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thesportsguru11 · 07-14-2017, 09:53 PM

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.

07-14-2017, 09:53 PM	#1064
thesportsguru11 Cooking With Sauce OVR: 0 Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 5,109 Blog Entries: 1	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! -------------- 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 -------------- 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. -------------- 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. -------------- 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. -------------- 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. -------------- 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. -------------- 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!!! -------------- 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. __________________ Check out We have a football team too..Guru's UConn Huskies in Dynasty HQ! 6x Super Bowl Champion Patriots \|Red Sox \| Celtics \| Bruins \|Boston College \| USC \| NASCAR Young Guns OS' biggest game show nut. Last edited by thesportsguru11; 07-14-2017 at 09:57 PM.