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Coaches usually use a bye week for getting players healthy and tweaking schemes. But it's also a good time for them to get back on the recruiting trail to try to land some more commitments. Here is a list of the players we already have committed, including yesterday's addition: 2-star defensive tackle Trey Blackwell.
Name/Position | Height/Weight | High School(Hometown) | ESPN Rating | Rivals Rating |
Kevin Murphy - DT | 6-2/265 | East HS (West Chester, PA) | 74(3-stars) | 5.5 (3-stars) |
Tyler Davis - QB | 6-4/213 | Mepham (Bellmore, NY) | 75(3-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Marshe Terry - S | 6-3/190 | N. Burlington (Columbus, NJ) | 74(3-stars) | 5.2(2-stars) |
Connor Freeborn - OLB | 6-5/225 | Salesianum (Wilmington, DE) | 73(3-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Ben Hartwick - TE | 6-5/215 | Mahwah(Mahwah, NJ) | 67(2-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Aaron McLean - WR | 6-6/215 | St. Mark's(Southborough, MA) | 70(3-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Ian Campbell - TE | 6-4/225 | Pequannock(Pompton Plains, NJ) | 69(2-stars) | 5.2(2-stars) |
Nazir Williams - LB | 6-3/210 | Bridgeton(Bridgeton, NJ) | 73(3-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Aaron Garland - CB | 5-11/191 | Fenwick(Oak Park, IL) | 75(3-stars) | 5.5(3-stars) |
John Robinson - CB | 6-2/177 | Dwight Morrow(Englewood, NJ) | 73(3-stars) | 5.3(2-stars) |
Frank Battle - WR | 6-4/185 | Belen Jesuit Prep (Miami, FL) | 76(3-stars) | 5.4 (2-stars) |
Philippe Okounam - DE | 6-4/260 | St. Paul(Concord, NH) | 73(3-stars) | 5.2(2-stars) |
Justice Pettus - Dixon - CB | 5-11/180 | St. Frances(Baltimore, MD) | 73(3-stars) | 5.4(2-stars) |
William Richardson - DE | 6-3/234 | Frank W. Ballou(Washington, D.C.) | 72(3-stars) | 5.4(2-stars) |
Chris Lee - TE | 6-6/260 | Severna Park(Severna Park, MD) | 74(3-stars) | 5.4 (2-stars) |
Felton "Trey" Blackwell - DT | 6-2/315 | Cedar Creek High (Egg Harbor, NJ) |
| 5.4 (2-stars) |
Quarterback Bryant Shirreffs will be available next season after transferring from NC State. He was a 2-star recruit in 2013 out of Jefferson High in Georgia.
The majority of players committed thus far are on the defensive side of the ball, which is not a surprise given that Bob Diaco is a former defensive coordinator and needs players who fit his defensive style. The Huskies are still hoping to get a visit from defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, a four-star recruit from Connecticut who plays for Suffield Academy. Landing a player of this magnitude would go a long way in proving to doubters that Diaco and his staff have the ability to keep good Connecticut players at home. We also have a good chance at landing three-star defensive end Channing Hames, who looks really good on film.
In a previous article, I mentioned concerns about the targeting of offensive linemen in recruiting. Five-star recruit Matthew Burrell, 3-star tackle Jared Southers, and unrated Daniel Clifford are the only available players still considering the Huskies in the class of 2015. If you're hoping the Huskies gain some more offensive line depth, then you will have to hope for something out of the ordinary to happen like graduate/junior college transfers or former targets changing their mind.
At tight end, the Huskies are hoping to land Brendan Hill, a tight end out of Massachusetts. Although the Huskies already have commitments from tight ends Chris Lee, Ben Hartwick and Ian Campbell, it appears Lee may get moved to offensive tackle, leaving the Huskies with only one true tight end commitment.
At receiver, the Huskies have added two tall commits, but are looking to add some speed to the position. Keep an eye out for receivers Najee Clayton, a talented receiver from New Jersey and Xavier Castille, a speedster out of Texas to make visits soon. Castille really reminds me of Ted Ginn and here you can see why. Another player who could end up in Storrs is Hergy Mayala, a three-star athlete from New York's Trinity-Pawling School.
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There is some bad news. After visiting UConn, linebacker commit Nazir Williams told Rivals.com that he is still open to going to other schools and working to earn other offers. On a more positive note, QB commit Tyler Davis is planning in enrolling early at UConn. So we'll have a chance to see what he has to offer in next year's Blue-White game.
There are no recruits making official visits soon, but I'm sure during the bye week our coaches were hitting the phones to get recruits to make official visits to Storrs and earn commitments. We have one in from yesterday and hopefully a few more on the way soon.
What positions do you want to see recruited more heavily? Any recruits that you're really excited about?