Rosario is latest St. Luke’s product to commit to Huskies
There might have been safer routes for Juan Rosario to take but the chance to play at the Football Bowl Subdivision level was simply too good of an opportunity for the St. Luke’s defensive back to pass up.
In a few months Rosario will head up to Storrs as a preferred walk-on to begin the quest to get onto the field and ultimately earn a scholarship at UConn.
“Competition is very important to me,” said Rosario, a Stamford native who announced his commitment to the UConn football team on social media on Wednesday night. “I am grateful to have opportunities to play at other schools but my goal was to be a part of something big. FBS is the highest level in college football so that was definitely something that interested me. I know that with my level of play, I know I could be part of it.”
Rosario will follow in the footsteps of record-breaking receiver Noel Thomas Jr., starting safety Omar Fortt and reserve offensive lineman Brendan Casey as St. Luke’s products who have decided to suit up for the Huskies.
“He’s been recruited as a defensive back, his natural position,” St. Luke’s coach Noel Thomas Sr. said. “He can play receiver, running back. It is a walk-on opportunity. I think he has the ability to, hopefully in the future, earn a scholarship. He comes from a great family. He’s a sweetheart of a kid, a great character kid and he has all the talent in the world.”
Rosario was a team captain as a senior when he made 26 tackles and had five passes (deflected) on defense. He also ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns and one of his three receptions went for a touchdown.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Rosario will join a very young group of cornerbacks when preseason camp opens at UConn with walk-on Kyle Williams as well as Tajh Herring-Wilson the only upperclassmen in that position group. Ryan Carroll, Shamel Lazarus, Jeremy Lucien and Keyshawn Paul all started games at cornerback as true freshmen during the 2018 season and it was a position that was addressed once again in the most recent recruiting class. If Rosario needs any additional motivation, he can look at Williams, a former Hamden Hall star who saw plenty of time with the first team defense during spring practice. Casey, his former teammate at St. Luke’s, is also dealing with the challenges of being a non-scholarship player.
“He [Casey] told me that being a walk-on, you obviously aren’t on scholarship but the coaches treat you as if you are,” Rosario said. “They always treat you with the same respect, they are always helping you try to get better and will always keep an eye on you.”