Verse writing impressive chapter
A tight end in high school, redshirt freshman is third on defense with 22 tackles
If one play could summarize the impact University at Albany redshirt freshman defensive end Jared Verse is having this spring, it happened with 12:09 left in the second quarter Saturday against Stony Brook.
Lined up across from Justin Morgan, Stony Brook’s 6-foot-6, 335pound senior right tackle, Verse chose not to go around Morgan but instead right through him. Verse, who is 6-4 and 250 pounds, bullrushed Morgan and drove him back into quarterback Tyquell Fields for an 8-yard sack.
“That’s one of my favorite feelings,” Verse said. “Coming in, I worked out a lot over the break. To be able to show all that hard work paid off where I can push a 330pound guy back like he’s nothing into the quarterback, that’s the kind of move I’m able to do now. That’s the best feeling.”
The Great Danes have every reason to feel optimistic about Verse’s future. He has been a standout during a difficult spring for Ualbany, which takes on eighth-ranked Delaware on the road at noon Saturday.
Verse, a tight end in high school, is third on the defense with 22 tackles, including a team-high 10 for losses. He also leads the Great Danes (1-3) with four sacks. He led Ualbany with 10 tackles Saturday in the 21-7 loss to Rhode Island.
“He’s got so much God-given ability, and every week he gets better and every week he learns,” Ualbany coach Greg Gattuso said. “He’s just learning how to play. … He came in in great shape. He’s got great athletic ability. He can really run, and he’s an extremely powerful person. He’s a handful.”
Verse chose to spend the fall semester off campus because of New York’s COVID -19 restrictions. He took remote classes at his family’s home in Phoenix, where they moved after he finished his high school career at Central Columbia in Bloomsburg, Pa. Verse worked out on a local field in 100-degree temperatures and lifted weights at the gym. He put on about 25 pounds.
While Verse felt working out at home benefited him, Gattuso said he would prefer his players to stay in the area.
When Verse arrived at training camp, he admitted he was up to speed physically but lagging with the playbook. He received constant encouragement from defensive line coach Bill Nesselt.
“I wasn’t quite mentally there,” Verse said. “He’d text me all time telling me I can do great things, I just have to be there mentally. … Mentally, I feel like I’ve grown like out the roof so far this season.”
Verse said a big factor in his decision to come to Ualbany was the coaching staff projecting him as defensive lineman and asking him what position he wanted to play. Other schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, viewed him as a tight end.
“Offense is cool, like catch a pass, get a touchdown, celebrate with your teammates,” Verse said. “But defense, you get to sack somebody, send them on the ground, throw somebody around. It’s too good of a thought to let go.”
He arrived at Ualbany as a 205pound freshman in whom Gattuso already saw pass-rushing ability in the mold of Eli Mencer, who graduated last year after collecting 14 ½ sacks as a senior.
“We really recruit for speed and bend-ability,” Gattuso said. “We just thought Jared was a very athletic, under-recruited young person. When you can get these tall guys that are lean and athletic and you put some weight on them, you end up with some good football players. We’ve had success taking guys taking guys that other people didn’t really see as maybe a great player and all that.”
Verse is developing into one with a drive that comes from his parents, Eric and Jannienne, according to his high school coach. They moved from North Carolina to Pennsylvania because of her job at a hospital and enrolled their son at Central Columbia because of its academics.
“Everything about his passion just helped him get better and better, his desire to get better and better,” Central Columbia coach Scott Dennis said. “Did I see it? Yeah. Big strong kid, physical kid. Loved the game and you could see something really good was going to happen with him.”