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

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Coleman, Chase departing UConn as grad transfers

Some news coming out of Coach Diaco's office today as inside linebackers Tashawn Coleman and Willie Chase will both be leaving the program via the NCAA's graduate transfer rule. Both players will be fifth year seniors this fall.

Coleman, from California, has announced his intention to transfer to San Jose State in the Mountain West Conference. Coleman will be projected to start at middle linebacker for the Spartans. Chase, meanwhile, will return to his native New Jersey and compete for a linebacker spot with Rutgers. Both players were expected to be backups this season behind a projected rotation of Sammie Leonard, John Cox, Marcus Bradford and Tim Duchane, while being pushed by a number of younger 'backers.

Coleman played sparingly for UConn in the past three seasons, tallying 14 tackles and a sack. However, he never stuck in the rotation because of his shaky coverage skills and severe lack of speed (he ran a 4.8 40 in high school). Chase never played outside of special teams for UConn.

Both players were two-star recruits in the 2016 recruiting cycle who were just two of the many linebacker commitments in that time period. In 2016 alone, UConn also managed to sign Leonard (also a two-star prospect) and Duchane, a three-star prospect.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

UConn picks up two grad transfers of their own

Smelley, Ferwerda set to join Husky Nation

After news broke about linebackers Tashawn Coleman and Willie Chase leaving via the grad transfer rule earlier in the day, UConn landed a pair of graduate transfers to replace them. Both players will be eligible this fall for their final year of eligibility.

The first transfer is center Ryan Smelley from Ole Miss. Smelley may have started for Ole Miss this fall following the graduation of the Rebels' starting center last year, but graduated after his junior year and transferred to UConn to get a fresh start and a graduate degree in business. Smelley is projected to be rated in the low-mid 90s overall, and will immediately jump into the starting center role vacated by the now-graduated Brian Thompson. Excelling as a run blocker, Smelley should be a perfect fit into Coach Bob Diaco's run first offense.

I am so pumped to have Ryan here. He may be the most talented lineman we have and he hasn't even played a game for us yet. Especially being a little thin at line following the graduation of a couple guys, any help we can get is good help. We're lucky we got someone of Ryan's caliber. I'm excited to work with him and see him open up some holes for our tailbacks this fall.

The second transfer is wide receiver Derrick Ferwerda from Duke. Ferwerda was projected to be the third or fourth wideout on the Blue Devil offense this season but transferred to UConn to take on a more prominent role in a Power 5 team's offense. Ferwerda will likely be the #2 wideout in the Husky offense opposite Rashad Harris. Ferwerda stands at 6'4 and 200 pounds and runs a 4.38 40 yard dash. He is projected to be around 85 overall. Duke coach David Cutcliffe lauded Ferwerda for his work ethic and his very good hands.

In need of a #2 receiver and Derrick fits the bill perfectly. He and Rashad will provide a fantastic 1-2 punch on the outside and Derrick's size makes him hard to defend. He's a big target with a refined skill set for whoever our QB is in the fall. We're excited to add Derrick to the Husky family as well.

Welcome to the newest members of the UConn Huskies! #RiseUpTogether! #BleedBlue!

[JustADumbGamer]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Seems like this was a good time to find this dynasty, with you restarting this and beginning a new season.

Good luck this upcoming season! Once I can sit down to read through the other seasons, I will so I can know what all happened and be caught up, but I'm still following!

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Seems like this was a good time to find this dynasty, with you restarting this and beginning a new season.

Good luck this upcoming season! Once I can sit down to read through the other seasons, I will so I can know what all happened and be caught up, but I'm still following!

Thank you for dropping in! Very good time for you to find the dynasty indeed.. I tend to drag out the offseason so with a couple days you should be caught up to real time.

Having recently restarted the dynasty too reinforces that point. A lot of my original followers from the peak of the dynasty's run (c. 2015) stopped dropping by this section when I took the long hiatus and so now I need to do my best to appeal to all of the new guys and rebuild the fanbase!

2020 (Season 7) should be a very good year.. as I mentioned to whughes in a post earlier today, if we can sort out a couple of positions I think we have a real chance at a New Year's bowl after missing out the last two years. Navigating the schedule certainly won't be easy either.. but I'm unusually optimistic.

Might take a couple days but I hope you enjoy rolling through the newly/mostly dephotobucket-ed archives.. I always enjoy going back and rereading this report myself.

Thanks again!

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Next year I swear Central will go to a bowl. I don't care what it takes but I'm done seeing you melt in obscurity. The rest of the "original five" CAC's (Shea, Freday, Woodard, Willingham) will have all moved up in the coaching ranks in some form by the end of the coach carousel period. It's time. Wood graduates and I think Bailey does too but we'll finally get to see former mega-freshman Cam Stith in the backfield all by himself and running QB Paul O'Toole (I believe). 2020 will be your year I promise.

Be careful what you promise now. I don't want any controversies surrounding the program when we get a bowl invite after a 3-9 season lol. I may just need to take an OC position at a different school if one is offered to me this offseason

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Next page....

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

It's Official: UConn, BC to square off in Gillette rematch this fall

UConn and Boston College have announced that the two New England rivals will play each other for the second time in the Bob Diaco era this fall, and will look toward setting up a game annually in coming years.

The September 12th game will take place at Gillette Stadium with a 7:00 start time and will be broadcast on ESPN as well as NESN and other local television outlets.

The two teams most recently met in 2018, with that game also taking place at Gillette. The then-reigning national champion UConn Huskies won that matchup 21-12.

Ever since UConn's rapid ascent into the upper tier of college football programs in the later stages of the 2010s, games between the two rivals have becoming more appealing. Boston College has had some success in recent years as well, going to the ACC Title Game in 2017 and finishing in the top 10 of the final AP polls last year. The Eagles are expected to be ranked in the preseason top 25 this fall.

Adding more intrigue to the game is the matchup between the head coaches on the opposing sidelines. Diaco once employed now-Boston College head coach Mike Cummings as the team's offensive coordinator. Cummings left UConn to take the Western Michigan head coaching job for the 2016 season and assumed the Boston College job the next year. Cummings sports a 31-22 career record. The 47-year old Diaco of course is a national champion coach (2017) and a two-time conference champion coach (2016 and 2017 in the American) who sports a 60-21 career record in his six seasons at UConn.

Both sides stated they are excited for the game.

I love a good rivalry game. And I love to beat up on turds who think they're the better team in New England.

Bob and I have a great relationship and I'm looking forward to seeing his bunch once again. We played them well last time but we've improved a lot since then. It will be a great game for fans of New England football and college 'ball in general.

Don't get me wrong, I love rivalry games and am excited to see our guys battle BC once again. But Boston shafted me once, and I'll see to it they don't do it again.

-----

Be careful what you promise now. I don't want any controversies surrounding the program when we get a bowl invite after a 3-9 season lol. I may just need to take an OC position at a different school if one is offered to me this offseason

I would never edit bowl games outside of playoff purposes.. but I am very very confident. We shall see soon enough...

[bryan3169]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Beautiful to see this make its resurrection. To see my CAC building Purdue to a bowl appearance is out of this world considering what it was like before he showed up. 10-3 not shabby.

Very interested in seeing what UConn does this season


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Beautiful to see this make its resurrection. To see my CAC building Purdue to a bowl appearance is out of this world considering what it was like before he showed up. 10-3 not shabby.

Very interested in seeing what UConn does this season

While of course I'm happy to see anyone drop in and comment on the thread.. to say I'm excited that you dropped in, Bryan, is an understatement considering how active you were here in the original run. I'm beyond excited to see some of my old followers posting here again.

Purdue had a fantastic year...you guys started 9-0 and crushed Ohio State, rising to #1 for a large chunk of the season. A couple losses at the end knocked you out of the pole position in the Big 10 and ultimately ruined your playoff hopes. As Minnesota showed us, had you played in that game you might have gone to the playoffs and that would've driven Coach Smith's stock through the roof. We'll see what happens!

I'm looking forward to seeing UConn on the field. If we can sort out the pass game and offensive line we have a chance to really make some noise after a couple years of relative mediocrity. Very excited to take that field for the first time once I get caught up here!

Thank you very much Bryan!!

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Coach Carousel '20:
CAC Alums Miller, Freday promoted to head gigs; Small-school studs Kehres, Klieman, Stitt move to FBS ranks

And now... let's meet all 24 of our Operation Sports Create-A-Coaches!

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

NSD 2020: UConn finishes with 28th best class

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Another year, another solid showing on the recruiting trail from Bob Diaco and the UConn Huskies.

Yet, it is true. UConn finished the 2020 recruiting cycle with the 28th best class in the nation, according to recruiting source SPARQ. This finish is a slight drop-off from last year's sensational 10th ranked class, but there are still plenty of potential stars ready to set foot in East Hartford this year.

Start at the very top with athlete Aaron Brook and Tory Greening. While Brook is listed as an athlete, he is expected to land at strong safety to challenge for a starting role with Victor Castalanetta and Tony Rush this fall. His size reminds the coaching staff of current free safety Ross Sinclair. Greening, meanwhile, is a prospect the coaching staff is very high on. From Albion, Michigan, the 6'2 four-star prospect has lots of speed and great coverage skills already. He will likely be redshirted in 2020 simply because of strong depth at the corner position, but will be a star very soon for the defensive-minded Diaco.

On down the line, with Gene Jackson graduated and Sam Rourke a senior this fall, Diaco went out and shored up the defensive line a bit by signing Brennick Samples and Kiel Hughes. Both have fantastic size (Samples at 6'5 and Hughes at 6'7) and project to be solid, agile pass rushers, which Diaco loves to see in his linemen. With Rourke graduating, expect both to be in the mix for a starting job by 2021. Throw in four-star linebacker Jevon Sapp, and UConn looks to be set for years to come in the front seven.

On the other end of the ball, Diaco exerted a lot of energy in bringing in new offensive linemen and quarterbacks, likely the weakest spots on the team. At quarterback, Diaco brought in three-star athlete Alex Paige and three-star Texan T.J. Appleby to compete with TDL and Isaac Jackson for the starting role. While neither are likely to win the job, both will be developmental prospects and will have chances to contribute in years to come.

On the O-Line, Diaco brought in two centers, two guards and two tackles, led by versatile center Joe Sykes Jr. Sykes was in position to compete for the starting center job until the arrival of Ole Miss grad transfer Ryan Smelley. Nevertheless, Sykes will be a top backup on the line immediately and is likely to win a job somewhere in 2021. Diaco is also excited about New Jersey native Michael Clark, and is hoping that the six new linemen will help provide depth for the immediate future.

Finally, Diaco is intrigued by four star athlete and soon to be wide receiver Collin Miranda. A largely unknown commodity nationally from Shiprock, New Mexico, Miranda is quick and has a skill set capable of a #2 or slot receiver.

---------------------------

Around the Nation

Auburn had the best recruiting haul this year, landing four blue chip prospects and ten four-star kids. Their highest ranked player was WR Randy Rodgers, #16 in the SPARQ 100.

The nation's top prospect this year was tailback Kentrice Caron from Montgomery, Ohio. While receiving an offer from Ohio State (just an hour and a half down the road), Caron decided to take his talents to Michigan State and join a loaded backfield with Notre Dame grad transfer Marvin Newell and former top 20 recruit Kylan Rosmore.

Caron is just one of many good running back prospects this year. In the top 20 alone, Ashe Mallard (Minnesota), Ka'Lonta Gasser (Purdue) and Baron Baggarly (USC) all have the potential to contribute right away and be stars very soon.

For my droves of Michigan fans, your best haul was the 24th ranked prospect, cornerback Wall Wagonner.

Coach Quinn Shea, fresh off a second consecutive CFP appearance, had the highest ranked CAC class at #25.

Top Recruiting Classes - 2020
RK	TEAM	5	4	3	2	1	TOTAL
1	Auburn	4	10	7	1	0	22
2	Ohio State	2	9	13	1	0	25
3	Florida State	0	11	10	0	1	22
4	Oklahoma	0	10	12	0	0	22
5	Georgia	2	6	15	0	1	24
6	Penn State	1	8	12	1	0	22
7	Oregon	1	6	15	3	0	25
8	Notre Dame	3	6	8	0	0	17
9	Texas	1	6	12	2	1	22
10	Cal	4	3	8	4	0	19
11	Mississippi State	1	7	7	4	2	21
12	Florida	1	7	8	0	1	17
13	Michigan	2	5	8	3	0	18
14	Wisconsin	0	5	17	0	1	23
15	Nebraska	1	5	13	0	0	19
16	Minnesota	1	5	12	1	2	21
17	Georgia Tech	0	6	13	2	0	21
18	Alabama	3	3	9	1	1	17
19	Clemson	1	4	8	11	0	24
20	Iowa	0	6	9	3	3	21
21	TCU	0	7	7	1	2	17
22	Arizona State	1	4	11	4	0	20
23	Missouri	0	7	6	1	3	17
24	SMU	1	5	4	8	3	21
25	USC	1	3	14	0	0	18

Top CAC Recruiting Classes - 2020
RK	TEAM	5	4	3	2	1	TOTAL
25	USC (Coach Shea)	1	3	14	0	0	18
29	Purdue (DC Smith)	1	3	10	4	2	20
33	Rutgers (OC Coley)	0	4	11	2	2	19
36	UCF (OC Turley)	0	3	11	5	3	22
40	Maryland (OC James)	0	0	21	1	0	22
52	Bowling Green (OC Malloy)	0	2	12	2	3	19
55	Texas State (OC Brooks)	1	1	10	1	6	19
58	Hawai'i (Coach Trebell)	0	0	15	6	3	24
60	Louisville (OC Woodard)	0	1	13	4	1	19
62	Syracuse (OC Gilbert)	0	2	8	6	4	20
73	South Alabama (OC Favre)	0	0	12	8	1	21
83	Memphis (OC King)	0	1	9	4	3	17
85	Middle Tennessee State (OC St. Brown Sr.)	0	0	11	6	2	19
86	Cincinnati (OC Nama)	0	0	12	4	2	18
95	Southern Miss (OC Davis)	0	0	12	2	3	17
105	Eastern Michigan (OC Henderson)	0	0	8	9	1	18
106	Washington State (Coach Willingham)	0	0	9	5	4	18
112	UAB (OC Westside)	0	0	5	7	10	22
114	Central Michigan (OC Crenshaw)	0	0	6	6	7	19
115	Ball State (OC Baumann)	0	0	4	12	3	19
118	UTEP (OC Mac)	0	0	7	2	8	17
123	Louisiana (Coach Miller)	0	0	5	4	9	18
124	UNLV (Coach Freday)	0	0	5	1	13	19
125	New Mexico State (OC Grant)	0	0	4	5	7	16

[whughes]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Hughhheeeessssssss! Kids gonna be good, I can feel it!

Solid class of youngsters coming in for you. Not many that are ready to contribute right away but that's ok. You have the talent in front of them to let them develop for a year

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Hughhheeeessssssss! Kids gonna be good, I can feel it!

Solid class of youngsters coming in for you. Not many that are ready to contribute right away but that's ok. You have the talent in front of them to let them develop for a year

We'll make his middle initial W for ya .. make you feel even more inclined to cheer him on! Hahah..

Assuming a relatively stable pattern for development (+4 or +5 every season and assuming a redshirt with three more years after that), then both Samples and Hughes will be rated in the high 80s/low 90s by the time they're seniors. I think both could be bookends for a very good defensive line very soon.. especially if they're paired up with Jeremy Broadricke or another new recruit to fit the nose tackle and the 3-4 front. My only concern with Broadricke is that he has no bulk but.. I digress.

Now that we have Sam Rourke (now a senior!!) and a bunch of no-name guys on the defensive line, their presences will be very much appreciated in a few years.

As for everyone else, you're absolutely right on giving them time. You might see a few of these guys suit up this year, but the majority will be given the redshirt... so we'll have to wait to see my man Tory Greening (darn!) ... Sykes was in line to perhaps start at center until we got the Ole Miss transfer in Smelley.. we're thin on the line so a lot of those guys will probably play.

Brook will compete for the vacated strong safety spot and Paige and/or Appleby will likely be kept active to have a third string QB.. we have had a lot of injury issues at that spot in the last two years and I'd like to have that insurance policy. I'm still going to keep my eyes peeled in recruiting for more QB's so we'll see what happens!

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

UConn Spring 'Ball Newsflash

Struggles at QB, DB; Preparations for big-time out of conference games; Marriner's jersey to be retired

This is a lot of text and I apologize for that but it helps with context and information! Let's take a look at all the happenings out of UConn football from the spring season as we get you ready for the 2020 season!

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TDL, I-Jax struggling in QB race

Early reports out of spring camp show concern from Coach Diaco and offensive coordinator Bill Cubit about the progress of the two veteran QB’s on the roster, junior Tanner Dean-Lowry and 4th year junior Isaac Jackson. According to the staff, both have struggled with accuracy (in particular) but with throw power as well. This news comes as a disappointment after TDL’s 300 yard performance in the Cactus Bowl last year returning from injury and Jackson’s success down the stretch, including leading UConn to the Big 12 title game. Diaco was thought to have been favoring starting TDL headed into camp, but now of course the race is wide open and will include incoming freshmen Alex Paige and T.J. Appleby.

Tanner Dean-Lowry


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Running Backs look strong

On a lighter note, Diaco is excited about the running back battle, and feels confidence in selecting between senior Jeff McNeal and sophomore Luke Williamson, a revelation last fall coming in for the injured McNeal early in the year (rushing for almost 1000 yards). Diaco noted that he is leaning toward starting Williamson, as McNeal is versatile enough to move to receiver and play other roles, allowing both players to see the field. Another back to keep an eye on is redshirt freshman J.P. Byers, who has impressed with surprising speed and some power in his touches so far.

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Ferwerda shining

In an assessment of the receivers, Diaco said that while he is comfortable with 1000 yard receiver Rashad Harris as his #1, new Duke grad transfer Derrick Ferwerda has been perhaps the best player in spring camp. He’s shown fantastic hands, the ability to catch in traffic, and lay out to make the spectacular catch when needed. I’m really excited to see him on the field against Indiana.

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O-Linemen battling for starting roles

With three new offensive linemen to break in this fall, UConn has been trying out dozens of different combinations to see which group has the most chemistry. Left guard Vince Jones and right tackle Trent Ginn are the returning starters and are likely to once again play at those respective positions. Diaco has raved about how much Ginn has improved this spring. The addition of Ole Miss grad transfer Ryan Smelley has drastically helped depth and, barring injury, will get the starting job at center. Diaco also likes sophomore left tackle Kevin Jones -- he was one of the top recruits in last year’s class and sat behind All-league left tackle Josh Parrish last year. That just leaves the right guard spot to be filled -- and it is likely that senior Brantell Webb, a tackle in recent seasons, will move over to fill that spot. Top backups will likely be versatile junior Brian Link and incoming freshman Joe Sykes, while sophomore Lawron Leak will look to create a role for himself as Smelley’s backup.

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Filling Gene Jackson’s starting spot/Brent Howard?

For the first time in several years, UConn has some concern about filling starting spots on the defensive line. After hosting three consecutive award winning ends in Cam Stapleton, James Atkins and Gene Jackson, UConn only has one proven defensive end on the roster -- former mega-prospect Sam Rourke, now a senior. And while Rourke is closing in on several UConn statistical records, by and large he hasn’t been the game-changing end that many observers thought he would be as a prized high school prospect. Nevertheless, Rourke is locked into one starting role in Diaco’s 3-4 D. The fight for the other spot is a giant crapshoot. 3rd year sophomore James Mandrell and juniors Altarri Gardner and Brett Lowery are all candidates to fill Jackson’s slot. Gardner has played well in garbage time the last two years, but Mandrell has been getting the majority of first-team reps thus far. I’d keep my eyes out for that battle to continue into fall camp, but give Gardner the edge based on his game experience and his ability to get to the quarterback.

At D-Tackle, T.J. Newell’s spot is likely to be filled by fifth year senior Brent Howard. Howard hasn't played much in the last few years, and is largely an unknown commodity, but has separated himself from junior Johnquez Blair and former JUCO transfer Synphez Jeffries-Mayo, who will be the backups. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Broadricke is another to keep an eye on, but needs to get bigger to be a nose tackle in Diaco’s defense.

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Secondary woes

Another area of concern for Coach Diaco has been the play of All-American corner Jake Crowder, now a senior. With 8 INT’s last year, Crowder asserted himself as one of the best corners in the nation. However, this spring has been a bit of a different story. He has been getting torched consistently by Rashad Harris and Derrick Ferwerda in practice and has looked shaky in tackling thus far. Coach Diaco will give Crowder every chance to turn it around, but if he falters in the regular season, Diaco has been known for his short leash and has other options. Sophomore Shavlion Wade looked like a future star at times last year, and junior Kyler Parks is still around as well. Former walk-on J.D. Rudie has been getting quality snaps in practice, as have sophomores Kent Newton and Sam Barnett.

While Ross Sinclair is returning to start at free safety for the fourth straight year, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding who will replace his longtime secondary mate Derek Robinson. None of the potential options have turned heads this spring. Redshirt freshman Victor Castalanetta has been getting the longest look so far, but has struggled in coverage thus far. True freshman Aaron Brook and Rudie have also been getting some reps, but neither have been overly impressive. Diaco will likely wait until right before Week 1 to declare a winner for that job.

Coach Diaco is hoping that Jake Crowder can overcome his struggles this spring.

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Diaco ready for Tennessee/BC rematches, Michigan trip

Coach Diaco has been vocally hyped for UConn’s out of conference schedule this season.. And with good reason. With the recent announcement of the Battle for New England Part II at Gillette Stadium in September, UConn will now be facing three preseason top 25 teams in their out of conference slate. UConn starts with a home game to wrap up a series against Indiana, then travels to the road to take on Michigan in the Big House and Tennessee in Rocky Top, another rematch from last year -- a game that UConn lost at the Property. Moreover, Diaco will face two of his former coordinators with Mike Cummings (2014-15) now the head coach at BC while defensive coordinator Marty English (2017) is at Tennessee and nearly led the Vols to the College Football Playoff last season. Needless to say, Diaco has always lived for the big game and has ensured that his Huskies are ready to get revenge on Tennessee, beat BC again and take down Michigan.

NOTE FOR FANS: Longtime fans of the dynasty might remember Darrell Reid.. the QB who caused a firestorm in season 3 by committing to Michigan .. when he grew up in Columbus, Ohio! With a little magic, Michigan’s starting QB graduated last year and top backup Dan Palanzanos used his grad transfer to go to Clemson. So Reid will be the starter when we face Michigan!!!

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Retiring Josh Marriner’s 26

For the second consecutive season, UConn will be hanging a jersey onto the wall of the Property. In a unanimous decision, team staff have decided to retire former UConn tailback Josh Marriner’s #26 jersey at halftime of the season opener against Indiana. Marriner holds many of UConn’s career and season rushing records, and he notably finished 37 yards short of Donald Brown’s career rushing record (3,763 yards). Marriner became the second UConn runner to top 2000 yards during UConn’s 2017 National Title run (2,032 yards in 15 games), and placed second in the Heisman balloting that year.

[thesportsguru11]

Re: We have a football team too... Guru's UConn Huskies (NCAA 14)

Howard named recipient of Harrell Sportsman Award

Senior D-tackle third winner of prestigious UConn award

Senior defensive tackle Brent Howard has been named as the third recipient of the Quintin Harrell Defensive Sportsman Award in a press conference hosted by Coach Diaco. The Award recognizes senior players (preferably defensive players and/or interior linemen) who have shown leadership and perseverance throughout their college careers. The nominee each year receives a plaque and the jersey #95, worn by Harrell during his time at UConn.

Howard is a fifth year senior who will get his first chance to start at nose tackle this year following the graduation of three-year starter T.J. Newell. Howard has had chances to transfer, but has stuck it out with UConn and will get his chance this fall. Howard has recorded 11 career tackles, 3 for loss, along with a pair of sacks in limited playing time.

Despite the inexperience, Howard could be in line for a big season. The first two winners of the award, James Atkins in 2018 and Gene Jackson in 2019, combined for 40 sacks in their year wearing #95. Both were consensus first-team All-Americans and won multiple national awards.

Being a teammate of Quintin's, albeit only for a few years, it means a lot to win this award. I'll do the best I can to continue to pass on the spirit of leadership and selflessness that Quintin and others have displayed.

Brent is a very deserving young man for this award..
he became friends with Quintin while he was here and obviously a lot of his demeanor follows that example. I'm happy that he'll get to wear his buddy's #95 for his senior year and I hope to see him continue to lead our younger players and be a positive influence in our locker room and our community.