Transfers - Outbound (8/1/22>7/31/23 cycle)

[Exit 4]

Eldrige did participate in spring practice from what I saw on social media, but his IG page now says "retired athlete", so you may be onto something with him.

Thanks- I don't really do IG for UConn stuff. That said I should have put two and two together when you consider he has a UConn football bio page and yet seemingly missed the entire springshow case (I never saw him in the broadcast or few team photos).

Bummer for him. Wonder what's next.

 

[Coach J]

So some of the recent departures were necessary just to get everyone who committed a scholarship. With only one maybe two open, do we take the best available or do we concentrate on WR or LB?

 

[ktuck911]

This is a lot like last year. Hoping we bring in who we need to bring I'm in time for Summer workouts then Fall camp

 

[Scrutineer]

Welp - I hear ya.

Seems like they want to add a WR or two, a DL and another LB - so add perhaps four more players with only one open seat.

Baring a surprise departure post portal window closing (which was yesterday), I see a few ways to make the space.
1) Defer the enrollment of some of the HS signees to January? Currently nine of the signees are scheduled to arrive this summer as four already arrived in January. Most of our HS recruits are rather raw, so this could make some sense, although there is some reputation risk here for the program and the possibility some of the kids decide to move on while they wait. This is somewhat routine behavior by the big boy programs.
2) Perhaps some of our expected transfers is no longer coming? I have counted Renwick, Eldridge and Porter towards our 84, but perhaps there has been a change here and some are no longer set to arrive.
3) WO scholarships returned? The possibility Mora would take back a WO scholarship and/or the possibility the WO scholarships handed out last fall were for one year only. IDK- but I suppose that is a possibility here.
4) Medical departures/exiting football? Some leaves - doesn't care about the portal because they are done with football. I suppose that is possible too. Kids that are grads and UConn is there second or third stop might fall into this scenario where they plan to leave football and not bother with the portal again.

Thanks.
When you consider how fraught with uncertainty this portal process is it makes me wonder how long some of the older coaches will continue in the profession OR, like Jay Wright, decide "at my age, do I need to chase these kids or might it be more fun to be an analyst or consultant?"

 

[Exit 4]

Thanks.
When you consider how fraught with uncertainty this portal process is it makes me wonder how long some of the older coaches will continue in the profession OR, like Jay Wright, decide "at my age, do I need to chase these kids or might it be more fun to be an analyst or consultant?"

Idk- there aren’t many ways to make millions… I think most can adjust without too much effort or frustration. As NIL matures into consistent tranches - that might be a bigger source of frustration.

In any event, most in coaching don’t have a very good plan B for a career.

 

[Exit 4]

So some of the recent departures were necessary just to get everyone who committed a scholarship. With only one maybe two open, do we take the best available or do we concentrate on WR or LB?

Hmmm, what I want at LB is someone that has two or three years of eligibility remaining. My concern with this position is not 2023, but rather 2024.

I think we can live with the current WR room, this team will move the ball with TE passes and a multi back running game.

That said, I think we find one of all three; WR, LB and DL. If Eldridge is out then we have two seats available and just need to free up one more seat.

 

[uconndogs]

As NIL matures into consistent tranches - that might be a bigger source of frustration.

That's what I see. Once those programs are fully established I think the poaching increases dramatically for talent. If your program isn't aligned with well funded NIL programs how can you expect to retain your best talent?

 

[Exit 4]

That's what I see. Once those programs are fully established I think the poaching increases dramatically for talent. If your program isn't aligned with well funded NIL programs how can you expect to retain your best talent?

Of course.

And every off season we will see players sliding up and down that ladder in percentages that are probably a bit higher than the even are now. Talent that achieved on the field will be moving up and talent that didn't see the field for reasons X, Y and Z moving down.

This is our new world, its already happening.

You can think of college football as beginning to mirror minor league baseball. You achieve on the field, you move up next season and vice versa. Not all kids are going to take the opportunity to move up, and they shouldn't. Some will realize it is better to stay at their current level where they will see the field as many "call up" opportunities will actually just be depth opportunities (Uguak at TCU comes to mind) and play time is reduced. Another throttling mechanism to the entire player portal flow is the fact that players still have just one opportunity to transfer w/o having to sit a year (keep in mind grad students are exempt from this rule). So most will recognize that moving as an undergrad is something you want to limit to a one time thing if you can.

All in all, I think the system is rather fair and balanced. There is no such thing as a perfect system when it comes to human needs.

 

[Exit 4]

Solid discussion here on the portal and the many factors/issues for both the player and the coaches in working the system. Some good insight here.

 

[huskymedic]

Eldrige did participate in spring practice from what I saw on social media, but his IG page now says "retired athlete", so you may be onto something with him.

 

[noeynox]

Bummer. Had good stats and his tape looked like a big kid who could move and pressure the QB.

 

[Scrutineer]

Could be the wear and tear got to him and he couldn't see himself going strong for another year, or maybe he looked around and realized his future is not in football and decided risking injury from one more year wasn't worth the risk.
Best of luck to him in whatever he chooses to do in life!

 

[HuskyDogArt]

To me, the players leaving are like any business, especially a start up. You hire people and some will work out, but some will either quit or be fired. Jim is doing some firing and some are quitting because they are not working hard enough.

 

[ktuck911]

To me, the players leaving are like any business, especially a start up. You hire people and some will work out, but some will either quit or be fired. Jim is doing some firing and some are quitting because they are not working hard enough.

not working hard enough? Sounds like you have inside info with that part of your response...

 

[hardcorehusky]

Coming and going is the new way of business. It makes kids like Jackson Mitchell and Christian Haynes and Ian Swenson the exception.
It was always fun tracking a player through his progression of committing through graduation and beyond.

 

[TRest]

not working hard enough? Sounds like you have inside info with that part of your response...

Literally the last person who would have inside info, he can't find the games on television.

 

[Scrutineer]

Coming and going is the new way of business. It makes kids like Jackson Mitchell and Christian Haynes and Ian Swenson the exception.
It was always fun tracking a player through his progression of committing through graduation and beyond.

That's the essence of what has made college sports so endearing to so many of us.
To watch how Kendall Reyes developed (just one among many others in UConn's draft history) was fun for us fans but inspiring for other players and his family and friends.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Guru13]

Coming and going is the new way of business. It makes kids like Jackson Mitchell and Christian Haynes and Ian Swenson the exception.
It was always fun tracking a player through his progression of committing through graduation and beyond.

Noel Ofori-Nyadu and Haynes are the only ones left from their class I think. @Exit 4 can you verify this?

 

[Exit 4]

Noel Ofori-Nyadu and Haynes are the only ones left from their class I think. @Exit 4 can you verify this?

Correct

 

[HuskyDogArt]

not working hard enough? Sounds like you have inside info with that part of your response...

I did start a business and yes when I hired people I knew that some were not going to make it because they are too lazy. Maybe some players thought since UConn was rebuilding, they thought it would be easy to play, but now they know JM is looking for players to be for the team, not for themselves.

 

[ktuck911]

I did start a business and yes when I hired people I knew that some were not going to make it because they are too lazy. Maybe some players thought since UConn was rebuilding, they thought it would be easy to play, but now they know JM is looking for players to be for the team, not for themselves.

Oh, so it's your opinion. Got it.

 

[formerlurker]

I did start a business and yes when I hired people I knew that some were not going to make it because they are too lazy. Maybe some players thought since UConn was rebuilding, they thought it would be easy to play, but now they know JM is looking for players to be for the team, not for themselves.

Anyone who has started a business built on hiring people they knew were "not going to make it" has not only never really started a business, they have no business pretending that they did.

 

[Palatine]

Anyone who has started a business built on hiring people they knew were "not going to make it" has not only never really started a business, they have no business pretending that they did.

That is not what he meant. He said he knew some of the people he hired were going to turn out to be bad hires. It's true. You learn at some point you are not perfect at predicting the success of your future employees. You trust your instincts but they are not perfect.

Now I don't know if he really started a business or not. I do know your reading comprehension needs work.

 

[Scrutineer]

That is not what he meant. He said he knew some of the people he hired were going to turn out to be bad hires. It's true. You learn at some point you are not perfect at predicting the success of your future employees. You trust your instincts but they are not perfect.

Now I don't know if he really started a business or not. I do know your reading comprehension needs work.

Agreed. Early on I sometimes put too much value on experience and not enough on figuring out what motivated people and how driven they were to succeed, how innovative they could be and how well they would fit in with the culture and focus on the organization's values and goals over their own.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn Football Transfer Portal (8/1/22 thru 7/31/23 Cycle)

RB Will Knight
WR Darius Bush > Georgia State
RB Nate Carter > Michigan State
WR Mark Didio (PWO) >Wagner
DL Kayode Oladele
DB Deon McLean > CCSU
DB Juan Rosario (PWO)
WR Hayden Jordan (PWO)
TE Russ Dixon
WR Ethon Williams
QB Tyler Phommachanh
WR Aaron Turner > Cincinnati
WR Keelan Marion
WR Nigel Fitzgerald
DB Myles Bell
LB Prince Samuels
K Jake Andjelic (PWO)
DB Derek Spearman
OL Nikko Pohahau

I guess we're out on his younger brother, who's a stud!

Maybe in the end, but still on his radar on the surface @ least (at least he’s learned not to burn bridges @ his young age ):

 

[DoctorWho85]

Maybe in the end, but still on his radar on the surface @ least (at least he’s learned not to burn bridges @ his young age ):

That's an impressive offer list. I'd love if we got him to commit.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

UConn Football Transfer Portal (8/1/22 thru 7/31/23 Cycle)

RB Will Knight
WR Darius Bush > Georgia State
RB Nate Carter > Michigan State
WR Mark Didio (PWO) >Wagner
DL Kayode Oladele
DB Deon McLean > CCSU
DB Juan Rosario (PWO)
WR Hayden Jordan (PWO)
TE Russ Dixon
WR Ethon Williams
QB Tyler Phommachanh
WR Aaron Turner
WR Keelan Marion > ECU
WR Nigel Fitzgerald
DB Myles Bell
LB Prince Samuels
K Jake Andjelic (PWO)
DB Derek Spearman
OL Nikko Pohahau

Think you need to update Turner to Cincy

 

[huskymedic]

Think you need to update Turner to Cincy

Thx - grabbed wrong one.

 

[Scrutineer]

Maybe I missed it, but has any reason been given for Marion to leave UConn for East Carolina?