While former Xavier High quarterback Tim Boyle and Windsor defensive end Cole Ormsby took a break from getting acclimated to life up at UConn by taking part in the Hall of Fame Classic Military Bowl at Rentschler Field, the first player from the Class of 2014 to commit to UConn was also in attendance,

Logan Marchi was on the sidelines of the victorious National Guard squad along with a few of his St. Paul teammates and his high school coach (Jude Kelly).

"I want to play, it is exciting,": Marchi said. "It is fun to watch the competition and how they get fired up and seeing the passion for the game, it gives me goosebumps.

"I can't wait to get started. I am pushing the season right now trying to get my school ready for our season 

and being able to continue football onto the next level is pretty exciting."

Marchi was drawing interest from college recruiters after an outstanding junior season at St. Paul before ending the recruiting process earlier this month by committing to UConn. He admits that he feels like a load has been taken off his shoulders now that he no longer has to worry about impressing college coaches with the hopes of landing at their school.

"The calls, having to portray yourself to impress coaches, it takes a load off," Marchi said. "You know where you are playing, you know where you are going and you can focus on other things to get there, to get yourself better and it is definitely takes a load off.

"I always told my parents that I wanted to be as far away as possible but the fact that I have been here since I was about 7 at camps, I have seen the stadium a thousand times, I have seen the campus a thousand times, it was already kind of like home. I came here, I knew the coaches 'hey Logan what's up.' You just felt welcomed here and I grew up with it so I might as well continue to play with it.".

So where does he want to improve before he arrives at UConn?

"Definitely the mental part of the game because you can never stop learning, you can never perfect a drop back, there is always going to be a flaw in it but offensively if you now what the defense is doing there 

is no way they can stop you," Marchi said. "I want to improve mentally, disguises, coverages, my O-line assignments and everything."

Marchi was able to see one of the quarterbacks he will be competing against when he arrives in Storrs.

Boyle was 14 of 28 passing with 102 yards with one touchdown passes and two interceptions and also had a 14-yard scoring run in the game to earn offensive MVP honors for the National Guard squad. So what was Marchi's impressions of Boyle?

"I have seen him play and he has real strong arm, he can make some throws into spaces, he is a good kid, 

a good athlete, a smart kid too and I look forward to working with him," Marchi said.