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The Huskies added their fifth recruit in the class of 2016 when defensive back Tahj Herring of Suffield Academy announced his verbal commitment via Twitter on Saturday afternoon. Herring is the second Connecticut player, fifth overall, to commit to the Huskies in the 2016 recruiting class.
I am very truly blessed to say that I have committed to the University of Connecticut!!!!! pic.twitter.com/lVylxp1Ieo
— MajorCinco™ (@T_Herring005) June 27, 2015
Herring is 6-1 and 186 pounds. 247sports lists him as a 3-star recruit (82 overall) and so does Rivals. He has good speed and instincts to read the quarterback while in coverage. Herring is also a good tackler, which helps him contribute in run defense. Despite his size, Herring needs to work on being more physical with receivers at the line and refine his technique. He's also a pretty good wide receiver.
Herring picked UConn over Vanderbilt and Virginia.
Bob Diaco and his staff have been on fire in the recruiting trail. This is expected to be a small class, but so far the quality has been very high.
The month of June showed nice promise even though it got off to a slightly late start. UConn pulled in five commitments, four of which are 3-star recruits. Here's a list of them so far:
| Name/Position | Height/Weight | School (Hometown) | 247 Rating | Rivals Rating |
| Donovan Williams - QB | 6-3/202 | CD Hylton HS (Woodbridge, VA) | 84 (3-stars) | 5.5 (3-stars) |
| Keyion Dixon - WR | 6-2/180 | Glastonbury HS (Glastonbury, CT) | 77 (2-stars) | 5.4 (2-stars) |
| Quayvon Skanes - WR | 5-10/170 | Philips Academy (Chicago, IL) | 83 (3-stars) | 5.5 (3-stars) |
| Eddie Hahn - DB | 6-3/205 | Red Bank Catholic (Red Bank, NJ) | 84 (3-stars) | 5.6 (3-stars) |
| Tahj Herring - DB | 6-2/190 | Suffield Academy (Suffield, CT) | 83 (3-stars) | 5.5 (3-stars) |
The first thing that stands out to me is the number of 3-star recruits. Last season's class had four three-star recruits on Rivals, 4 by 247Sports, and 11 in the 247 Composite. This season, while only pulling in five recruits, four of them are three-stars across all recruiting sites. Three of them had "Power 5" offers.
The class is very athletic and versatile- with four of the prospects also being recruited for other positions. Williams is a dual-threat QB, and Dixon is one of the best track athletes in Connecticut. Skanes is notorious for his after-the-catch ability and is also a track athlete. Herring is a lockdown corner who can stay with nearly any receiver.
The quality of this class so far is a good sign for the growth of the program as they look to regain competitive status in college football. Diaco and his staff have a long way to go with the rebuilding of UConn Football. This 2016 recruiting class is shaping up to be a big step in a positive direction.