The present and the future

Victor Rosa signed his national letter of intent Wednesday.

Camryn Edwards did not.

With a symbolic stroke of his pen inside the Bristol Central auditorium, the Gatorade Player of the Year committed to play football for new coach Jim Mora at the University of Connecticut.

Edwards, the Norwalk star who also holds an offer from UConn, has decided to weigh his options and commit during the later signing period in February.

This is the story of the two best players in the CIAC in 2021 and on this day in mid-December they both knew one thing for certain. Their senior basketball seasons open in the next few days. Norwalk will face New Milford on Monday. Bristol Central, widely considered the No. 1 team in the state, will play Southington on Saturday at Trinity.

“We have practice right after this,” said seven-footer Donovan Clingan, UConn’s prize basketball recruit and, on this day, photographer at his point guard/best friend’s press conference.

“It means the world we’ll accomplish our dreams together at UConn,” Rosa said.

Rosa decided on UConn over Boston College, Army and Air Force in June. He kept his oral commitment a secret until July so he could announce it on his mom’s birthday. He forged a strong relationship with assistant Corey Edsall, Randy’s son.

Two weeks into the season, Edsall the Elder was gone. By the end of the season, so was the staff.

“The recruiting process has been a helluva ride,” Rosa said. “After coach Edsall left, I was really questionable. I was still loyal. I love UConn’s campus, UConn’s fans, everything. But with the coaching staff all leaving that definitely had me questionable. I wanted to sit back and weigh my options. I definitely wanted to see what new coaching staff came in.”

Rosa said “tons of schools hit me up.” Some he didn’t respond to, a few he did. He had conversations. He went to Syracuse on an unofficial visit.

The first week Mora was on campus, Rosa went up to Storrs with his mom and dad on his visit. They attended a UConn basketball game at Gampel Pavilion together.

“Spent a lot of time with them, built a tremendous relationship,” Mora said.

Bristol Central coach Jeff Papazian said Rosa texted him from Storrs, “Coach this is it. This is home.”

“The bond we made over that weekend was amazing,” Rosa said. “The plans we talked about for the program was amazing. Everything fell into place. I feel coach Mora believes in

me and I definitely believe in him … I locked in.”

Rosa also had a chance to bond with running backs coach E.J. Barthel, who arrives from the Carolina Panthers and impressed Rosa with his depth of knowledge.

Mora watched a lot of Rosa on video. He attended Bristol Central’s 49-14 playoff loss to Maloney. He saw what everyone saw as Rosa amassed 2,730 yards on 279 carries and 41 touchdowns rushing and 49-of-102 for 871 yards and eight TDs passing.

“Victor to the left, Victor to the right, Victor up the middle, Victor return, Victor made the tackle,” Mora said. “He was all everything.”

It is no secret. Rosa can run. He won the Class L 200 last spring in track. He has run a 10.94 100 and 22.54 200. He has run a 4.4 40. It is fair to say there is no better three-sport athlete in the state.

Rosa was recruited as a wide receiver/slot receiver by Edsall. While he played quarterback and safety at Bristol Central, he continued to work at camps on his receiving skills. Earlier Wednesday on campus, Mora described a little different projection for Rosa.

“We plan to use him as a running back, slot, a guy we’ll try to get matched up on a linebacker, a safety,” Mora said. “He’s got a big lower body, very well developed, physically very strong. With his versatility, you can create matchup problems with him out of the backfield or moving him out into space. When you move him and a linebacker moves, depending on where you put him, you’re able to easily define coverage and defensive structure, which helps your quarterback.”

Mora said Rosa isn’t a guy to run 30 times a game. Then again, who is in today’s game?

“We’re going to work to get guys like Victor the ball in space because he’s got tremendous quickness, great burst, great breakaway speed,” Mora said. “He’s going to be in our return game. He’s going to be covering kicks. You can use him in a wildcat type of set. And he does have the ability to throw the ball. He threw four picks in the first half (against Maloney) but he was under tremendous pressure.”

While new UConn assistant John Marinelli, the former Greenwich coach, was at the University of Arizona during COVID, he organized some Zoom clinics for Connecticut coaches.

“I said one day, ‘John, I have this kid who just finished his sophomore year. Can you take a look, tell me what you think?’ ” Papazian said. “It’s funny now the way things worked out. One of the first things he said was, ‘UConn should be all over that kid.’ ”

Edwards and Rosa talked some during the fall.

“He’s chill,” Edwards said. “Great dude.”

“I’d love for him to stay,” Rosa said.

Edwards tweeted on Oct. 13 he had received his first offer from AIC. A second came from Franklin Pierce a week later, and a third from Central Connecticut on Oct. 26. On Nov. 1, Edwards tweeted he received an offer from Sacred Heart.

It didn’t take long after Mora officially took over as head coach at the conclusion of the season and Marinelli joined him that Edwards tweeted the news on Nov. 29 UConn offered him. New Hampshire followed on Nov. 30.

Edwards said Mora and Marinelli contacted him on a joint call.

“We were talking it up and coach Mora said he wanted to offer me,” Edwards said. “It was great. I really like how they’re trying to rebuild to get back to where they were.”

So it is wise and unsurprising Edwards and his family decided to wait until February.

After the Dec. 13-Jan. 13 dead period for recruiting ends, Edwards said he expects more coaches to come to Norwalk.

“A couple of other schools have been in and due to issues with their own coaching staffs are waiting to offer him,” Norwalk coach Pat Miller said. “We expect those to be coming in soon.”