to bring his guys up to a competitive level.

So yeah- I’ll wait.

A year ago I was actually in a different state of mind, but I get it now. We have no shot at immediate impact kids - so we have to take the slow road- brick by brick. The bricks finally start getting laid down this fall.

Agree, generally. But I’m not all that confident about this year.

 

[Bubba1957]

And on the worst team in the country his highlights as a sophomore were:

Had a 17 yard catch against Memphis and made a tackle against SMU.

Other than that I’m sure he is way better than the other tight ends who played.

Your post hasn't caused me to change my opinion. We will see how it plays out. I think he will prove you wrong.

 

[whaler11]

Your post hasn't caused me to change my opinion. We will see how it plays out. I think he will prove you wrong.

I hope so. He’s pretty much the biggest recruit they landed over three seasons.

To steal a quote from Yogi. It gets late awfully early out here.

 

[Exit 4]

Jay Rose is an athlete. I see good things ahead from him.

He couldn’t get a better opportunity than this year. I hope he takes full advantage.

 

[whaler11]

Boneyard Easter Egg on Edsall ‘recruiting’

 

[Exit 4]

Diggs was probably cruising the cesspool or maybe he’s one of those kind of “weird” Edsall 3.0 apolgistas.

 

[uconnbill]

View attachment 43732

but will you be smarter? That is the real question, or will you just be snarky

 

[whaler11]

but will you be smarter? That is the real question, or will you just be snarky

I’ll do my best to keep up.

 

[Hornet22]

Which QB do you think ends up better in 19 than 18 Pindell?

Do you think the WRs and TEs are better than 2018?

This year we have receivers that can actually gain separation with speed- this year we seemingly have a QB that can deliver the ball down the field- last year we had a bunch of slow receivers or one receiver with speed who could only run a 9 and a QB that was amazing with his legs but really didn’t look downfield to pass. I loved what Pindell did for this offense last year with his athleticism and durability. But this year will look different in my opinion.

The offensive game plan has to come together. But there are more athletes now that can run- makes a Whale of a difference

 

[Hornet22]

I think they can run the ball effectively I just don’t see who will keep the 8 guys out of the box.

Thompkins and Mensah seem like Bellamy and Lawrence - capable of running the ball behind a good line.

If there was one transfer worth saving it was Davis.

One QB off injury, one hasn’t played, one was buried behind Washington... strikes me as Pindell against Holy Cross. Maybe there is a good player in the bunch but it’s two Big Ten teams in the first three weeks and as bad as they are - UConn can’t even simulate their defenses in practice.

Let’s say they beat Wagner. The next six don’t exactly scream 2-5.

Legit points here Whaler. I believe we do have a more competent and more athletic group of receivers this year. Ardell Brown, Cam Ross and Maurisseau can flat out run. I don’t see a stacked box all game. Those guys can win one on one matchups with their speed

 

[ktuck911]

Here's hoping Thompkins can be our Mighty Mouse (a la Caulley) out of the backfield, with Mensah providing some power runs as well...

 

[whaler11]

Legit points here Whaler. I believe we do have a more competent and more athletic group of receivers this year. Ardell Brown, Cam Ross and Maurisseau can flat out run. I don’t see a stacked box all game. Those guys can win one on one matchups with their speed

Maurisseau can obviously fly. I just don’t know if he’s going to be sturdy enough to play.

 

[Husky68]

Legit points here Whaler. I believe we do have a more competent and more athletic group of receivers this year. Ardell Brown, Cam Ross and Maurisseau can flat out run. I don’t see a stacked box all game. Those guys can win one on one matchups with their speed

So 111th best scoring offense loses most WR's and TE's and is going to be better? Last year QB was a running threat and this year won't be so much. Lose center and OC. New DC. 2017 recruiting class needs to fill out the two deep with some 2018 (including those that red shirted) in there too (don't count on 2019 freshman for much help), transfers/juco's need to help.

If the bar wasn't so low (129th defense and 111th offense on points per game) I'd say could very well be worse than 2018. Given 2018 performance it is legit to expect better play just from kids year older/stronger/smarter and having "any" QB win the starting role who can be a passing threat past 10 yards.

That still leaves UConn fighting ECU for worst AAC team. And that is HCRE2.0, year 3. In league play 2018 the average margin of loss was 32 points. That isn't how many points given up that is AVERAGE MARGIN OF LOSS. Surely the team got more competitive as the year ended, not so fast SHIRLEY. Last 2 games were 34 point loss to ECU and 50 point loss to Temple. Think the boys quit on ol' HCRE2.0?

And this with team where didn't have crazy amount of injuries in 2018 and Pindell some how survived to pretty much play the full season.

If you had influence over a 2020 high school player and UConn has another less than 4 win season (for the 4th straight year) would you be suggesting in December of 2019 he go to UConn? Would expect you likely would have a concern that HCRE2.0 will never turn UConn into a winning program (didn't say into a non terrible program) and could be gone before your player got to his red shirt freshman year.

Why is it ok to expect hockey stick improvement in UConn when recruiting for 2017, 18 and 19 doesn't suggest player talent to do that unless going from laughingstock of FBS to just bad is the aim.

 

[huskymedic]

So 111th best scoring offense loses most WR's and TE's and is going to be better? Last year QB was a running threat and this year won't be so much. Lose center and OC. New DC. 2017 recruiting class needs to fill out the two deep with some 2018 (including those that red shirted) in there too (don't count on 2019 freshman for much help), transfers/juco's need to help.

If the bar wasn't so low (129th defense and 111th offense on points per game) I'd say could very well be worse than 2018. Given 2018 performance it is legit to expect better play just from kids year older/stronger/smarter and having "any" QB win the starting role who can be a passing threat past 10 yards.

That still leaves UConn fighting ECU for worst AAC team. And that is HCRE2.0, year 3. In league play 2018 the average margin of loss was 32 points. That isn't how many points given up that is AVERAGE MARGIN OF LOSS. Surely the team got more competitive as the year ended, not so fast SHIRLEY. Last 2 games were 34 point loss to ECU and 50 point loss to Temple. Think the boys quit on ol' HCRE2.0?

And this with team where didn't have crazy amount of injuries in 2018 and Pindell some how survived to pretty much play the full season.

If you had influence over a 2020 high school player and UConn has another less than 4 win season (for the 4th straight year) would you be suggesting in December of 2019 he go to UConn? Would expect you likely would have a concern that HCRE2.0 will never turn UConn into a winning program (didn't say into a non terrible program) and could be gone before your player got to his red shirt freshman year.

Why is it ok to expect hockey stick improvement in UConn when recruiting for 2017, 18 and 19 doesn't suggest player talent to do that unless going from laughingstock of FBS to just bad is the aim.

Who’s expectations are you trying to manage?

 

[Exit 4]

Last 2 games were 34 point loss to ECU and 50 point loss to Temple. Think the boys quit on ol' HCRE2.0?

Just to zero in on this point for a moment. Yeah, they quit last year. They were mostly freshman and sophomores that had been battered by a brutal season. They didn't have the physical fortitude to compete. Blame it on their HS program .

Randy has laid some eggs here.

i) Can't get JUCOs (blame the admissions office).
ii) Crocker, Lashlee and Cox, all bad hires - thats on Randy.
iii) Recruits - frankly he has already swung and miss with some of his own recruits. But I detect a new point of emphasis in recruiting over the past 12 months. They are digging deeper to find kids with more passion. Kids that want to be coached hard.

When Matt King arrived, he made a point of emphasis that our practices were soft. The same point Randy has been making for some time now. Too many kids in the program the past two years only wanted to play on Saturday. They didn't want to be be pushed. That is now changing. Make practice hard so the game comes easy.

Its been two long years of rebuilding. Lets just hang in a little longer to see what this team looks like in November. If it quits like his November 2018 team, then Randy is probably done. If it fights, plays hard, gets back to the Randy 1.0 ways, then the corner has been finally turned.

 

[ktuck911]

Make practice hard so the game comes easy.

THIS was the bread and butter of our success during Edsall 1.0.. IF in fact we stopped doing this, the no wonder we've sucked for so long....

 

[Tdaley]

For what its worth, he looks like he has bulked up a lot since the beginning of last season.

 

[Tdaley]

For what its worth, he looks like he has bulked up a lot since the beginning of last season.

I was referring to Heron Maurisseau in my previous post.

 

[HurricaneDave]

THIS was the bread and butter of our success during Edsall 1.0.. IF in fact we stopped doing this, the no wonder we've sucked for so long....

It doesn't matter how "hard" practice if the players aren't any good. I'm not sure what that even means. RE can have the team run for 2 hours every practice and that would be "hard." Putting 15 guys on defense during practice would make it "hard" for the offense.

You don't want the players beat up by the time the only thing that matters comes around each week, the game.

I don't think the defense repeatedly gave up last year because the practices weren't hard enough. It probably had to do with all the 3 or less play scoring drives because they were outmatched in every phase of the game. That will erode the will to compete in a hurry.

 

[uconndogs]

HCREv1.0 had very physical teams. I don't know whether or not that was because of the way the practiced or not. I suspect being a run heavy team had something to do with it. Late in games opposing defenses tended to get pretty worn down. We also had very good play at LB and some DBs that could really stick you.

Anyway, all of that seems like a million years ago. We are about as far away from physical as we could possibly be.

 

[ktuck911]

It doesn't matter how "hard" practice if the players aren't any good. I'm not sure what that even means. RE can have the team run for 2 hours every practice and that would be "hard." Putting 15 guys on defense during practice would make it "hard" for the offense.

You don't want the players beat up by the time the only thing that matters comes around each week, the game.

I don't think the defense repeatedly gave up last year because the practices weren't hard enough. It probably had to do with all the 3 or less play scoring drives because they were outmatched in every phase of the game. That will erode the will to compete in a hurry.

My point is, if you know anything about UConn Football during Edsall's first tenure, then you know we lacked talent back then (probably moreso), BUT we worked our a**es off in practices so that, even though we might've been less talented, we fought valently, till the end, til the point we started kicking teams around a bit... We never quit, as a team.. That's a start for us, at least, now. Unfortunately, we have to do it all over again..

 

[ktuck911]

I don't think the defense repeatedly gave up last year because the practices weren't hard enough. It probably had to do with all the 3 or less play scoring drives because they were outmatched in every phase of the game. That will erode the will to compete in a hurry.

As young as our D was we were mentally whipped (by the end of the season) right after the 1st quarter. It was trully demoralizing, but, in hindsight, we should be glad that we went through this now.. Gotta be a really bad taste in everyone's mouth that came back... They should be out for blood this year... and beyond...

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Just to zero in on this point for a moment. Yeah, they quit last year. They were mostly freshman and sophomores that had been battered by a brutal season. They didn't have the physical fortitude to compete. Blame it on their HS program .

Randy has laid some eggs here.

i) Can't get JUCOs (blame the admissions office).
ii) Crocker, Lashlee and Cox, all bad hires - thats on Randy.
iii) Recruits - frankly he has already swung and miss with some of his own recruits. But I detect a new point of emphasis in recruiting over the past 12 months. They are digging deeper to find kids with more passion. Kids that want to be coached hard.

When Matt King arrived, he made a point of emphasis that our practices were soft. The same point Randy has been making for some time now. Too many kids in the program the past two years only wanted to play on Saturday. They didn't want to be be pushed. That is now changing. Make practice hard so the game comes easy.

Its been two long years of rebuilding. Lets just hang in a little longer to see what this team looks like in November. If it quits like his November 2018 team, then Randy is probably done. If it fights, plays hard, gets back to the Randy 1.0 ways, then the corner has been finally turned.

Was Lashless a bad hire? I guess you could say so because he couldn't work with Randy, but other than that, I think it was the Lashlee hire that gave me some confidence that RE 2.0 could work. Randy's problem was that he couldn't figure out how to work with Lashlee. Not that he was hired.

Actually that's Randy's issue in general. He does things one way and he isnt flexible. His way may work....but it's painful to get there. Adaptability is not in his tool box.

 

[freescooter]

Or as in Lashlee who was previously shown Auburn’s exit door, happier wife closer to native Arkansas, happier life

This X 100. Niece was friends with his wife. SHE hated Connecticut. He took a lateral move because as we know if Momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy. If Daddy ain’t happy who cares.