Edsall impressed with early signees
They come from seven states and three countries, committing to Storrs from as far as Australia and as close as Avon.
UConn’s class of 16 recruiting signees will join a program in transition — the Huskies did not play games this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic, stalling the move to an independent schedule. Mindful of that non-conference life, coach Randy Edsall and his staff were fishing for dynamic athletes on the recruiting trail.
Edsall, announcing the class Wednesday, said his program checked that box this year.
“In terms of making your offense or your defense more dynamic, because of the versatility and the number of things that these young men can do, that was something that’s important to us as we evaluate young men,” Edsall said “Because again, for us and going where we’re going as an independent, we got to be a little bit different than maybe we were in the past because you’re not in a conference.”
The priorities? “Speed and athleticism and versatility,” Edsall said.
UConn signed four defensive backs, two wide receivers, a running back and a quarterback. The class also includes four linemen, along with a linebacker, a tight end, a kicker, and a punter.
There are two Connecticut kids: Avon Old Farms teammates Josh Tracey and Tyler Phommachanh. Tracey, a receiver, and Phommachanh, a quarterback, have been friends since grade school in Bridgeport.
“Peas in a pod,” Edsall said.
There is another state tie: Jacksonville, Fla. tight end Chris Johnson was coached at Westside High by Rodney DuBose, who grew up in Bridgeport and played collegiately at Sacred Heart. DuBose knows Phommachanh’s father Sam, who played at Harding in the late 1980s.
There is NFL DNA: Langston Hardy, a linebacker from Jacksonville, Fla., is the son of former Pro Bowl
linebacker Kevin Hardy.
There are Texas teammates: Running back Max Modeste and offensive lineman Femi Sakiri were signed out of Byron Nelson High in Trophy Club, Texas.
There is an international flavor: Defensive back Malcolm Bells comes from Mississauga, Ontario, while punter Haydn Kerr was recruited out of New South Wales, Australia.
“The thing that I like, too is, all these guys that came from winning programs,” Edsall said. “They know what hard work is about, they know what winning is about. Those are the things that we try to put an emphasis on, is the character, you know, the work ethic.
“As you get on the Zoom calls and Webex’s and you you’re there with the families and the young men, you get a good feel for the environment that they grew up in and and they’ll be able to fit into, you know, the culture that we’ve created here … off the field, in the locker room, and (how they’ll) mesh with the guys that we have.”
Edsall was especially pleased to secure Tracey and Phommachanh, whose brother Taisun is a freshman at Clemson.
“They’re very honored that they’re going to be able to play for the home state, in the state of Connecticut,” Edsall said.”When you’re talking about Tyler, it’s the quarterback position … he’s one of those guys that has that ‘it’ factor, you know as a quarterback. He’s confident, he’s not cocky. He’s smart, takes everything in.”
Edsall also expects UConn to add one to three players from the transfer portal.
The NCAA gives players the opportunity to sign their National Letters of Intent in this early period through Friday.
The regular National Signing Day for the Class of 2021 is Wednesday, February 3 and the signing period continues into April.
Below is a list of players who have signed with UConn.