New London OL Bryan Cespedes officially signs with UConn

Bryan Cespedes seems to be one of those diamond-in-the-rough type players and a good find for the UConn coaching staff. He's tall and has very long arms, and these are the type of physical attributes scouts look for in potential offensive tackles. He is a 2-star recruit per Rivals and 247Sports.

He's also a ferocious blocker and loves to attack up the field on the run. However, Cespedes does need to put on a lot of weight to be successful at the next level. He's coming into UConn at about 260 pounds and probably needs to put on 40 pounds to be able to hold his own against college defensive ends. I'm also interested to see how he does in pass blocking situations. In high school his team ran the ball a lot, so he didn't get a lot of experience in passing situations. Overall, it looks like he should develop into a solid offensive tackle.

Bryan was kind enough to answer a few questions and share a few personal thoughts with us:

1.What position(s) did you play in high school and what are you planning on playing at UConn?

I played both right and left tackle in high school. I'm looking forward to playing offensive tackle at UConn.

2. What made you choose UConn over the other options you had?

UConn has been my dream school since I was younger. I grew up watching the Huskies, and it has been my dream to be a Husky ever since.

3. Favorite workout pump-up song right now?

My favorite workout song is "Stronger" by Kanye West.

4. What are your goals for yourself and the team during your time at UConn?

My goals are to work hard every day, get better, contribute to team success in anyway possible, and to get this championship program back on track.

5. What are you most excited for this coming fall?

What I'm most excited for, is to step out on to the football field and hear the thousands of fans screaming for the Huskies.

6. Who do you feel played the biggest role in helping you become successful? Do you have any words for Husky fans?

I would have never gotten this far without the help of my high school football coaches, Coach Maranda, Coach Roman, and Coach Walsh. They had faith in me and pushed me every day, telling me that I could be great and I could make my dreams come true, as long as I put the work in.

My high school teammates also made a huge impact on me. They're not friends, they're annoying brothers you want to kill one moment but you can't live without them. I'm thankful for that. My mom, dad, and grandparents are the reason why I'm the person I am. My mom is very strict and always keeps me in line. My dad, well, he's the funny dad that seems to know everything. You would think he doesn't but he does.

Lastly, Coach Diaco and Coach Wolthausen made me feel welcome from the second I spoke to them. They made me want to be at UConn even more than I already did. The UConn coaching staff is one of a kind, and it feels good to be a part of something great.

As to the UConn Huskies' fans that stuck through the minor set back, get ready for the major comeback.

GO HUSKIES!!