Operation Sports Forums - We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Huskies land #25 recruit Rourke, finish with 68th best class

UConn's getting good at this. For the second year in a row, UConn walks out of National Signing Day with the 68th best class in the nation.

But unlike last year, a lot of UConn's class came together at the end of the signing period on February 1.

The obvious headliner in the newest group of Huskies is 5* DE Sam Rourke, graded by SPARQ as the 25th best prospect in the country and the 20th by ESPN.

Rourke, according to coach Bob Diaco, is in line to potentially start alongside Cameron Stapleton on the line this fall, pushing aside seniors Cole Ormsby and last year's starter Quintin Harrell.

Joining Rourke is UConn's next best prospect, 3* DT Johnquez Blair of Simpsonville, CA. A fringe 4 star prospect, Blair will not likely push T.J. Newell or Gene Jackson for playing time this year, but Blair will get a long look down the line and could be a star in the not-so-distant future.

David Hamilton we already knew was on his way to Storrs around November of 2016, and he is the prohibitive favorite to be Bryant Shirreffs' successor at QB. A tall, bulky QB with a good arm and speed, Hamilton is a winner and is ready to succeed at the college level. Diaco is excited to see Hamilton in action.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Diaco

"I love D-Ham. He checks off all the boxes for my ideal QB, and he should be just fine. I can't wait to get him on the field.

Local prospect Ryne Thomas, who lives only 90 minutes from the Storrs campus, could make an immediate impact at tight end, as could athlete Ross Sinclair, who will almost certainly add depth to a very young safety group and push for a starting gig immediately.

LB's Tom Willis and John Cox add long-term depth, as does mammoth guard Vince Jones and QB Isaac Jackson.

Tyler McCray is likely to fill both the kicking and punting duties that are available for this season.

Overall, Diaco likes what he sees this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Diaco

We made some solid progress this year, and I like everyone we have. All 19 of our guys could make contributions either immediately or down the line, and I'm just really excited.

<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><link href="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/css/osdyn.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></head><body><table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="osdyn" width="575"><tr class="masthead_alt"><td bgcolor="#0A1D5F" colspan="7"><span style="color:#FFFFFF;">UConn Huskies Recruiting - 2017</span></td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="26%">NAME</td><td width="8%">POS</td><td width="11%">CLASS</td><td width="26%">HOMETOWN</td><td width="7%">HT</td><td width="7%">WT</td><td width="15%">CALIBER</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Sam Rourke</td><td>DE</td><td>HS</td><td>El Toro, CA</td><td>6'2</td><td>242</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/5-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Johnquez Blair</td><td>DT</td><td>HS</td><td>Simpsonville, CA</td><td>6'0</td><td>257</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Ryne Thomas</td><td>TE</td><td>HS</td><td>Tiverton, RI</td><td>6'3</td><td>229</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Tom Willis</td><td>LB</td><td>HS</td><td>Lodi, CA</td><td>6'3</td><td>215</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Ross Sinclair</td><td>ATH</td><td>HS</td><td>Kalamazoo, MI</td><td>6'5</td><td>213</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>David Hamilton</td><td>QB</td><td>HS</td><td>Fairland, MD</td><td>6'3</td><td>244</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Vince Jones</td><td>G</td><td>HS</td><td>Caribou, ME</td><td>6'7</td><td>330</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Isaac Jackson</td><td>QB</td><td>HS</td><td>Druid Hills, GA</td><td>6'2</td><td>203</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>John Cox</td><td>LB</td><td>HS</td><td>Vineland, NJ</td><td>6'2</td><td>247</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Tyler McCray</td><td>K/P</td><td>HS</td><td>Binghamton, NY</td><td>5'9</td><td>220</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/3-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Antonio Goff</td><td>FB</td><td>HS</td><td>Rosedale, MD</td><td>5'11</td><td>235</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Mike Miller</td><td>K/P</td><td>HS</td><td>Two Rivers, WI</td><td>6'2</td><td>185</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Alfred Hart</td><td>FB</td><td>HS</td><td>New Hope, SC</td><td>6'0</td><td>262</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Jabari Wright</td><td>S</td><td>JUCO Jr</td><td>Narragansett, RI</td><td>6'1</td><td>200</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/1-Star.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Rick Stewart</td><td>S</td><td>JUCO Jr</td><td>Suitland-Silver Hill, MD</td><td>6'4</td><td>218</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/1-Star.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>Geoff Lewis</td><td>S</td><td>HS</td><td>Milford, CT</td><td>6'0</td><td>197</td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/1-Star.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Johnny Williams (Preferred Walk-on)</td><td>WR</td><td>HS</td><td>Marion, NC</td><td></td><td></td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>J.D. Rudie (Preferred Walk-on)</td><td>CB</td><td>HS</td><td>Amsterdam, NY</td><td></td><td></td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>Brent Singleton (Preferred Walk-on)</td><td>S</td><td>HS</td><td>West Hartford, CT</td><td></td><td></td><td><img src="http://dynasties.operationsports.com/images/stars/2-Stars.png"></td></tr></table></body></html>

Around the Nation, Michigan landed the top class this year, headlined by the 14th best prospect, QB Darrell Reid of Grove City, OH. Alabama and Oklahoma, who landed 2 of the top 3 prospects, rounded out the top 3.

Top 10 Classes:

1. Michigan
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. Oregon
6. Penn State
7. Nebraska
8. Ohio State
9. Notre Dame
10. Michigan State
13. USC
48. Navy
52. Cincinnati
54. Tulsa
59. SMU
61. UCF
68. UConn
75. Central Michigan
76. Ohio
78. USF
81. Houston
93. Memphis
98. ECU
110. Tulane
112. Temple
114. Rice
115. Bowling Green
117. UTSA

SPARQ Top 25; Where They Went

1. Courtney Sullivan - ATH - Bloomfield, NJ - 5* - 6'0 206 - Oklahoma
2. Se'Nelquez DeWeaver - QB/RB - Pleasure Ridge Pk, KY - 5* - 6'1 210 - Oregon
3. Mike Hickman - RB - Jacinto City, TX - 5* - 6'4 216 - Oklahoma
4. Shedrick Temple - RB - Urbandale, IA - 5* - 6'0 194 - Ohio State
5. Quartez Blackstone - DE - Spring Lake, NC - 5* - 6'2 245 - Alabama
6. Clarence Turner - WR - New Iberia, LA - 5* - 6'7 236 - Michigan State
7. Marcello Stevenson - TE - Dalton, GA - 5* - 6'4 264 - Alabama
8. Deon Huff - WR - Copperas Cove, TX - 5* - 6'0 183 - Notre Dame
9. Terrence Thomas - ATH - Harlingen, TX - 5* - 5'10 180 - Oklahoma
10. Ali Little - RB - South Gate, CA - 5* - 5'11 200 - Notre Dame
11. Chris Broussard - ATH - Simi Valley, CA - 5* - 6'0 228 - Oregon
12. Anthony Beach - ATH - Wailuku, HI - 5* - 6'0 244 - Oregon State
13. Maurice Baker - WR - Roseburg North, OR - 5* - 5'10 192 - Wisconsin
14. Darrell Reid - QB - Grove City, OH - 5* - 6'3 182 - Michigan
15. Ryan Doyle - ATH - Highland Park, IL - 5* - 6'2 187 - Iowa
16. Jamar Cox - DE - Pontiac, MI - 5* - 6'3 241 - Alabama
17. Antoine Wilson - RB - Westlake, LA - 5* - 6'2 199 - UL-Lafayette
18. Nick Harris - WR/TE - Odessa, TX - 5* - 6'6 220 - TCU
19. Sean Ward - G - Parkville, MD - 5* - 6'3 290 - Ohio State
20. Andrew Brooks - ATH - Visalia, CA - 5* - 6'2 188 - Wyoming
21. Derek Culton - ATH - Winter Springs, FL - 5* - 6'0 192 - Florida
22. Chris Richardson - WR/TE - Pompano Beach, FL - 5* - 6'4 244 - Alabama
23. Micah Kramer - WR - Edgewood, MD - 5* - 6'2 197 - Stanford
24. Tannis Sierra - RB - Marrero, LA - 5* - 6'1 198 - Arkansas
25. Sam Rourke - DE - El Toro, CA - 5* - 6'2 242 - UConn

Quote:

Originally Posted by whughes (Post 2047300623)

Marshall has an easy conference schedule every year. They really need to move to a better conference, or maybe move some better teams into C-USA. I'm not saying you should in your dynasty, jus in general

Quote:

Originally Posted by HARLEE23 (Post 2047300749)

Really like that Marshall has him, and that Marshall is that good. I live about 20-25 minutes away and I always root for them because of how close I am.

I was actually thinking about moving Marshall and North Texas to the AAC for this season while they were still stacked (they'll drop off a ton next year. Not only is Olsen gone for Marshall, but they lose starters everywhere and the backups aren't that good. North Texas lost their starting QB who was an O'Brien finalist last year, and besides Ivery, they have no one anymore).

However, that didn't quite happen and I'm actually kicking myself for leaving the AAC be. But that doesn't mean there's nothing in line for the future.