Thomas still hoping to return to field in 2019

NEWPORT, R.I. — Bestowed with the honor of being the defensive captain of the UConn football team will go down as one of the highlights of Eli Thomas’ career. About the only thing that might mean more to him is being able to join his teammates on the field.

Thomas suffered a serious stroke a year ago and has fought his way back to return to school and believes he is as strong physically as he has ever been. Still, the linebacker from Elmira, N.Y. is uncertain if he will be cleared to play for the Huskies for the upcoming season.

“I am progressing great, my comprehension is getting a lot better, my speech is getting a lot better as well,” Thomas said during American Athletic Conference football media day on Tuesday. “I am not hesitating as much, I am not stuttering as much, I am definitely getting a lot better. Physically I am better than I ever have been, taking it day by day, waiting for a decision.”

Thomas doesn’t know when or if that decision will come. Certainly the UConn medical staff is going to be cautious before giving Thomas the OK to return to the football field.

“I haven’t pressed them,” Thomas said. “I am acting like I am cleared and at camp we are going to find out, hopefully soon.

“I think I have showed everything I need to show, it is a big decision so it is not something that is going to be made overnight. I don’t have to show them anything physically or mentally but at the end of the day, if I am safe enough to play that is what it is going to come down to.”

UConn is coming off one of the worst statistical defensive seasons in major college football history. The Huskies do return 12 of the top 16 tacklers and Thomas has liked what he has seen from his defensive teammates especially the true freshmen thrown right into action last season.

“I have seen them maturing a lot, I think they understand that the game speed is a lot different,” Thomas said. “They are doing a lot of stuff on their own, I will (go) on the field and I will see guys who just got done working out, going in and watching film or watching film by themselves.”

There were 12 league games when an American Athletic Conference teams allowed at least 600 yards during the 2018 season and six of them came against UConn.

“It is embarrassing and there is nobody to blame but ourselves,” Thomas said. “We are going to have to fix it, there is no ‘if not’, we have to win and that is it. We have been losing and we have to win, that is it.”

SCOTT CATCHING ON

Running back Zavier Scott led all returning UConn players with 33 receptions and 228 receiving yards during the 2018 season but with the return of 1,000yard rusher Kevin Mensah, addition of graduate transfer Art Thompkins and Donevin O’Reilly healthy after missing all of last season, the decision was made to move Scott to receiver.

“We are going to utilize him wherever we feel it is going to be beneficial for us and him,” Edsall said. “He loves it, he was smiling from ear to ear, I think that was something that was in the back of his mind.”

Scott missed the last two games of the 2018 season with a knee injury but Edsall said Scott will be ready to go when UConn starts preseason camp on July 31. Edsall said he anticipates everybody being cleared to take part for the start of camp.

Edsall confirmed that defensive tackle Ryan Fines has left the program.

Fines, a transfer from Miami (Fla.), had four tackles against UCF in the 2018 season opener but was limited to just three games.

Edsall is still working to add another player to the 2019 roster and it will be a player with four years of eligibility so no more graduate transfers are expected to be added.

Speaking of grad transfers, one of the first things former West Florida quarterback Mike Beaudry did when he got on campus was to inform the offensive linemen that he wanted to treat them to ice cream.

“Mike, we look at his confidence factor,” UConn offensive tackle Matt Peart said. “I told him, ‘if you need to, just scream at us.’ His work ethic, his demeanor, how he attacks the game is something else.”

Peart also said receiver Ardell Brown, “is tremendous, I think he knows the playbook like the back of his hand.”

Unlike the other graduate transfers, running back Art Thompkins took part in spring practice and drew rave reviews for his leadership while displaying bigplay ability.