UConn football team rebuilding recruiting relationships in Fairfield County (J. Fuller)

[FDNY99]

Would like to see coaching staff recruiting in NYC area harder. While Jersey football is obviously better, there are some good football players there and being so close should almost treat it as extension of Connecticut. As terrible as Pasqualoni was he was starting to make inroads in NYC as on this year's roster Fatukasi and Stapleton are from the city and Mikal Myers and Hopkins are from surrounding area and last year Junior Lee was from city and all were Pasqualoni recruits.. Peart is from the Bronx but he was recruited from his Massachusetts prep school. While Cuse and Rutgers continue to hit city hard does not seem like much of a priority to Diaco.

This surprised me a bit...he was extremely successful recruiting NYC and NJ when he was at ND.

 

[huskymedic]

Would like to see coaching staff recruiting in NYC area harder. While Jersey football is obviously better, there are some good football players there and being so close should almost treat it as extension of Connecticut. As terrible as Pasqualoni was he was starting to make inroads in NYC as on this year's roster Fatukasi and Stapleton are from the city and Mikal Myers and Hopkins are from surrounding area and last year Junior Lee was from city and all were Pasqualoni recruits.. Peart is from the Bronx but he was recruited from his Massachusetts prep school. While Cuse and Rutgers continue to hit city hard does not seem like much of a priority to Diaco.

Davis is from Long Island and I would consider that as close as Westchester distance wise +/- (Hopkins) but I agree it should be an "extension" of CT. They've made runs @ kids just haven't been able to get them to Storrs.

Last few classes:

2014:

1. Thomas Holley (DT) - Abraham Lincoln - Brooklyn NY (Florida Commit)
2. Jay Hayes ((DT) - Brooklyn Poly Prep School - Brooklyn NY (ND Commit)
3. Curtis Samuel (RB) - Erasmus Hall - Brooklyn NY (tOSU Commit)
4. Mustafa Davis (WR) - Hackley School - Tarrytown NY (UPenn Commit)

2015:

1. Qaadir Sheppard (OLB) - Iona Prep, New Rochelle NY (Syracuse Commit 12/18/14)
2. Austrian Robinson (DE) - Manhatten NY>Trinity Pawling School, Pawling New York (Ole Miss Commit 2/4/15)

2016:

1. Ray Marten (TE/DE/FB - Brooklyn Poly Prep School - Brooklyn NY (BC Commit 6/5/15)
2. Elias Reynolds (OLB/SS) - Brooklyn Poly Prep School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/3/15>Decommit 11/29/15>Pitt commit 1/23/16)
3. Ahmed Bah (WR) - Grand Street Campus High School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/5/15>Decommit 12/8/15>ReCommit 2/3/16)
4. Taysir Mack (WR) - Grand St Campus High School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/5/15>Decommit>Indiana Commit 2/4/16)

2017:

1. Isaiah Wilson (OL) Brooklyn Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY
2. Jack Coan (PS QB) - Sayville High School, Sayville New York (Wisconsin Commit 3/24/16)
3. Ethan Wiederkehr (DE/TE) - Shoreham Wading River High School, Shoreham NY (Northwestern Commit 6/13/16)
4. Cameron Jordan (WR/DB) - Hills West High School, Dix Hills NY (Syracuse Commit 6/26/16)
5. Olakunle Fatukasi (OLB) - Grant Street Campus School, Brooklyn, NY (Rutgers Commit 6/28/16)

2018:

1. Matt Jones (DT) - Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn NY
2. Jeremy Ruckert (WR/TE/LB) – Lindenhurst High School, Lindenhurst, NJ
3. Messiah Swinson (DE/TE) – Long Island Lutheran High School, Glen Head NY
4. Qadir White (OT) - Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx NY

 

[FDNY99]

Davis is from Long Island and I would consider that as close as Westchester distance wise +/- (Hopkins) but I agree it should be an "extension" of CT. They've made runs @ kids just haven't been able to get them to Storrs.

Last few classes:

2014:

1. Thomas Holley (DT) - Abraham Lincoln - Brooklyn NY (Florida Commit)
2. Jay Hayes ((DT) - Brooklyn Poly Prep School - Brooklyn NY (ND Commit)
3. Curtis Samuel (RB) - Erasmus Hall - Brooklyn NY (tOSU Commit)
4. Mustafa Davis (WR) - Hackley School - Tarrytown NY (UPenn Commit)

2015:

1. Qaadir Sheppard (OLB) - Iona Prep, New Rochelle NY (Syracuse Commit 12/18/14)
2. Austrian Robinson (DE) - Manhatten NY>Trinity Pawling School, Pawling New York (Ole Miss Commit 2/4/15)

2016:

1. Ray Marten (TE/DE/FB - Brooklyn Poly Prep School - Brooklyn NY (BC Commit 6/5/15)
2. Elias Reynolds (OLB/SS) - Brooklyn Poly Prep School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/3/15>Decommit 11/29/15>Pitt commit 1/23/16)
3. Ahmed Bah (WR) - Grand Street Campus High School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/5/15>Decommit 12/8/15>ReCommit 2/3/16)
4. Taysir Mack (WR) - Grand St Campus High School, Brooklyn NY (Rutgers Commit 6/5/15>Decommit>Indiana Commit 2/4/16)

2017:

1. Isaiah Wilson (OL) Brooklyn Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY
2. Jack Coan (PS QB) - Sayville High School, Sayville New York (Wisconsin Commit 3/24/16)
3. Ethan Wiederkehr (DE/TE) - Shoreham Wading River High School, Shoreham NY (Northwestern Commit 6/13/16)
4. Cameron Jordan (WR/DB) - Hills West High School, Dix Hills NY (Syracuse Commit 6/26/16)
5. Olakunle Fatukasi (OLB) - Grant Street Campus School, Brooklyn, NY (Rutgers Commit 6/28/16)

2018:

1. Matt Jones (DT) - Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn NY
2. Jeremy Ruckert (WR/TE/LB) – Lindenhurst High School, Lindenhurst, NJ
3. Messiah Swinson (DE/TE) – Long Island Lutheran High School, Glen Head NY

Didn't they offer the kid who plays QB at Fordham Prep?

 

[huskymedic]

Didn't they offer the kid who plays QB at Fordham Prep?

Don't believe Valecce has an offer yet. But I did miss the kid White from yesterday. Corrected above.

 

[mac66]

Forgot about Davis and has made offers while some were for big recruits (Samuel, Hayes) that did not have much of a chance but have not closed on too many 2-3 star types. Probably from connections from Cuse days and having Wholley who was a very good recruiter covering area they were more successful landing kids even including couple of de-commits (Fuchs and Ogundeko). We had were even late offering Fatusaki's brother. Maybe Diaco feels there are not RKG's in NYC but we should not be a stretch to expect get 1-2 guys a year from there.

 

[huskymedic]

Forgot about Davis and has made offers while some were for big recruits (Samuel, Hayes) that did not have much of a chance but have not closed on too many 2-3 star types. Probably from connections from Cuse days and having Wholley who was a very good recruiter covering area they were more successful landing kids even including couple of de-commits (Fuchs and Ogundeko). We had were even late offering Fatusaki's brother. Maybe Diaco feels there are not RKG's in NYC but we should not be a stretch to expect get 1-2 guys a year from there.

Something to think about moving forward as Dave Corley is responsible for Fairfield County/New York City/Southeast New York and while he has made in-roads and the coaches seem to like him it remains to be seen if he stays part of staff. It's all relationships and constant turnover doesn't help.

 

[weyuo]

PP didn't get it done here.
UConn gave him a shot and he didn't get it done. Period.
How is UConn to blame. CT Coaches have to get over it unless they know something we don't

Even during the P years the best from Fairfield County were not coming to Storrs so who's that on? P? The high school coaches? The UConn "basketball school" stigma?

 

[uconnell]

While Cuse and Rutgers continue to hit city hard does not seem like much of a priority to Diaco.

Winning anything doesn't seem to be a priority for Diaco. Sadly.

 

[gioff23]

This surprised me a bit...he was extremely successful recruiting NYC and NJ when he was at ND.

Is that actually true? I heard that but you look on some sites for ND recruits a few years back and Big Bob is rarely mentioned.

He's been allover the map here - e.g., some potential big hits in IL, mixed in with kids we should not be recruiting. I don't see a coherent plan here. Worse, I was talking to a couple of local coaches I respect and their consensus was - Diaco's a jerk, he is so in to himself and does not build relationships. Some of his assistants get better grades.

 

[FDNY99]

Is that actually true? I heard that but you look on some sites for ND recruits a few years back and Big Bob is rarely mentioned.

He's been allover the map here - e.g., some potential big hits in IL, mixed in with kids we should not be recruiting. I don't see a coherent plan here. Worse, I was talking to a couple of local coaches I respect and their consensus was - Diaco's a jerk, he is so in to himself and does not build relationships. Some of his assistants get better grades.

I know he landed Ishaq Williams out of NYC for ND...he was a 5 star DE. He also landed Quentin Nelson out of RBC (5 star OG) and immediately after he was hired he tried VERY hard to flip him. His reputation in NJ is very good from what I hear. As for CT...he has done more for CT kids than Pasqualoni and DeLeone or Edsall ever did. The fact he keeps his word to the preferred walk-on's and gives them scholarships if they hold up their end says a lot.

 

[Exit 4]

I know he landed Ishaq Williams out of NYC for ND...he was a 5 star DE. He also landed Quentin Nelson out of RBC (5 star OG) and immediately after he was hired he tried VERY hard to flip him. His reputation in NJ is very good from what I hear. As for CT...he has done more for CT kids than Pasqualoni and DeLeone or Edsall ever did. The fact he keeps his word to the preferred walk-on's and gives them scholarships if they hold up their end says a lot.

Hmm, I will have to concede that all does seem rather accurate.