The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Transfer Thompkins hits the ground running
STORRS — Special was the first word one of his fellow UConn running backs used to describe graduate transfer Art Thompkins while veteran offensive linemen Matt Peart raved about the leadership that the former Toledo running back has brought to the Huskies. It seems safe to say that Thompkins is ready to make the most of his lone season in Connecticut.
The former starting running back at Toledo arrived in Storrs ready to do the work in the weight room, and before long, even the veteran players were looking at the Pittsburgh native as one of the team leaders.
“I am willing to do anything to succeed,” Thompkins said. “Coming from Pittsburgh, we are known for our work ethic and our grittiness. I had a lot of guys in front of me who paved the way. I am trying to do the right things all the times, nobody is perfect but I have a lot of pride in my work ethic and I believe nobody will outwork me. I believe if you work hard good things will happen for you.”
Thompkins recorded three 100-yard rushing games at Toledo and compiled 1,427 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns as well as 34 receptions in three seasons. With Zavier Scott, Donevin O’Reilly and Khyon Gillespie all working their way back from knee injuries they suffered last year forcing them to be sidelined during spring drills, there will be plenty of chances for Thompkins to shine.
“He brings that intensity, he is another fiery guy that
the guys can get behind when he steps on the field,” Peart said.
“It almost feels like he has been a part of my class since I started. He is already meshing with the guys, it doesn’t feel like he transferred in at all. It is like he has been a part of the team for a long time.”
Thompkins graduated from Toledo in December and the decision to play his final season at a new program happened before he received his degree. Even with the return of 1,000yard rusher Kevin Mensah and Scott, who was second on the 2018 UConn team with 33 receptions, UConn was looking for another running back.
“It was a good time at Toledo,” Thompkins said. “I felt like I needed to take another step and do what is best for me, see if there is another opportunity out there to put me in position to get me the exposure to get me to the next level. Once I did that, UConn was one of the first schools to hit me up. I felt nothing but love and honesty from day one. That is what paved the way to get me here, I didn’t feel any fake blood or fake energy.”
While Thompkins is planning to use the 15 spring practices to show his new coaches what he is capable of, it’s a much different situation for O’Reilly.
A star in the 2018 UConn spring game, O’Reilly tore his ACL in a special teams drill just a couple of weeks before the regular season opener. During the season, O’Reilly was usually one of the first UConn players to step onto the field on game days as he was itching to make an impact.
“It was hard,” O’Reilly said. “I’ve done a lot and been through a lot to get to UConn and establish my role on the team. I’ve been through a lot of adversity so I took it as another challenge that I have to overcome to get back onto the field.”
O’Reilly is able to do individual work with the other running backs but wont be able to take part in any team drill until preseason camp opens.
“I was looking forward to last season but I am moving on,” O’Reilly said. “I am looking forward to this upcoming season and it is going to be something special.”
One of the most unforgettable images of the 2018 UConn spring practice sessions came on the day when O’Reilly found out his season was over before it even started. He was outside the locker room in tears as he was being comforted by Mensah. Since that time other teammates have been there to support O’Reilly during his long road back.
“Going through something like that, if I were to be alone it would be a lot harder,” O’Reilly said. “I have the support of my teammates, my coaching staff and my training staff. It helped a lot just to know that people have my back, are excited for me to come back it helps a lot to not feel alone during the process.”
Marvin Washington saw the majority of the snaps at quarterback with the firstteam offense while former starting guard Nino Leone has shifted over to center following the graduation of Ryan Crozier. Redshirt freshman Christian Haynes has taken over the starting guard slot formerly manned by Leone. Also, true freshman defensive end Eric Watts is already working in with the starters but there were no other real surprises defensively.
UConn is coming off statistically the worst defensive season in major college football history. With the return of nine of the top 11 tacklers, there’s hope that the unit will offer more resistance to opposing offenses.
“Can’t get any worse, can it? So it will be better,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said. “I just turned the page and moved on. Whatever happened last year happened, this is 2019 now so that is the only thing that concerns me.”