UConn Football signs 20 on class of 2020 Early Signing Day

UConn football received signed letters of intent from 20 incoming players Wednesday morning, including two junior college offensive linemen. Head coach Randy Edsall had his first chance to speak about the newest UConn Huskies.

With nearly 20 players leaving the team this offseason, and possibly more on the way out, Edsall’s roster has plenty of space. Hopefully he signs the maximum 25 players between this signing period and the one in February and UConn can be active in the transfer market as well.

According to Rivals, the highest-rated signee is Collin McCarthy, a defensive end from New Jersey. According to 247 Sports, it’s Quay Evans, a defensive tackle from South Carolina. Alfred Chea, a defensive back from Jacksonville, Florida is the second-highest rated by both recruiting services.

There were no signees from Connecticut, but the Huskies did get players from Florida, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Canada. After the breakout success of Jack Zergiotis, Edsall has gone back to the Montreal well with Jonathan Sénécal, a 6-foot-1 dual threat QB.

UConn Class of 2020 Early Signing Period Signees

DE/LB Marques Alexander - Chose UConn over offers from Georgia Tech and Southern Mississippi. Was one of the first verbal commitments for the Huskies, announcing in June. Had only played defense for one year after moving over from tight end for Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. In high school, he posted 62 career tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three fumble recoveries in 21 career games and served as a team captain. Alexander will be enrolling at UConn in January. (Highlights - via @UConnFootball)

RB Brian Brewton - Another Florida prospect, hailing from the St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Brewton was not on any of the recruiting sites’ verbal commitment lists. He chose UConn over offers from Boston College and Missouri. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Brewton is a versatile speedster who was also returning kicks and splitting out wide in high school, where he was a team captain for a 2019 state championship team. (Highlights)

WR Darius Bush - Another player who was not on any verbal commitment list, Bush is a wide receiver from Savannah, Georgia. Standing 5-foot-11, 179 pounds, he will have a chance to contribute early on a team where the receiver depth chart is wide open. He could also end up playing defense, as he put up pretty good numbers as a defensive back at Jenkins High, where he also played baseball. (Highlights)

RB Nate Carter - One of the more “local” recruits in this class, Carter hails from Bishop Kearney in Rochester, New York, a school that usually has a lot of college prospects every year. He announced his commitment to the Huskies in September, choosing the Huskies over a number of FCS offers and Army. As a junior, he rushed for 1,259 yards and 15 touchdowns with two receiving touchdowns. Carter was named a team captain and Team MVP in 2019 and will be graduating early to enroll at UConn in January. (Highlights)

DB Reyan Blake - A 6-foot, 190 pound defensive back from Florida, Blake chose UConn over offers from Southern Miss, Fordham, and Holy Cross when he made his commitment in June. Blake was a team captain and all-county selection at Seminole Ridge High School. (Highlights)

OL Zack Early - A large offensive lineman from Ohio, Early was not a known verbal commitment. He does not have profiles on 247 or Rivals, but has good size for the interior line. He was a team captain and will be enrolling at UConn in January. (Highlights)

DL Quay Evans - A marquee commitment for the Huskies, Evans chose UConn over offers from Maryland and UCF, and had a number of power five schools interested. The Chester, South Carolina native stands 6-foot-2, 268 pounds and could be the rare lineman who sees early playing time for UConn. He was a disruptive force at Chester High School, where he was a team captain, racking up 49 quarterback hurries. (Highlights)

LB Desmond Fogle - Fogle is an inside linebacker from Georgia who committed to the Huskies earlier this month. He was a team captain at Camden County High School, where he was named “912 Defensive Player of the Year” and made 99 tackles to finish with 219 career takedowns. (Highlights)

OT Chris Fortin - Hailing from the tried and true UConn recruiting territory of Canada, Fortin is a 6-foot-4, 270 pound prospect who will be a developmental project on the line. He is a two-time RSEQ Division II All-Star and a Gold medalist with Team Canada at the U19 IFAF World Championships. (Highlights)

DE Nick Harris - A 6-foot-5 defensive end from Ellicott City, Maryland, Harris chose UConn over offers from Temple and a number of FCS programs when he made his commitment this past June. At 211 pounds, he’ll need to bulk up to see the field at the next level. Harris also played basketball at Marriotts Ridge High and was a team captain for the football team’s first ever conference championship. (Highlights)

TE Brendan Heatherman Jr. - A 6-foot-4, 254 pound tight end from Stafford, Virginia who chose UConn over offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte, Army, and Harvard, among others. Heatherman hails from Mountain View High School, where he was a First Team All-District and First Team All-Region selection. He will be enrolling early at UConn. (Highlights)

DE Carter Hooper - A 6-foot-5 prospect from IMG Academy by way of Canada, Hooper chose UConn over offers from Syracuse, UMass, and Florida International. He announced his commitment to the Huskies back in September and will be a mid-year enrollee. (Highlights)

WR Keelan Marion - A big-time playmaker from Palmetto Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, Marion is originally from Georgia, where he played at Grayson High School. He committed to the Huskies in November and will have as good a chance of anyone in this class of seeing the field as a freshman, especially because he’s enrolling early. (Highlights)

DL Collin McCarthy - The only New Jersey native so far on the commitment list, McCarthy is one of the higher-rated signees for Randy Edsall and his staff. He chose UConn over UMass and a host of area FCS schools when he made his commitment in June. His father, Mike, played football at UConn from 1990-1993. NJ.com named McCarthy the New Jersey Defensive Player of the Year and also noted that Rutgers made a late attempt to flip him from his commitment to the Huskies. He was a team captain for Jackson Memorial, where he ravaged his way to 104 tackles for loss with 46 (!) during his senior season. (Highlights)

TE Brandon Niemenski - Hailing from Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, Niemenski chose UConn over offers from Bowling Green and Yale, among others. He committed to the Huskies in July and is their second tight end in this year’s recruiting class. Niemenski caught 15 touchdown passes in high school and was also a team captain. (Highlights)

OL Robby Rochester - The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Texas native played for the well-known Southlake Carroll High School and has the potential to play anywhere on the line. He could be a guard/tackle backup early in his career before making a full-time move later on. (Highlights)

DB Alfred Chea - Another Florida native, Chea is one of the higher-rated prospects in this class and chose UConn over offers from Bowling Green, FAU, FIU, USF, Southern Miss, and Troy. The secondary has seen a lot of younger guys playing and with some of the experienced former starters leaving, Chea could see the field as a true freshmen. (Highlights)

QB Jonathan Sénécal - Hailing from Montreal, Sénécal is a dual-threat who announced his commitment in June. After making a few visits, he gave the coaches his commitment, telling Storrs Central “They said that they really love the way I play and they think I can come in and compete for the starting job right away.” In high school, threw for 5885 yards and 58 touchdowns during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, winning a championship as a senior. (Highlights)

OL Sidney Walker - Another beefy offensive lineman from Texas, Walker projects as an interior lineman who could see playing time early as a junior college transfer with experience. He will join the team early as a mid-year enrollee. (Highlights)

OL Alex Wyant - Started 16 games in two years at Orange Coast College, where he was a second team all-conference selection and had 18 Pancake blocks in 2019. Given the defections on the line, Wyant could see time early for the Huskies. (Highlights)