Rosa rises to give lift to Huskies

This time last year, Victor Rosa was a senior quarterback leading Bristol Central to one of its best seasons in recent history.

But his future was uncertain.

Rosa was committed to play football at UConn before head coach Randy Edsall departed and the coaching staff that recruited him was in limbo during a 1-11 season. Taking it day by day and waiting for news regarding his potential future program, Rosa continued to do what he does best: Run.

In a season in which he won Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, Rosa rushed for 2,730 yards and 41 touchdowns as he earned a spot on the New Haven Register/GameTimeCT All-State team. In November, Rosa and his family took a trip to connect with UConn's new head coach.

The meeting with Jim Mora convinced him to keep his commitment to UConn. Now a freshman, Rosa is set to start at running back when the Huskies play at Ball State at 2 p.m. today.

UConn (3-4) has been hit hard by injuries, leading Rosa to climb the depth chart. Rosa (197 yards, four touchdowns) is coming off an 89-yard performance in a win over FIU. and has become a go-to player on offense.

Mora was hired in November 2021, as UConn's season was concluding. Mora's first order of business was convincing recruits to keep their commitments while assembling a staff.

“When coach (Jim) Mora was announced and he brought (former Greenwich High coach) John Marinelli with him as well, Victor went up one of the first weekends they were around,” Bristol Central football coach Jeff Papazian said. “I think it was coach Mora's vision, energy and the way that right from the start he had a plan. When he got up there it was over quick, he was sold.”

The decision to honor his commitment would pay dividends for both Rosa and the team less than a year later.

With injuries to starter Nate Carter and reserve Brian Brewton and the recent announcement that Devontae Houston will be held out this weekend with a sprained ankle, the true freshman will start his first game.

Rosa was not listed on the team's two-deep depth chart until the fifth game against NC State. He didn't play in the first game at Utah State and his first significant amount of playing time came with 14 carries in a 59-0 loss at No. 4 Michigan.

He has seen his playing time increase each week.

“If there was a crack for him to wiggle through, he was going to shatter through it,” Papazian said. “He is a really driven kid, and when he gets something in his mind that he wants to achieve, he is going to make it happen.”

Rosa is coming off the biggest game of his career in the 33-12 win over FIU, when he had16 carries with two touchdowns.

He currently leads UConn with four touchdowns, and he also has returned kicks and has four receptions.

It was a career high in carries for Rosa against FIU, and the third time this season he reached double digit carries.

Mora has voiced concern in past weeks about potentially overworking the freshman, but he also acknowledges that Rosa has earned the playing time.

“Things change, that was a few weeks ago when he was kind of new in terms of the repetitions he was getting,” Mora said. “Now he is a little more game-ready than he has ever been just because of the game reps he has taken.

“I don't feel the same was as I did a couple weeks ago because he is a different player now. He has been in the fire and has done well, his growth is showing.

“Giving him the ball now is the natural progression, not only for him, but it is necessary now.”