Mora Begins to Shape UConn Roster
The Story: New football coach Jim Mora‘s opening class is in the fold, and he is far from done as the first 13 players he signed are (hopefully) just the beginning for the Huskies.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: UConn made a concerted effort to recruit in-state talent added but the one surprise on the opening day of the signing period was defensive lineman Matt Hoffman, a native of Cheltenham, Pa., who had been committed to Virginia Tech before its coaching change.
• The Huskies landed four in-state prep school players (three from Windsor’s Loomis Chaffee) and, of course, Connecticut State Player of the Year Victor Rosa, who is from Bristol Central. Rosa, who had an offer from Boston College and is a close friend of Donovan Clingan, is going to start out as a running back and will perhaps be used as a slot receiver. He is a game-breaking type of player who is explosive changing directions.
• UConn went heavy on the lines by getting four defensive linemen and two offensive linemen. The gems of the class, at least by their offer list and other rankings, are Chicago native Donovan Branch and Loomis Chaffee defensive back Derek Spearman Jr.
HUSKIES LAND TRANSFER QB: Former Oregon quarterback Cale Millen, who never played for the Ducks during his freshman season and transferred to Northern Arizona, announced he is joining the program.
• Millen was one of the top five high school players in Washington in 2020 and transferred to Northern Arizona before this season. He played in seven games as a backup and completed seven of 15 attempts for 42 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
SPANOS IS BACK: It is bizarre that Mora was named UConn’s next coach while one of his former defensive coordinators at UCLA, Lou Spanos, was the interim coach and let go at the end of the season. But two weeks after the season ended, Spanos is back. He was named defensive coordinator by Mora yesterday and will return for his fourth year with the program.
• We have no idea why things unfolded the way they did, but Spanos’ return is sure to bolster the locker room as he endeared himself to the players over the years.
WELCOME HOG MOLLIES: UConn’s offensive line struggled last season and made gaining yards and scoring points difficult. Mora wants to change the tone on the line and added Brady Wrayburn, a 6-foot-4, 303 pound player out of Loomis Chaffee, and our favorite player, Ben Murawski, a 6-foot-5, 344-pound prospect from St. Thomas More.
• Mora described Murawski as a massive human being. He’s so big that height and weight don’t mean a thing. What really stood out is the circumference of his knee, which apparently measures 19 3/4 inches. We honestly don’t know that circumference is a predictor of anything, but he is a really big kid.
WHAT DID MORA SAY? “I believe there is good talent in this state, at the high school level, certainly, and at the prep school level, definitely. The only misconception I had was what prep school talent looked like. I had not been exposed to too many young men from prep schools, and I think it’s just a great avenue for these kids to develop as players and men.”
MENSAH SAYS GOODBYE: The Huskies added a bunch of players yesterday but also said goodbye to Kevin Mensah, who announced he will transfer. Mensah, a senior whose 2,933 rushing yards rank fourth in school history, will use his additional season provided by COVID-19 at another school.
Morning Reads
• The women’s basketball team began the season wondering if it would ever lose again. At 6-2 and with injuries everywhere, the Huskies look, oddly, like a normal basketball team. (ESPN)
• Yesterday marked the unofficial start to NBA trade season, which means Kemba Walker could be on his way to a new home with the Knicks refusing to turn to him even in a time of need. (New York Post)
