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Another top Connecticut high school football player is staying home to play for the state's flagship university.
Southington High School's Jasen Rose, who is widely considered one of the top Connecticut prospects, committed to the the UConn football team Thursday afternoon. The Huskies were able to keep him home despite offers from numerous Football Bowl Subdivision and Power-5 schools.
Syracuse, Wake Forest and Wisconsin were the other three programs in his final four. The 6-foot-3-inch quarterback is the Huskies' third in-state recruit in the class of 2016, after Glastonbury's Keyion Dixon and Suffield Academy's Tahj Herring.
It is still unclear what position Rose will play in college. Wisconsin and Wake Forest both recruited him as a tight end, while UConn and Syracuse offered him the opportunity to come in as a quarterback. Rose has experience at both positions. As a sophomore, Rose played tight end, catching 45 passes for 579 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior, Rose saw most of his snaps at quarterback, as he lit up opposing defenses with more than 3,000 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. Both seasons resulted in Class LL state championships for Southington. No matter where he ends up on the field, he is a fantastic pickup for Bob Diaco.
Getting Connecticut's top recruits is absolutely vital to Diaco's success at UConn. Successfully recruiting top Connecticut players is a great sign for the future of the program. Three out of eight commits for 2016 are in-state products, and a few others are still in play. There was only one in the class of 2015. As Connecticut high school football continues to improve, this trend should continue.
Here is what UConn's 2016 class looks like with the addition of Rose.
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) |
Ryan Gilmartin - LB | 6-0/230 | Matthews, NC (Charlotte Christian) | 80 (3-stars) | 5.2 (2-stars) |
Nino Leone - OL | 6-5/335 | South Hampton, MA (Pingree School) | N/A | N/A |
Jasen Rose - QB/TE | 6-3/220 | Southington HS (Southington, CT) | 83 (3-stars) | 5.3 (2-stars) |