UConn losing four to NFL Draft
Oft-injured tailback Byers, safeties Rush, Castalanetta, linebacker Sapp leaving Storrs for shot at NFL millions
A depleted defensive unit is about to get even thinner.
Losing six starters on defense to graduation already, UConn is about to make it nine as three more starters have announced their intention to leave early for the NFL Draft. Or, in the case of Tony Rush, the XFL, because god forbid he’s not good enough to play in the NFL.
UConn is set to lose four players in total to the pros as early declarees, and we’ll start on offense with running back
J.P. Byers (91 OVR), who announced he will forgo his fifth year of eligibility. A projected second round prospect, Byers was lost for the year with a broken collarbone in the Syracuse game. He was also hurt for most of his redshirt freshman season with a similar injury suffered in late September. Byers was most effective in his redshirt sophomore campaign of 2021, running for over 900 yards while running in a rotation with Luke Williamson. In part due to a weak offensive line, Byers’ yards per carry dropped from 6.3 to 4.1, and he only finished with 456 yards this year before the injury.
While I long thought Byers to be the most talented tailback we’ve had in a UConn uniform due to his speed and power combo, unfortunately we will never get to see him live up to that potential while in East Hartford. He’ll finish his career with 331 carries for 1,785 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Moving onto the defense now, UConn is set to lose both safeties as strong safety
Vic Castalanetta (88 OVR) and free safety
Tony Rush (84 OVR) both elected to leave the program as redshirt juniors. Both are set to graduate in a few weeks. Castalanetta was a three-year starter and multiple-time honorable mention All-ACC candidate. Though his numbers dipped a little, Castalanetta was still our most reliable secondary player for a long time. He finishes his career with 159 tackles, 13 for loss, a sack and seven interceptions, as well as a defensive score.
Rush, once rated as the second-best safety prospect in the prep ranks, started at free safety for a season-plus before being benched in November due to erratic play (missing tackles and blowing coverage, notably). Likely seeing the smoke on the wall, however, Rush decided to take his degree and run. It is highly unlikely that Rush will be drafted, but because of his athleticism he could stick on an NFL practice squad or, more likely, in another league. He finishes his career with 121 tackles and two interceptions.
Tony Rush doing what he did best; miss tackles.
Lastly, UConn is also set to lose linebacker
Jevon Sapp (88 OVR), a redshirt sophomore. A starter of just over a year, Sapp was a lightly regarded North Carolina native who burst onto the scene when he filled in for injured starter Scott Coffman in 2021. When Sapp tallied several impressive performances back to back, he won the job and went on to be an All-ACC and freshman All-American selection, despite starting just eight games. Sapp shot up NFL Draft futures boards in the offseason, progressed up to an 88 overall, and was the toast of the town entering 2022. Though he had a quiet season in 2022 with just 50 tackles and three sacks, his stock is still good enough to be an NFL prospect and will leave projected as a mid-round selection. He ends his career with 112 tackles, 33 for loss, along with eight sacks, an interception and a defensive score.
With the departures, the defense will need new starters this fall at:
One of the defensive end spots
All four linebacker spots
Three secondary spots plus a key backup/former starter
Likely candidates to fill those spots will not be decided until signing day or perhaps even beyond. The only regular starters returning next year are safety Aaron Brook, defensive tackles Tarik Madison and Jeremy Broadricke, and defensive end Kiel Hughes.
Castalanetta returning a fumble for a touchdown against Iowa State on Halloween Saturday, 2020.
Sapp (RIGHT) brings down Oregon’s Kai Tago in last year’s Orange Bowl semifinal.
Four Huskies announce transfer intentions
DE Daulton Hiatt, QB T.J. Appleby to UTSA, DE Ontrell Jackson and OT Quendon Shakespeare to Fordham
Continued bad news for UConn, as they are set to lose four young players to transfers. However, this news is possibly a blessing in disguise as UConn was facing a shortage of roster spots entering off-season recruiting and signing day.
Starting with the former Big 12 pipeline, redshirt sophomore quarterback
T.J. Appleby (70 OVR) and defensive end
Daulton Hiatt (67 OVR), a redshirt freshman, have both elected to transfer to UTSA in search of playing time. Both Texans, the two saw no path to playing time at UConn and elected to go home to seek it. They will have to sit out next year due to NCAA transfer rules.
Appleby was recruited in the 2019-20 class along with Alex Paige as possible QB’s of the future, and obviously neither panned out as such. Hiatt was about to be replaced by close to a half dozen incoming freshmen. Neither player saw the field for UConn in their time with the program.
Two other freshmen announced their transfers down to FCS Fordham in New York. Defensive end
Ontrell Jackson (57 OVR), a Bellmore, New York native, and offensive tackle
Quendon Shakespeare (58 OVR), from New Jersey, are the two players on their way to the Bronx. Both sat out 2022 as redshirts.
Jackson was in a similar situation as Hiatt - trapped on the depth chart and simply looked for a way out. Shakespeare’s departure is a little more surprising considering he would have been a contender for playing time as a redshirt freshman. However, his departure does open up another roster spot that UConn had been hoping to create for their recruiting class.
We wish all four the best in the future!
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At some point I realized that the run/pass ratios were backwards in the dynasty mode, and as such they were entered backwards. That got changed for Coach Willingham and maybe one or two others, but more need work still. As a result, several coaches will see their team stats/philosophies change next year, including (likely) yourself.
Either way, I think your team this year was more geared to a pass first offense, as you had a multi-year starter under center in Piello (before he got hurt) and a capable backup in Horton, plus an all-conference wideout in Bell. Farris still had a good year running the ball for you, anyway. If you stay with the Aztecs I'd expect a down year in 2023 after losing most of your skill guys, but you just never know what will happen sometimes!
If he can stay healthy, a bowl game should be well within reach. He'll be up to ~90 overall and have a nice supporting cast returning... plus, I think a bowl is the only way you'll save your job after next year, so.... there's that.
CHEESE! Long time no see in the thread, I'm thrilled you're dropping in again. 2022 was not quite as good as our national title and playoff appearance in the prior two seasons, but we cannot complain much about 10-3. Next year should be just as interesting with all of the new faces we'll be playing with, but there's no reason to think we can't be in the national landscape once again. If we can straighten a few things out, you just never know!
With the playoff becoming a part of college 'ball, we see more games being played. That's awesome and all, but it also turns the college game into a death match when it comes to scheduling. As a result, with more games against top competition, we see a higher likelihood of losing and fewer undefeated teams, in real life and in our dynasties.
In real life, no team has won the Playoff with a 15-0 record yet, though a handful entered the title game unbeaten (2015 Clemson and 2016 Alabama). In the dynasty, 15-0 has happened four times in nine years (2014 Oregon, 2017 UConn, 2018 USC, 2022 Ole Miss). In other years, however, the title winner had two or sometimes three losses (eh-hem, 2019 Ohio State). The Ole Miss run should deservedly be applauded and celebrated, as the undefeated record is clearly becoming a rarity in today's game.
In any case, Ole Miss will take a step back next year, predictably. Looking at their roster for 2023, though, they have a lot of young kids near the top of the depth chart. I can easily foresee another deep playoff run in two years, perhaps.