UConn Football Class of 2022 NLI Early Signing Day Thread/Info (12/15/21>12/17/21)

[freescooter]

But I don’t get your point. Fine, ignore adjectives. Don’t have to call a kid terrible or great. But can’t we care about whether he’s going to help us win games rather than what he might be in his late 20s? Whatever you call Boyle, do I have to care that a young man who couldn’t help us win ends up as a pro?

We know just two things about this young man beyond that Mora wanted him. That he was highly thought of by recruiting services coming out of high school, and that he didn’t win the starting job at NAU. To me, the latter fact is more important than the former. Look, if Mora wanted him glad he came, and I hope he helps us be much better. But there is no reason to assume that a young man who was the back up at NAU is going to change our trajectory.

Different players are different player. It drives me nuts on the basketball board when guys try to claim player x is going to become a great player in the off season because Hilton did. Same thing applies here. This kid was a highly rated guy out of high school, but got buried at Oregon. Kind of looks like NAU brought in a slew of quarterbacks including a guy who had been there and threw for 14 tds with 2 interception and ran some, too. If you transfer someplace with a young incumbent quarterback, you best be much better. But the fact that Boyle did or did not struggle at EKU and UConn is just as irrelevant as the fact that Hilton Armstrong went from little used 5 foul guy to NBA prospect is to whether some guy on this years bench will be a first round draft choice next year. One could also say the last time we brought in a highly high school qb who was buried at his former school, he turned around and led us to the most high profile win in our history against his former school. Does that mean we’ll be whooping’ up on Oregon in a couple of years? Of course not.

 

[Pudge]

The most important incoming guy ... is Guidone. He is not coming in 2022 to sit. He plugs a hole and forces all those kids who played to raise their games. LT? Someone else needs to make a big step. But you improve that line ... and you begin to have some hope.

Millen just is a talent. Nobody gives him the ball Day One - everything is earned; you can make a case for Krajewski coming in as a different player. He showed us some skills. Phommachanh? Loved his play ... but we cannot count on him in September in my view. We improved out QB room and we aren't done.

 

[UCONNRPh]

That’s the first qb from the portal - we need one more to compete with Millen for the job.

I may have missed it but how did that official visit go with Kurt Warner's son??

Any chance we get him??

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

The most important incoming guy ... is Guidone. He is not coming in 2022 to sit. He plugs a hole and forces all those kids who played to raise their games. LT? Someone else needs to make a big step. But you improve that line ... and you begin to have some hope.

Millen just is a talent. Nobody gives him the ball Day One - everything is earned; you can make a case for Krajewski coming in as a different player. He showed us some skills. Phommachanh? Loved his play ... but we cannot count on him in September in my view. We improved out QB room and we aren't done.

This. I think Steve will show us more than we've seen IF we have an OL that gives him time to get himself organized. He looked way too good before he got here to be only what we've seen. Without the favoritism of the RE era, I think everybody gets a real chance based on performance, not perception. I hope I'm right.

 

[ZooCougar]

All I care about is that these players particularly the transfers are better than what we already have.

 

[businesslawyer]

Different players are different player. It drives me nuts on the basketball board when guys try to claim player x is going to become a great player in the off season because Hilton did. Same thing applies here. This kid was a highly rated guy out of high school, but got buried at Oregon. Kind of looks like NAU brought in a slew of quarterbacks including a guy who had been there and threw for 14 tds with 2 interception and ran some, too. If you transfer someplace with a young incumbent quarterback, you best be much better. But the fact that Boyle did or did not struggle at EKU and UConn is just as irrelevant as the fact that Hilton Armstrong went from little used 5 foul guy to NBA prospect is to whether some guy on this years bench will be a first round draft choice next year. One could also say the last time we brought in a highly high school qb who was buried at his former school, he turned around and led us to the most high profile win in our history against his former school. Does that mean we’ll be whooping’ up on Oregon in a couple of years? Of course not.

Agree with most of this but one point. QBs can be buried on the depth chart at Oregon, or Notre Dame, and still be ready to step in as a starter here and be ready not just to totally improve our QB play but to give us Top 40 QB play. He was sitting at the FCS level. Again, if More wanted him I’m glad we got him, and I’m sure there are plenty of QBs in FCS who would improve our play, but if he didn’t start at NAU in his second year in college that tells us a lot more about where he is now and will be in the immediate future (not long term future) than the analysis of likelihood for future success done by rating services.

 

[HuskyHawk]

But I don’t get your point. Fine, ignore adjectives. Don’t have to call a kid terrible or great. But can’t we care about whether he’s going to help us win games rather than what he might be in his late 20s? Whatever you call Boyle, do I have to care that a young man who couldn’t help us win ends up as a pro?

We know just two things about this young man beyond that Mora wanted him. That he was highly thought of by recruiting services coming out of high school, and that he didn’t win the starting job at NAU. To me, the latter fact is more important than the former. Look, if Mora wanted him glad he came, and I hope he helps us be much better. But there is no reason to assume that a young man who was the back up at NAU is going to change our trajectory.

The point is simple. UConn fans have watched a team with an awful offensive line for many years now. Briefly, a very mobile guy, David Pindell made us look almost ok. Then Tyler P, also very mobile, causes great excitement simply by turning sacks into positive yards but not really being effective throwing the ball. Boyle didn't help us win, because Orlovsky couldn't have helped that team win. I agree that we should care more that Mora wanted him. But I also think that any pocket passer cannot possibly succeed unless the rest of the team allows him to. Now lets see if Mora can create the conditions for that.

 

[Watchdog]

Everyone should listen to the entire press conference, especially those with doubts about JM because of his hiring of Spanos.

JM is the antithesis of RE in the way he spoke in depth about each player without a script, especially the types of schemes we'll use and how the players project to fit our needs, the genuine enthusiasm he exhibits, the completeness of his answers and the thoughtfulness he showed in the way he thanked his staff and the university's support staff for working so hard in such a short period of time to corral a very good group of recruits.

I was also very impressed with his inability to repeatedly use the words "uhh" and "things".

 

[Husky25]

There has to be a reason Mora took him because he specifically called out that he wouldn't take transfers that have transferred many times.

 

[tower1]

Welp after 16 hours my eyes are blurry and thumbs are numb: Here’s where we stand after Day 1:

1. Timothy Passmore (DL) - Cocoa High School, Cocoa Florida (UConn Commit 6/10/21) (Edsall)
2. Brady Wayburn (OL) - Gastonia North Carolina>The Loomis Chaffe School, Windsor CT (UConn Commit 6/20/21) (Edsall)
3. D’Mon Brinson (DB) - Dillard High School, Ft. Lauderdale Florida (UConn Commit 6/22/21) (Edsall)
4. Victor Rosa (RB/ATH) - Bristol Central High School, Bristol CT (UConn Commit 7/14/21) (Edsall)
5. Donovan Branch (DL) - Foundation Academy, Winter Garden Florida (UConn Commit 6/20/21>Decommitted 10/2/21>Recommitted 12/5/21)
6. Nathan Voorhis (DL) - Stroudsburg High School, Stroudsburg PA (UConn Commit 6/11/21>Decommitted 10/17/21>Recommitted 12/6/21)
7. Derek Spearman (DB) - Cornelius North Carolina>The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor CT (UConn Commit 12/5/21) (Mora)
8. Denzel Mountali-Johnstown (ATH) - Vancouver BC>The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor CT (UConn Commit 12/5/21) (Mora)
9. Kylish Hicks (WR) - Mergenthaler Vo-Tech High School, Baltimore, Maryland (UConn Commit 12/12/21) (Mora)
10. Ben Murawski (OL) - Harleysville PA>St Thomas More School Oakdale CT (UConn Commit 12/12/21) (Mora)
11. Nigel Fitzgerald (WR) - Greensboro, North Carolina> ODU (UConn Commit 2/13/21) (Grad Transfer) (Mora)
12. Justin Joly (TE) - Iona Prep High School, New Rochelle New York (Delaware Commit>Decommitted 11/29/21>UConn Commit 12/13/21) (Mora)
13. Bo Estes (TE) Tulsa Oklahoma>Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (JUCO), Miami Oklahoma (UConn Commit 12/13/21) (Mora)
14. Matt Hoffman (DL) - Cheltenham High School, Wyncote PA (VaTech Commit 6/19/21>Decommit>UConn Commit 12/15/21) (Mora)
15. Cale Millen (QB) - Snoqualmie, Washington>Northern Arizona University. UConn Commit 2/15/21) (Transfer Portal) (Mora)
16. Jake Guidone (OL/TE) - East Walpole MA>Dartmouth College, Hanover New Hampshire (UConn Commit 11/15/21) (Grad Transfer) (Mora)

Great work.

 

[tower1]

Does anyone know how many open scholarships we have ?

 

[Exit 4]

Does anyone know how many open scholarships we have ?

My calc is that we have 11 open slots

 

[tower1]

My calc is that we have 11 open slots

Thanks

 

[businesslawyer]

\. Boyle didn't help us win, because Orlovsky couldn't have helped that team win.

Shirreffs went 6-6 with a group that, when Boyle came on against Houston, Boyle couldn't do anything with. We wren't good offensively that year, but we were able to get better QB play with that O Line than Boyle gave us for 1 3/4 games.

 

[Ajs120102]

My calc is that we have 11 open slots

12. harrell just portaled

 

[Exit 4]

12. harrell just portaled

I already had him out...since he graduated.

 

[Exit 4]

12. harrell just portaled

Basically not all the kids have put their name in the portal yet...not sure why....but from what I heard, everyone that walked on graduation day but for Swenson has not been invited back. Most of those kids have an extra year of eligibility. And most have to finish their spring semester to graduate. Maybe some of these kids arent sure if they want to play another year and/or they are mulling it over.

 

[shizzle787]

Currently ranked #103 according to 247 Sports.

 

[RSTuthill]

Currently ranked #103 according to 247 Sports.

Down from prior mid sixties prior? But of course that number was going down anyway from natural causes since it was an early assessment and there was a lot of volatility in the interim..

 

[shizzle787]

Down from prior mid sixties prior? But of course that number was going down anyway from natural causes since it was an early assessment and there was a lot of volatility in the interim..

We still have time to get a better ranking. I think a realistic goal would be to finish #85 or better.

 

[huskymedic]

Currently ranked #103 according to 247 Sports.

With 5 kids listed but not ranked yet (Estes, Hicks, Joly, Murawski & Mountali)

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[DoctorWho85]

I'll root for Millen if he wins the job. But I'm hoping Puma comes back stronger than ever and continues where he left off.

 

[jayfromfla]

Basically not all the kids have put their name in the portal yet...not sure why....but from what I heard, everyone that walked on graduation day but for Swenson has not been invited back. Most of those kids have an extra year of eligibility. And most have to finish their spring semester to graduate. Maybe some of these kids arent sure if they want to play another year and/or they are mulling it over.

My understanding is that when They enter the portal they are removed from the team. They can remain in school until the end of the Semester on scholarship. If you complete the first semester and enter the portal they can stay on scholarship till may