UConn Football 2018 National Signing Day/Press Conference Coverage

[UCFBfan]

See post #16 ^

Got it thanks. Didn't know if anyone with better Twitter skills had found out anything more from anyone associated with him or even the school he signed with, if he even does. Thanks though.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Coach J]

Look like it's a wrap for today. Hoping Steven Gilmore Jr. signs in the next couple of days, 247 just upped their crystal ball prediction from 47% to 56% to us in the last couple of days. It's us and half the SEC and ACC that are after him so it would be a nice get!

Steven Gilmore Recruit Interests

 

[Husky25]

Dante Black is 5-11 205lb RB from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. Other offers from Air Force, Army, Charlotte, Chattanooga, CMU, Columbia, Dartmouth, East Tennessee, EKU, Elon, Furman, Lehigh, Mercer, Princeton, Richmond, Samford, South Alabama, Tulane, UTSA and Yale.

Might not start, but could very well provide Jordan-Todman-when-he-was-a-freshman-like production.

 

[huskymedic]

Randy Noon Press Conference...

Daily Campus Sports‏ @dcsportsdept 1m 1 minute ago
Edsall on Christian Haynes: "A really good kid, a really good athlete...he''ll probably be able to play any of the spots up front"

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 48s 49 seconds ago
Edsall says Haynes already has good size and will be able to play any spot on the offensive line.

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 35s 36 seconds ago
Edsall says Black has all the traits you want in a running back.

Daily Campus Sports‏ @dcsportsdept 1m 1 minute ago
RE on Dante Black: "When you watch him play on film, you see all those combinations that you like in an RB. He's got really good vision, he can make people miss, he's got a really good jump cut"

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 25s 25 seconds ago
Edsall says Ferrell is an aggressive safety who can also be a return guy.

Gavin Keefe‏ @GavinKeefe 1m1 minute ago
Edsall on Messiah Turner: "He really anticipates things extremely well. You can tell he's a leader on the field. Just very impressed by his savvy and his knowledge." …Could be a corner or safety."

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 33s 34 seconds ago
Edsall says Messiah Turner is a "very smooth operator." Was impressed with his basketball ability (Edsall loves multi-sport athletes).

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 50s 51 seconds ago
Edsall says DB Messiah Turner can play either corner or safety, reminds him of Robert McClain

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall: "I like being able to watch guys play other sports because you learn a lot and you can find out some things."

Gavin Keefe‏ @GavinKeefe 18s 19 seconds ago
Edsall on Pierce DeVaughn: "When you put the tape on, he's a guy that just has some natural ability that you don't teach. ... This was a steal in my opinion. He's going to continue to get better."

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 46s 47 seconds ago
Edsall says a lot of people didn't know a lot about DeVaughn, but he grew 3 inches and packed on 35 pounds between junior and senior year.

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall on DeVaughn: "A steal, in my opinion."

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 1m 1 minute ago
Edsall: "Offensively, we really wanted to sign 10 but we only signed nine."

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m2 minutes ago
Edsall: "This class was going to be built around the numbers defensively."

Mike Anthony‏ @ManthonyCourant 57s 58 seconds ago
Edsall discussing newest five recruits and class as a whole. Calls East Hartford linebacker Kevon Jones someone people "missed the boat on."

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall: "I think the guy a lot of people missed the boat on was Kevon Jones. I think he might've been the best kid in the state."

 

[Exit 4]

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall: "I think the guy a lot of people missed the boat on was Kevon Jones. I think he might've been the best kid in the state."

Bingo on Jones.

 

[Husky25]

Wow. Edsall is banging on the "uncommitable offer."

 

[Exit 4]

Edsall's not wrong. Most of these kids with offers 12 months ahead of signing day do not have a bankable offer. Its all marketing. Many kids with who committed to P5 schools in June/July this year found themselves pushed out by November. Early offers are just flattery.

 

[Husky25]

Now banging on the proposed transfer rule and he makes a lot of sense. I would probably stop watching college sports if it comes to what he envisions ("free agency at this level").

On the bright side, we could probably Cut the Cord...

 

[Husky25]

Edsall's not wrong. Most of these kids with offers 12 months ahead of signing day do not have a bankable offer. Its all marketing. Many kids with who committed to P5 schools in June/July this year found themselves pushed out by November. Early offers are just flattery.

The other situation involves these kids who advertise on Twitter that they are so blessed to receive their 36th offer. Does Northridge Valley CC really count?

 

[huskymedic]

Mike Anthony‏ @ManthonyCourant 3m 3 minutes ago
Edsall on UConn's incoming class: "They're workers, they wanted to be here, they want to make a difference, they want to do everything they can to get this program back to where we once had it. A bunch of guys you felt good being around through the process."

Gavin Keefe‏ @GavinKeefe 3m 3 minutes ago
Edsall: "I really feel good about his overall class. Our coaches did a tremendous job evaluating these guys and finding out about them… And what fits for us."

Daily Campus Sports‏ @dcsportsdept 1m 1 minute ago
Edsall: "I like these guys because they want to be here, they are committed, and they want to help return this program to what it was"

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 18s 19 seconds ago
Edsall likes the early signing period because they don't have to stress about recruits being cherry-picked before NSD. But it makes the last three weeks more competitive.

ThisIsUConnCountry‏ @MattSchonvisky 1m 1 minute ago
Edsall on Early Signing: "Last week, I was also going to other high schools to see some of the 2019 prospects. With the early signing period, people are just throwing offers out there like here in CT. They haven't watched film, don't know who these kids are."

ThisIsUConnCountry‏ @MattSchonvisky 47s 48 seconds ago
"The 'offers' that are going out now because of early signing, are they really offers? They are contingent on the kids going to camps at the school. It bothers me because it's not the way the process should be." - Edsall #UConnFootball

Daily Campus Sports‏ @dcsportsdept 56s 57 seconds ago
Edsall on offering underclassmen: "If you're calling them student-athletes and you're offering them as a freshman or sophomore, you don't really know if they're a student-athlete or not"

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 31s 31 seconds ago
Edsall not a fan of new transfer proposals. "I think it would be the death of college athletics because now it's free agency."

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 44s 45 seconds ago
Edsall said he would entertain the idea of grad transfers and has heard from a couple potential guys today.

Ed Daigneault‏ @EdDaigneault 14s 15 seconds ago
Edsall says Huskies would add as many as three grad transfers.

Daily Campus Sports‏ @dcsportsdept 55s 55 seconds ago
Edsall says they could add up to three players on scholarship next year and that potential grad transfers have already reached out

 

[huskymedic]

Mike Anthony‏ @ManthonyCourant 1m 1 minute ago
"Attitude is a lot different, a lot different, about 180 degrees different." -Edsall on the work and approach of returning players, who are currently allowed to workout with strength and conditioning coaches eight hours a week.

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall on his current players: "The attitude is a lot different. About a 180º different." Also credits them for promoting the school well to the recruits.

 

[History Geek]

Mike Anthony‏ @ManthonyCourant 1m 1 minute ago
"Attitude is a lot different, a lot different, about 180 degrees different." -Edsall on the work and approach of returning players, who are currently allowed to workout with strength and conditioning coaches eight hours a week.

Daniel Connolly‏ @DanielVConnolly 2m 2 minutes ago
Edsall on his current players: "The attitude is a lot different. About a 180º different." Also credits them for promoting the school well to the recruits.

Yes, that struck me. The language, the delivery, the tone. In his mind there could be a lot of addition by subtraction this upcoming year.

 

[blue93]

I think this class has some potential. We were able to check off a lot of boxes in areas of need. Of course, it’s all for nothing if they’re not ready to work. Hopefully they’re already hitting the weight room hard.

 

[Jimdish255]

So apparently we have a nucleus that addresses a lot of future needs and a few current needs. A couple of immediately eligible transfers (DL/LB/RB) would really be nice along with a late Frosh signee or 2. Maybe we get lucky with one or 2 DB's stepping in to make a big jump there. Wouldn't rule it out with the competition that's going to take place.

 

[huskymedic]

 

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[HartfordHank]

Look like it's a wrap for today. Hoping Steven Gilmore Jr. signs in the next couple of days, 247 just upped their crystal ball prediction from 47% to 56% to us in the last couple of days. It's us and half the SEC and ACC that are after him so it would be a nice get!

Steven Gilmore Recruit Interests

Rivals has him listed at committed to Marchall

Rivals.com

 

[huskymedic]

Rivals has him listed at committed to Marchall

Rivals.com

Yup.. from 2018 Recruiting Thread:

 

[huskymedic]

Jim Fuller/Paul Doyle: UConn football program adds five players to incoming recruiting class

>>“I feel really good about this overall class,” Edsall said. “I think our coaches did a tremendous job of evaluating these guys and finding out about them and know what we look for and what we know fits for us, not what maybe other people think fits for us. But we know what fits for us.”<<

>>“There’s going to be opportunities there for them to be able to get on the field this year,” Edsall said. “How they adjust and do all those things, they’ll determine that. But there will be opportunities for them.”<<

 

[Exit 4]

What I heard in listening to the Randy presser:

-) Randy wanted length along with speed when recruiting the DL and DBs
-) Randy doesn’t give any impression that he feels compelled to fill all the empty roster spots this spring. He even said he would let unused spots roll forward .... surprising.
-) Randy pointed out that our high academic standards are a hindrance to recruiting transfers and grad transfers.

I still think we find a LB before the signing period ends.