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thesportsguru11 · 03-01-2018, 10:18 PM

Spring/Summer Ball Headlines

Position Changes for Paige, East

East (LEFT), Paige (RIGHT) will look for increased PT at new positions this fall.

Coach Belichick has announced the moves of redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Paige to tight end, as well as redshirt junior Kion East from free safety to middle linebacker.

Paige was recruited to the program during the 2019 season and took a redshirt as a sophomore last year. His place on the quarterback depth chart looked less certain as the year went on and he likely didn’t have a future there. He did not throw a pass in his two years at QB. Paige was a scrambling quarterback, so he should transition to more of a receiving tight end. Coach Belichick is hoping Paige can gain at least 25 pounds to his 205 pound frame and improve his blocking skills during spring and summer camps. He should fend off incoming freshmen Kenny Graves and Josh Mirvil to take the starting job vacated by Ryne Thomas.

East, meanwhile, will move a line down on the defense to assist the depth at middle linebacker. Another athlete upon entering the program, he materialized at free safety, where he played some in high school. Despite playing all fifteen games last year, East has never started one and recorded just 12 tackles. He was always a bit of an awkward fit at free safety with his 6’6, 220-plus pound frame, but the coaching staff is hoping the move can help capitalize on East’s skills and get him on the field a little more. He is expected to compete with fifth-year senior Alex Brown and incoming freshman Marshawn Dortch for the second inside spot in the base 3-4.

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Jordan Brown officially named starting QB; redshirt freshman Kelly Carlson impressive

Jordan Brown (RIGHT), tosses a pass over the top of defensive end Brennick Samples.

Heir apparent since the day he stepped on campus, Jordan Brown is finally ready to take over the starting QB job as a true sophomore. He’s looked good in spring practice so far, says Coach Belichick, noting that he’s been making good decisions and displaying good accuracy.

“He’ll be ready to go come Week One”.

While we expected Brown to play well, the one name you may not have expected to shine in early practices is redshirt freshman Kelly Carlson. The Illinois native is a dual-threat who is much different than the pocket passing Brown, but his arm has improved and he may be in position to seize the backup job ahead of redshirt sophomore T.J. Appleby and true freshman Morgan Bench.

Another name to watch out for in the QB depth race is incoming freshman Linzell Tyson, who will start out playing defense but could bring some value on offense down the line as a change of pace quarterback. I figure that he’ll be in a fight with Carlson for backup duties, but will slot in at #3.

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Offensive Line: Sowell taking first team reps at left guard; Clark still at right tackle for now

Jylan Sowell takes on D-Tackle Jeremy Broadricke in the trenches.

The UConn offensive line sweepstakes are under way. UConn will return three starters this fall - senior left tackle Kevin Jones, senior center Lawron Leak and sophomore guard Korey Davis-Love, a freshman All-American last year. After that, things are going to get interesting. UConn has recruited a lot of bodies to try to add depth, and they have succeeded in doing so. Now comes the question of who is going to step up and play.

Left guard will see a new starter after three year starter Vince Jones graduated. Occupying that spot, at least in early practices, has been junior Jylan Sowell, a New Jersey native. Coach Belichick has been optimistic that Sowell will be able to hold onto and solidify his first-string status there, but others will get a tryout. Junior Mason Godfrey is one to watch, as well as local junior college transfer Nate Dotson, who has one of the best skill sets of the entire unit.

Elsewhere on the line, right tackle was one of the most scrutinized positions on the entire team last year. Joe Sykes got the opening day start against Penn State, but that ended disastrously as he allowed four sacks in the first half before getting benched. Michael Clark came in and stabilized the situation for the remainder of the season, but he was hardly a stud - he gave up 14 sacks in as many starts. Needless to say, the Huskies will be trying a number of bodies at right tackle to help keep the pure pocket passer Jordan Brown upright. Clark will figure as the odds-on favorite, but Sykes will get another chance and look out for Dotson and junior Dustin Mansfield as well.

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Sapp ready to lead defense after surprising 2021 breakout

Jevon Sapp (White, #13) is expected to be a leader on the defense this fall after breaking out in 2021.

One of the best surprises of the 2021 season was the breakout sensation at left outside linebacker, Jevon Sapp. The North Carolina native was thrust into a starting role upon the injury of struggling starter Scott Coffman, and Sapp never looked back. In just eight starts as a redshirt freshman, Sapp ranked fourth on the team in total tackles (62) and sacks (5) and third in tackles for loss (18). Now a redshirt sophomore, Sapp’s stock has risen drastically and is expected to be the leader on the defense this fall. A tall task for someone who has been a starter for just six months, maybe, but Sapp is ready.

“Whatever the team needs, I’ll do it”, he said confidently in an interview with the Hartford Courant. Sapp impressed with an uncanny ability to chase down the ball, and he says that he has been working hard with his coaches to improve his technique and agility. Sapp is expected to receive a huge overall boost during manual progression due to his performance and work ethic off the field, and I would not be surprised if the young star parlays another big season this fall into an NFL paycheck by 2023.

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Veterans, Youngsters hoping to ease loss of Shav Wade at corner

How do you replace possibly the best defensive player in school history? With one man, you don’t. But UConn seems to be just fine accepting the fact that #3 won’t be roaming the secondary this fall. Fifth-year seniors Sam Barnett and Kent Newton both have lots of experience and should do an adequate job as starters. Barnett is entering his third year as a starter and Newton started several games last fall as the nickel corner. The one key to watch out for is Barnett’s injury history - he’s missed time in each of the last two seasons with concussions.

Redshirt sophomore Tory Greening and redshirt freshman Kelvin Cooke are ready to step up as the projected top backups. The staff likes both due to their size and athleticism. Both are still very raw, however, as Cooke has not yet played and Greening does have one career interception, but has not played many meaningful snaps to this point.

Another name to look out for is incoming freshman, athlete dynamo Linzell Tyson. The New Jersey native has a legitimate shot to play both quarterback and cornerback, but his services will be most needed in the secondary. Though he isn’t a superb athlete like Greening or Cooke, Tyson is young and ready to make an impact. He may not play immediately, but he’s certainly a name to look out for real soon.

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Other Position Battles Pre-Ratings Progression

Tony Rush, once a hot commodity at safety, is fighting for his job entering 2022.

We’ve already talked about some of the spots that are seeing competition this spring, notably along the offensive line. Elsewhere, left end Altarri Gardner needs to be replaced, and any of four edge rushers could be in the mix, including Brennick Samples, Kiel Hughes, Daulton Hiatt and DeAaron Kensing. Coach Belichick expects this battle to stretch well into the summer and early fall.

Free safety Tony Rush, once a highly touted recruit, had a horrendous season last year. As a result, his free safety spot may be up for grabs as well. His case to retain his starting role is helped by Kion East moving to linebacker. However, redshirt sophomore Aaron Brook, a strong safety, may be next in line. Linzell Tyson is another who could be tested out at that spot to see what happens.

Running back is not a spot where the starter is in question; with Luke Williamson's departure for the NFL, we know redshirt junior J.P. Byers will be the starter following an impressive 900+ yard campaign in limited carries last fall. The question becomes who slots in where depth wise. Byers' classmate Mike Molden is the only other returning back with any career carries, but he will be pushed by mega-freshman Ashanti Swift when he arrives on campus in a few weeks. Also figuring into the mix will be redshirt freshmen Jonathan Shaffer, a four-star recruit last year, and local prospect Scottie Phillips.

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Guru Working on Updating Stadium Sounds Playlist

Deegeezy’s legendary post about his stadium sounds last year inspired to me to work on my own set list for the Property a couple seasons back. Though his actually tied into his story, mine do not. So I wanted to take a minute in this random post to just talk about my stadium sounds in a futuristic Rentschler Field environment featuring the wildly successful UConn Huskies.

Ever since shedding the nickname of “The Rent” in favor of “The Property” for our beloved Rentschler Field, UConn has logged a 26-3 home record (over the last five years). With that, much will stay the same in terms of music and stadium atmosphere.

We’ll be hearing things like the traditional “Welcome to the Jungle” on 3rd and 4th downs, band music and “Go U-C-O-N-N!” from the fans on first downs and big plays, as well as “House Party” from Sam Hunt to celebrate touchdowns.

There will also be less traditional sound clips such as the Jeopardy! think music during opponent timeouts; yours truly is a big fan of said show, and we’ll be using the 1997-2008 think music.. duh. T.I.’s “Bring ‘em Out” will send our defense onto the field, and I have other clips I’m working in such as Jorge Quintero’s "300 Violin Orchestra", “Enter Sandman” (likely for when our offense takes the field), “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes and the “Kernkraft 400 Sport Chant Remix”.

I love how the stadium sounds add another layer of depth to the home game experience and I’ll be sure to have The Property.. um… lit (I think that’s what the kids say) in 2022.

03-01-2018, 10:18 PM	#1523
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) Spring/Summer Ball Headlines Position Changes for Paige, East East (LEFT), Paige (RIGHT) will look for increased PT at new positions this fall. Coach Belichick has announced the moves of redshirt sophomore quarterback Alex Paige to tight end, as well as redshirt junior Kion East from free safety to middle linebacker. Paige was recruited to the program during the 2019 season and took a redshirt as a sophomore last year. His place on the quarterback depth chart looked less certain as the year went on and he likely didn’t have a future there. He did not throw a pass in his two years at QB. Paige was a scrambling quarterback, so he should transition to more of a receiving tight end. Coach Belichick is hoping Paige can gain at least 25 pounds to his 205 pound frame and improve his blocking skills during spring and summer camps. He should fend off incoming freshmen Kenny Graves and Josh Mirvil to take the starting job vacated by Ryne Thomas. East, meanwhile, will move a line down on the defense to assist the depth at middle linebacker. Another athlete upon entering the program, he materialized at free safety, where he played some in high school. Despite playing all fifteen games last year, East has never started one and recorded just 12 tackles. He was always a bit of an awkward fit at free safety with his 6’6, 220-plus pound frame, but the coaching staff is hoping the move can help capitalize on East’s skills and get him on the field a little more. He is expected to compete with fifth-year senior Alex Brown and incoming freshman Marshawn Dortch for the second inside spot in the base 3-4. --------------------------------- Jordan Brown officially named starting QB; redshirt freshman Kelly Carlson impressive Jordan Brown (RIGHT), tosses a pass over the top of defensive end Brennick Samples. Heir apparent since the day he stepped on campus, Jordan Brown is finally ready to take over the starting QB job as a true sophomore. He’s looked good in spring practice so far, says Coach Belichick, noting that he’s been making good decisions and displaying good accuracy. “He’ll be ready to go come Week One”. While we expected Brown to play well, the one name you may not have expected to shine in early practices is redshirt freshman Kelly Carlson. The Illinois native is a dual-threat who is much different than the pocket passing Brown, but his arm has improved and he may be in position to seize the backup job ahead of redshirt sophomore T.J. Appleby and true freshman Morgan Bench. Another name to watch out for in the QB depth race is incoming freshman Linzell Tyson, who will start out playing defense but could bring some value on offense down the line as a change of pace quarterback. I figure that he’ll be in a fight with Carlson for backup duties, but will slot in at #3. --------------------------------- Offensive Line: Sowell taking first team reps at left guard; Clark still at right tackle for now Jylan Sowell takes on D-Tackle Jeremy Broadricke in the trenches. The UConn offensive line sweepstakes are under way. UConn will return three starters this fall - senior left tackle Kevin Jones, senior center Lawron Leak and sophomore guard Korey Davis-Love, a freshman All-American last year. After that, things are going to get interesting. UConn has recruited a lot of bodies to try to add depth, and they have succeeded in doing so. Now comes the question of who is going to step up and play. Left guard will see a new starter after three year starter Vince Jones graduated. Occupying that spot, at least in early practices, has been junior Jylan Sowell, a New Jersey native. Coach Belichick has been optimistic that Sowell will be able to hold onto and solidify his first-string status there, but others will get a tryout. Junior Mason Godfrey is one to watch, as well as local junior college transfer Nate Dotson, who has one of the best skill sets of the entire unit. Elsewhere on the line, right tackle was one of the most scrutinized positions on the entire team last year. Joe Sykes got the opening day start against Penn State, but that ended disastrously as he allowed four sacks in the first half before getting benched. Michael Clark came in and stabilized the situation for the remainder of the season, but he was hardly a stud - he gave up 14 sacks in as many starts. Needless to say, the Huskies will be trying a number of bodies at right tackle to help keep the pure pocket passer Jordan Brown upright. Clark will figure as the odds-on favorite, but Sykes will get another chance and look out for Dotson and junior Dustin Mansfield as well. --------------------------------- Sapp ready to lead defense after surprising 2021 breakout Jevon Sapp (White, #13) is expected to be a leader on the defense this fall after breaking out in 2021. One of the best surprises of the 2021 season was the breakout sensation at left outside linebacker, Jevon Sapp. The North Carolina native was thrust into a starting role upon the injury of struggling starter Scott Coffman, and Sapp never looked back. In just eight starts as a redshirt freshman, Sapp ranked fourth on the team in total tackles (62) and sacks (5) and third in tackles for loss (18). Now a redshirt sophomore, Sapp’s stock has risen drastically and is expected to be the leader on the defense this fall. A tall task for someone who has been a starter for just six months, maybe, but Sapp is ready. “Whatever the team needs, I’ll do it”, he said confidently in an interview with the Hartford Courant. Sapp impressed with an uncanny ability to chase down the ball, and he says that he has been working hard with his coaches to improve his technique and agility. Sapp is expected to receive a huge overall boost during manual progression due to his performance and work ethic off the field, and I would not be surprised if the young star parlays another big season this fall into an NFL paycheck by 2023. --------------------------------- Veterans, Youngsters hoping to ease loss of Shav Wade at corner How do you replace possibly the best defensive player in school history? With one man, you don’t. But UConn seems to be just fine accepting the fact that #3 won’t be roaming the secondary this fall. Fifth-year seniors Sam Barnett and Kent Newton both have lots of experience and should do an adequate job as starters. Barnett is entering his third year as a starter and Newton started several games last fall as the nickel corner. The one key to watch out for is Barnett’s injury history - he’s missed time in each of the last two seasons with concussions. Redshirt sophomore Tory Greening and redshirt freshman Kelvin Cooke are ready to step up as the projected top backups. The staff likes both due to their size and athleticism. Both are still very raw, however, as Cooke has not yet played and Greening does have one career interception, but has not played many meaningful snaps to this point. Another name to look out for is incoming freshman, athlete dynamo Linzell Tyson. The New Jersey native has a legitimate shot to play both quarterback and cornerback, but his services will be most needed in the secondary. Though he isn’t a superb athlete like Greening or Cooke, Tyson is young and ready to make an impact. He may not play immediately, but he’s certainly a name to look out for real soon. --------------------------------- Other Position Battles Pre-Ratings Progression Tony Rush, once a hot commodity at safety, is fighting for his job entering 2022. We’ve already talked about some of the spots that are seeing competition this spring, notably along the offensive line. Elsewhere, left end Altarri Gardner needs to be replaced, and any of four edge rushers could be in the mix, including Brennick Samples, Kiel Hughes, Daulton Hiatt and DeAaron Kensing. Coach Belichick expects this battle to stretch well into the summer and early fall. Free safety Tony Rush, once a highly touted recruit, had a horrendous season last year. As a result, his free safety spot may be up for grabs as well. His case to retain his starting role is helped by Kion East moving to linebacker. However, redshirt sophomore Aaron Brook, a strong safety, may be next in line. Linzell Tyson is another who could be tested out at that spot to see what happens. Running back is not a spot where the starter is in question; with Luke Williamson's departure for the NFL, we know redshirt junior J.P. Byers will be the starter following an impressive 900+ yard campaign in limited carries last fall. The question becomes who slots in where depth wise. Byers' classmate Mike Molden is the only other returning back with any career carries, but he will be pushed by mega-freshman Ashanti Swift when he arrives on campus in a few weeks. Also figuring into the mix will be redshirt freshmen Jonathan Shaffer, a four-star recruit last year, and local prospect Scottie Phillips. --------------------------------- Guru Working on Updating Stadium Sounds Playlist Deegeezy’s legendary post about his stadium sounds last year inspired to me to work on my own set list for the Property a couple seasons back. Though his actually tied into his story, mine do not. So I wanted to take a minute in this random post to just talk about my stadium sounds in a futuristic Rentschler Field environment featuring the wildly successful UConn Huskies. Ever since shedding the nickname of “The Rent” in favor of “The Property” for our beloved Rentschler Field, UConn has logged a 26-3 home record (over the last five years). With that, much will stay the same in terms of music and stadium atmosphere. We’ll be hearing things like the traditional “Welcome to the Jungle” on 3rd and 4th downs, band music and “Go U-C-O-N-N!” from the fans on first downs and big plays, as well as “House Party” from Sam Hunt to celebrate touchdowns. There will also be less traditional sound clips such as the Jeopardy! think music during opponent timeouts; yours truly is a big fan of said show, and we’ll be using the 1997-2008 think music.. duh. T.I.’s “Bring ‘em Out” will send our defense onto the field, and I have other clips I’m working in such as Jorge Quintero’s "300 Violin Orchestra", “Enter Sandman” (likely for when our offense takes the field), “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes and the “Kernkraft 400 Sport Chant Remix”. I love how the stadium sounds add another layer of depth to the home game experience and I’ll be sure to have The Property.. um… lit (I think that’s what the kids say) in 2022. __________________ 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.