The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
A look at Connecticut’s potential draft picks and free agents
Connecticut’s Will Levis is expected to have his NFL future decided on Thursday night, likely fairly early. The 2023 NFL Draft starts with the first round at 8 p.m., Thursday. Second and third rounds will be held on Friday starting at 7 p.m., with the fourth-seventh rounds beginning at noon, Saturday.
The draft, being held at Union Station Kansas City, Missouri, will air on ESPN, ABC and the NFL
Network.
Levis is the talk of the town for Connecticut, with some mock drafts having him being selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth overall pick.
Luke Schoonmaker, a Michigan tight end who played for Hamden Hall, is also expected to be selected in the draft, toward the middle rounds.
After those two, there are several other players with state ties who could be picked or later signed as free agents.
Here’s a rundown of Connecticut connections among draft-eligible players:
Top Prospects
Will Levis, Kentucky/XavierMiddletown
QB (6-3, 232 pounds) Projected: First round
The Kentucky quarterback from Madison will likely be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board and
Thursday, 8 p.m. (ABC,
has been ranked as high as fourth overall in several popular mock drafts.
He had two outstanding seasons for the Wildcats after transferring from Penn State. In 2021, he had 2,826 passing yards and 24 TDs with 13 interceptions, and a QB rating of 148.3. Last fall, he threw for 2,406 yards with 19 TDs and 10 interceptions, and bumped up his QB rating to 151.9. Kentucky was 17-7 with Levis under center, and he had six 300yard games, the fourth-most in program history. He was also a recordsetter during his three years at Xavier, where he threw 27 touchdown passes and more than 2,700 yards as a senior in 2017.
Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan/Hamden Hall
TE (6-5, 253 pounds) Projected: Third/fourth round
The Hamden Hall product broke out during Michigan’s 2021 campaign, catching 17 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns. As a fifth-year senior last fall, he had 35 receptions for 418 yards and three TDs, earning his second All-Big 10 selection.
He’s ranked among the top eight tight ends in the draft and could be drafted as early as the third round. No matter where he is possibly selected, he would become Hamden Hall’s first player to be taken in the NFL Draft.
He “will eventually be a plus starter,” according to the NFL Prospect Guide.
Others on the radar
QB Connor Degenhardt, New Haven:
The Chargers’ starter for two seasons, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Degenhardt passed for 3,907 yards and 43 TDs and rushed for 19 touchdowns in 21 games.
LB Chiz Umunuakwe, Central Connecticut:
The 235-pound linebacker was named the NEC’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading CCSU with 94 tackles.
DT Adam Raine, Yale: The 6foot-4, 306-pound lineman from Basingstoke, England racked up 43 tackles in 10 games for Yale’s defense.
CB Jeremy Lucien, Vanderbilt (UConn 2018-21):
The cornerback is a graduate of Choate and played at UConn for three seasons before transferring to Vandy. He had 48 tackles, including 33 solo, for the Commodores last fall.
C/OG Jake Guidone, UConn: The 6-foot-2, 304-pound offensive lineman won two Ivy League championships with Dartmouth before transferring to UConn.
LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, UConn: The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker was second on the Huskies with 98 tackles, including 34 solo.
LB Ian Swenson, UConn: A6foot-2, 215-pound LB, Swenson played 48 games over four seasons at UConn, and had 88 tackles, 42 solo, in 2022.
DB Tre Wortham, UConn:
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound DB played two seasons at UConn and had 75 tackles, 46 solo, and six interceptions.
FB Robert Burns, UConn: The 5-foot-11, 228-pound fullback played three seasons at Miami before transferring to UConn for the 2021 season. He rushed 74 times for 374 yards and a pair of TDs last fall.