UConn Football Early Signing Period Tracker

After a long, tough season, there’s finally some positives for UConn football. Wednesday will kick-off the Early Signing Period, which runs from Dec. 19-21. This is the second year of the December signing period ahead of the classic National Signing Day in February. According to SB Nation, 70 percent of Division I players signed in December instead of NSD, a trend that will likely continue this season.

The Huskies have just 8 verbal commitments at this point in the calendar as opposed to 21 last year. Of that 21, 19 signed in December while 5 more joined on February. UConn has a little over 20 scholarships available to incoming players for Randy Edsall and Co. to work with.

The school will announce the new signees on Twitter throughout the morning while Edsall will hold a press conference at 11 a.m., which will be broadcast on UConn football’s Facebook page.

2018 Signee Live Tracker

OL Rayonte Brown - Dundalk, MD

UConn’s first signing of the day is a new addition in Rayonte Brown, who didn’t publicly announce his commitment to the Huskies prior to today. The 6-foot-6, 252 pound offensive lineman hails from Dundalk, MD, just outside Baltimore, where he played left tackle and defensive end for Dundalk High School.

Brown had a strong senior season and earned First Team All-County honors and was named to the Maryland Crab Bowl. With his size, Brown projects as an offensive tackle at UConn.

DB Malik Dixon - Orlando, FL

The Huskies added to their pool of young defensive backs by signing Malik Dixon out of Wekiva High School in Florida. Rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, Dixon held offers from Buffalo, Tulane, Toledo, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Troy among a few FCS schools as well.

Listed at 6-foot, 183 pounds, Dixon played in 12 games as a senior, registering an interception along with 8 pass break-ups.

DL Michael Hinton - Winston-Salem, NC - Columbia University

UConn added some much-needed help along the defensive line, signing Columbia graduate transfer Michael Hinton. He started in 28 of 30 games in his final three seasons but broke out as a senior when he moved inside to defensive tackle, totaling 29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Hinton was named an honorable mention All-Ivy League player and was a semi-finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy which is awarded to the player with best combination of on-field play, academics and community service. UConn’s defensive struggles from last season are well-documented, so adding a transfer who can play immediately and hopefully make an impact is a big pick-up for the Huskies.

DB Winston Jules - Brooklyn, NY

Winston Jules officially became a UConn Husky, sending in his National Letter of Intent. A native of Brooklyn, Jules played his high school ball at the Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT. Rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, Jules intercepted a pass and collection 31 tackles in his senior season. He is listed at 5-foot-11, 156 pounds and will play defensive back for the Huskies.

LB Jackson Mitchell - Ridgefield, CT

UConn’s first high school recruit in the class of 2019 is officially signed after Jackson Mitchell sent in his National Letter of Intent. As a local kid from Ridgefield, Jackson held an offer from CCSU in addition to the Huskies along with some interest from Boston College. Listed at 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Jackson was announced as a linebacker but likely has the athleticism to play the hybrid HUSKY position in UConn’s defense.

DL Eric Watts - Sumter, SC

Eric Watts officially signed on to become a UConn Husky today despite the coaching staff finding him later in the recruiting cycle. According to the Sumter Item, the Huskies didn’t contact Watts until just over a month ago but quickly closed the deal.

At 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, Watts will play along the defensive line, likely one of the end positions. Before UConn entered the picture, he only had regional interest with offers from Coastal Carolina, South Carolina State and Tennessee Tech.

As a senior at Sumter High School, Watts dominated on defense, collecting 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in just 10 games.

QB Jack Zergiotis - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

UConn added a signal caller to their ranks, signing Jack Zergiotis out of Canada. He has solid size at 6-foot-1, 208 pounds and held an offer from UMass in addition to the Huskies. Even as a true freshman, Zergiotis will have the chance to compete for the starting job next season after the graduation of David Pindell.

DB Myles Bell - Plantation, FL

Myles Bell, UConn’s most recent and highest-rated recruit officially signed with the Huskies today. A three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports, Bell had numerous Power 5 offers including Georgia Tech, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Penn State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Bell played his high school ball at St. Thomas Aquinas, a school that has produced 17 NFL players, the most of any high school in the nation. He is listed at 6-foot, 165 pounds.

LB Dillon Harris - Bloomfield, CT - Lackawanna CC

UConn added another player from Lackawanna Community College, a school the Huskies are developing quite the pipeline from. Randy Edsall and his staff have also brought in former quarterback David Pindell and linebacker Eli Thomas from Lackawanna in addition to Harris.

Harris was originally a member of UConn’s class of 2018 out of Cheshire Academy but went to Lackawanna because of academic issues. In high school, Harris was rated as the second-best player in the state and held offers from a handful of Power 5 schools, including Michigan. After spending a year at a junior college, Harris will hopefully step in and make an immediate impact.

OL Chase Lundt - Arlington, TX

UConn added a big offensive lineman from Texas as Chase Lundt sent in his National Letter of Intent. Lundt towers at 6-foot-7, 274 pounds and played left tackle at Martin High School. He likely projects to stay on the outside of the offensive line as a tackle for the Huskies. UConn was his sole FBS offer.

TE Jayce Medlock - Desoto, TX

Edsall and his staff now have two signed players from the Lone Star State as tight end Jayce Medlock officially joined the Huskies. He stands at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, fitting the mold of a flex tight end that UConn has gone after in recent years.

The Huskies beat out conference rivals SMU along with Illinois for Medlock, who is listed as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals.

Art Thompkins - Pittsburgh, PA - University of Toledo

UConn added a second graduate transfer on the day, Art Thompkins, a running back from Toledo. Thompkins was productive during his three seasons with the Rockets, totaling 1,427 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to go with a 6.2 yards per carry average. He’s also capable as a pass-catcher, reeling in 15 passes for 139 yards this past season.

Thompkins is small even for scat-back standards at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds but has not missed a game the past two seasons. He brings great burst and next-level agility to the Huskies, a good complement to Kevin Mensah, who is more of a power back.

UConn’s running back depth chart will be thin entering the season, with Mensah as the undisputed starter and then a handful of unknowns. Khyon Gillespie and Dante Black will still be freshmen while Donevin O’Reilly and Zavier Scott will both be recovering from major knee injuries. At the very least, Thompkins will give the Huskies some depth early on in the season.