It's time to do a little catching up. I've been in Michigan since Friday to attend my nephew's graduation from the University of Michigan. My intention was to make it a completely computer-free weekend but that lasted until the news broke that former Duke women's basketball star Azura' Stevens would be transferring to UConn. Saying that is big news would be an incredible understatement. I would say that if the UConn coaching staff could pick a player off any other college team to add to its roster for the next couple of seasons, I would only like South Carolina's A'ja Wilson ahead of the 6-foot-6 Stevens.

Since this is a blog about UConn football, I'll stop there with the women's basketball talk.

Now that I am at the airport waiting to start my journey back to Connecticut, it's a good time to get caught up on draft/free agent news.

After nine years of having at least one player taken in the NFL draft, no Huskies were selected in the three-day draft.

However, at least five seniors on the 2015 team will be headed to NFL training camps.

It's already been reported that safety Andrew Adams was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent. It is the second straight year that a UConn player received a call from the Giants as receiver Geremy Davis was taken by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft.

There will be a couple of familiar faces in camp with Adams as Ray Brownell, agent for former UConn safety Junior Lee confirmed in an email to me that Lee would be headed to training camp with the Giants. Lee opened more than a few eyes with a sensational performance at UConn's pro day He also had a chance to take part in the Giants' local pro day and there were multiple reports that Lee had another strong showing. Just a few minutes ago, Breakout Athletes which trains a large number of Connecticut athletes sent me a tweet that former UConn defensive end Kenton Adeyemi would be going to camp with the Giants as well.

As often as the Giants have been pursuing UConn products in the last couple of seasons, they have a lot of work to do to catch the Indianapolis Colts in that department. Well, the Colts are at it again as former UConn defensive lineman Julian Campenni is heading to camp with the Colts.

Also, after I posted the blog about Adams, Lee and Campenni getting calls from NFL teams, I received a tweet about linebacker Graham Stewart going to camp with the Minnesota Vikings.

BreakOut Athlete BOA

@breakoutathlete

@NHRJimFuller my client Graham Stewart from UConn heading to Minnesota Vikings #boa

Campenni, who like Adams was a team captain on the 2015 UConn team, tweeted his appreciation to the Colts for giving him this opportunity.

 

Julian Campenni @Ima_BEAST_90

Just want to thank the @Colts for giving me an opportunity to live out my dreams!! Trust me you wont regret the decision!

Last year at this time it wasn't so much a question of if Byron Jones and Geremy Davis would be taken in the NFL draft but just when would the former UConn teammates hear their names called.

Jones joined Donald Brown as the only UConn player taken in the first round when the Dallas Cowboys took him with the 27th overall pick while Davis was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round.

There's more of a wait and see approach with the current crop of UConn pro prospects.

At least one UConn player has been selected in each of the last nine NFL drafts and safety Andrew Adams seems like the most likely player capable of extending that streak.

While no former Huskies are listed on the ESPN draft database, Adams is the No. 13 free safety according to NFL Draft database maintained by www.cbsspports.com which I have found to be pretty accurate (or as accurate as these things get) in rating the under the radar prospects. Adams is rated as the 291st best player in the draft and lists him as either a seventh rounder or a free agent. Last year's No. 13 rated free safety was Ladarius Gunter out of Miami who went undrafted but was signed by the Green Bay Packers as a free agent.

At UConn's pro day Adams seemed to do what he needed to remain on the radar of NFL teams and considering the amount of tape that NFL teams must have watched on Jones a season ago, you would have to think Adams might have caught the eye of the film watchers.

I would not be surprised if Adams continues the trend of UConn players being drafted.

The player out of UConn seemingly creating the most pre-draft buzz is fellow safety Junior Lee who absolutely put on a show at UConn's pro day. I've also seen reports that he was impressive at the New York Giants local pro day. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and National Football Post tweeted about a week and a half ago that Lee has worked out privately for the Giants, Jets and Colts.

One issue with Lee is that he was not a starter but consider that Jones was a first-round pick, Adams could very well get drafted and I would expect Obi Melifonwu and Jhavon Williams to be very much on the radar of NFL scouts next year with Jamar Summers most definitely being a draftable prospect in the next class so it is not like Lee was playing behind mediocre talents.


A lack of experience is not an issue for defensive lineman Julian Campenni or linebackers Marquise Vann or Graham Stewart. It will be interesting to see what happens with the trio but certainly would not be surprised to see them land in a training camp.

I received this question and answer blog with Campenni emailed to me. I think the key for Campenni could be how NFL teams view the Missouri tape since Campenni was normally lining up across from Evan Boehm, who is rated as the fourth best center in the draft according to cbssports.com. Other than getting invited to the major all-star games, which was an opportunity not afforded any of the UConn players, the best way to catch the eyes of scouts is to have strong tape in head to head matchups with fellow NFL prospects.

Stewart saw his work at UConn's pro day ended prematurely due to a hamstring issue but he had healed up well enough to take part in the Yale pro day held earlier this month. I was covering the women's Final Four at the time but talked to one person who was at the event and was told that Stewart did a nice job there. He is also the only other UConn player listed on the CBS Sports database. Stewart also started his collegiate career at Florida. The Gators have nine players listed in ESPN's draft database and 12 listed by CBS Sports so perhaps NFL scouts' familiarity with Florida players could aid Stewart in his quest to continue his collegiate career.

I haven't been hearing too much about Vann but he's played a ton of football for the Huskies and took part in the Tropic Bowl along with defensive end Kenton Adeyemi and guard Tyler Samra.

I really thought that Adeyemi's stock could take a similar jump to what happened a year ago with B.J. McBryde. While he did not have the eye-popping numbers at UConn's pro day that McBryde did, the 300 pounder showed more than enough to make me think that he could land in a camp.

Running back Max DeLorenzo is a player that David Schuman from NUC Sports believes NFL teams should be looking at.

Normally my late April/early May schedule includes watching the NFL draft waiting for UConn players to be drafted. However, my nephew is graduating from the University of Michigan this weekend so I will be out of the loop and my colleagues at the Register will be called upon to provide NFL draft coverage. Staying on that subject, I am not a pro scout but from what I am hearing the top prospects with Connecticut ties are former high school rivals Tyler Matakevich, a Stratford native who played at St. Joseph High in Trumbull, Milford Academy and Temple, and fellow linebacker Don Cherry, a former Trumbull High star who starred at Villanova. It will also be interesting to see if Yale quarterback Morgan Roberts, Branford's Kyle Nolan out of Georgetown and former Notre Dame of West Haven and University of New Hampshire star Sean Goldrich get signed by NFL teams.

Julian Campenni set to make his 36th career start and final one at home

The last couple of seasons the final home game gave the underclassmen a chance to try to send the seniors out the right way but there wasn't much else on the line.

Both in 2013 and 2014 the Huskies entered the home finale (which doubled as a season finale) with a 2-9 record. In 2013 the Huskies destroyed Memphis before falling to previously winless SMU in the final game of 2014. Other than those wishing to pile on after last year's loss, neither game created much of a stir nationally. That will not be the case tomorrow with an undefeated Houston team which is ranked 13th and has a chance to play in a New Year's Day bowl game coming to town.

For the 13 seniors, there has to be plenty of emotions circling around them this week but they are doing their best to focusing on toppling the Cougars and making them bowl eligible.

"There is a lot of hype to this game but we are not going to let the game be bigger than it really is," Adams said. "I just keep my eye on the ball, just stay focused, stay grounded and basically just stay focused on doing my job, all this stuff is great but I am just focused on playing well."

Julian Campenni, set to make his team-best 36th career start, is taking a similar approach to his final game at Rentschler Field.

"All the other stuff is great but it comes down to we have four quarters to go out there and play the 13th-ranked team in the country so that is what I am excited about and that is what I am really looking forward to," Campenni said.

"It is really exciting. It is an accumulation of five years of work so to have an opportunity to play a great team this week on senior day, I guess you could say that it is a storybook ending.

"It is what you come to a school like this to do, you want to play great teams and you want to play them at home so any chance we get to play at The Rent against a great team it just adds extra excitement."

It won't just be the seniors who are excited, not with a chance to attain bowl eligibility and send out the seniors with a program-defining victory.

"They are doing a great job leading the team, it is not only the captains but everybody who is in that position to be a leader," UConn junior receiver Noel Thomas said. "I think they are great guys and it is important to send them off in the right way.

"We take pride in them and we play hard for these guys and we expect the same from them."

UCONN COMMITS GETTING SOME PRESS
While the focus naturally is on what the Huskies are trying to accomplish tomorrow, I figured I would pass on links to a couple of stories of interest on UConn commits Ryan Gilmartin and one on Quayvon Skanes as well.

Also, UConn commit Jay Rose's Southington team faces Cheshire on Thanksgiving. It is one of the games CPTV Sports is considering televising although currently that game is in second place behind Shelton/Derby with today the last day to vote.

UConn's depth chart features a starting quarterback from Georgia, a starting offensive tackle from Denmark, the No. 1 center hailing from Virginia and four of the eight defensive backs calling Florida home. In the end, however, the two-deep chart has an unmistakable Xavier High School connection.

Not only is starting linebacker Graham Stewart a former Xavier standout but so are reserve quarterback Tim Boyle and backup defensive end Sean Marinan.

"It is awesome, all of those guys I have known them and it is not a surprise to me because I know their character and I know their work ethic," Stewart said.

Xavier is the only high school with multiple players on the UConn two-deep chart making it quite special for the three former Falcons.
"It is amazing," said Marinan, the son of Xavier High football coach Sean Marinan Sr. "That is something we worked for in high school, we all had a dream and we just love it. It is awesome."

With four state titles in the last five seasons, it's hardly shocking to see that success translate having players from that program on the only FBS program in the state of Connecticut. The aura around the Xavier program doesn't stop there. Back in 2010 Villanova All-American linebacker Don Cherry was a star on a Trumbull High team which lost to Xavier in the 2010 CIAC Class LL title game at Rentschler Field and one of his best memories was of the rather enthusiastic Xavier High student section.

"I remember on the Xavier fans on the other side going crazy, the whole stadium was awesome and it was packed so it was a really memorable game," Cherry said. "Although we lost, it was a great experience to play against a top-tier team like Xavier."

Stewart gave his two cents on the fan support the Xavier High athletic programs receive.

"They take it very seriously and when your whole school is full of guys, they are going to be into the sports so it is easy to join in," Stewart said.

The frustration was rather obvious when Graham Stewart took a peek into his crystal ball.

Stewart and the rest of the seniors felt incredible pain to seeing a respected group of seniors leave the UConn program with a 2-10 record as well as a string of four straight losing seasons. Stewart doesn't know what the record will be in his final season but he is very clear that Stewart and the fellow seniors are taking the steps they feel are necessary to be more successful.

"I am a guy from Connecticut so it is kind of like taking ownership," Stewart said. "I take a tremendous amount of pride in that I definitely don't want to finish my senior year the way last season finished, I think that would stick with me forever and I can't let that happen."

Just like last season, there is a small group of seniors on the UConn roster. Last year other than receivers Geremy Davis and Deshon Foxx, center Alex Mateas and cornerback Byron Jones, most of the remaining seniors were either players splitting playing time or those who rarely see the field. That is certainly not the case this time around.

Stewart, fellow linebacker and returning captain Marquise Vann, safety Andrew Adams, defensive linemen Kenton Adeyemi and Julian Campenni are defensive players accustomed to playing key roles, tight end Sean McQuillan, guard Tyler Samra and running back Max DeLorenzo are players with at least two years of being regular contributors while Junior Lee and Dom Manco are among UConn's best special teams players.

The seniors are determined to not only walk the walk but talk the talk as well.

"We got together in the beginning and kind of talked about what we wanted to do and the bigger goals," McQuillan said. "We want to be one of the senior groups that everybody feels like you can come up to, you can approach, you can talk to and we just want to be a close-knit group and make sure everybody is comfortable with each other. This senior group has a goal in mind and we are not going to stop until we get there."

UConn coach Bob Diaco has liked what he has seen from his seniors during the early stages of spring practice.

"Even now we are all in so 'what do we do? How does that look like, sound like, smell like, taste like so what do I do?" Diaco said. "We are ready so that is the kind of phase we are in right now, that group helping them have a voice, helping them have an appropriate voice and collectively all of them from John Bogue all the way to Max to Graham to Kenton to Andrew and that whole group, they are really doing a nice job with the team."

Redshirt juniors Jefferson Ashiru (32) and Andrew Adams (22)
combined for all of UConn's season-high four interceptions vs. UCF

It was a scenario that could have resulted in utter disaster.

UConn was coming off a valiant effort in a loss on the road against nationally-ranked East Carolina and now the Huskies were playing a Central Florida team which absolutely dominated them a season ago. Adding to UConn's potential misery was that it would be without two of its four captains as cornerback Byron Jones suffered a season-ending shoulder injury while receiver Geremy Davis was held out with an ankle injury.

UConn coach Bob Diaco and his staff has been challenging his veterans, even those not elected captains, to show some leadership both on and off the field.

Apparently those pleas did not fall onto deaf ears as redshirt juniors Andrew Adams (three interceptions), Sean McQuillan (season highs with four catches and 36 yards), Graham Stewart (career-high 12 tackles), Jefferson Ashiru (first career interception) and Julian Campenni (sack, 1 1/2 tackles for loss) delivered key plays in UConn's upset victory.

"It is time for that group of fourth-year players who are getting ready in a few weeks to formally own the team to get moving," Diaco said. "Let's go, it is time for some leadership, it is time for some real leadership from Andrew Adams, from Graham Stewart, from (Marquise) Vann, from Julian (Campenni), from Sean (McQuillan), from (Tyler) Samra, it is time, let's go, it is time for some real leadership. They have done a really nice job of answering the bell. I want to see some more personalities from our younger guys, don't sit and wait for it to be your turn, let's see who you are, freshmen and sophomores, let's go. If you have something to say, say it. You can weigh in, you can get passionate and have some energy, you can show a little bit of personality. We have been working on that for a few weeks. It came at the right time to have some energy without some of our captains."\

It's a pretty young team as the most recent depth chart lists five seniors on the offensive side of the ball and just two on defense so the juniors understand that they can't wait until next season for make their presence felt.
"I would say that especially in the last two weeks the leadership from the fourth-year guys has stood out," McQuillan said. "It started at East Carolina, we tried to be more vocal in the locker room, tried to take it onto the field and coach the younger guys when they come off. As a fourth-year guy myself, I am trying to take more of a role myself in my position group and also on the offense. Coach always talks about our group being the backbone of the team and if we can bring leadership along with the seniors, I think it is going to be beneficial for the entire team."

Adams was already viewed as a leader of the defense but following Jones' injury, he has taken an even bigger role.

"Leadership is a big thing in our program, the juniors stepping up is really a great thing, they are really the backbone of the team because we will be returning next year," Adams said. "Guys are stepping up, Graham, myself, Junior Lee, we try to bring a spark to the team, energy to practice day in and day out and if we keep doing that, I am pretty sure we will be OK."

BYU quarterback Taysom Hill had plenty of time to pass
during the Cougars' season-opening 35-1 win over UConn

I won't even attempt to guess the number of words that UConn football coach Bob Diaco uttered while answering questions from the media during yesterday afternoon's press conference. However, one 11-word reply to a question of mine caught my attention more than anything else he said to us.

"We are not going to have a problem rushing the passer," Diaco said when I asked if the defensive line showed the ability to get into the backfield during preseason camp.

There were many things to take out of the season-opening 35-10 loss to Brigham Young but at the top of the list in my eyes was the inability of the front three or front four (depending on the defensive alignment) to generate pressure.

UConn's lone sack came when BYU quarterback Taysom Hill stumbled and fell as Jefferson Ashiru and Cameron Stapleton were closing in. The duo split the sack and the only other tackle for a loss was recorded by linebacker Graham Stewart.

The starting defensive line combined to make one solo tackle (although starting defensive end Angelo Pruitt was not credited for tackle he made on opening drive of game). Let's be honest, many times defensive schemes are set up for the defensive line to occupy blockers so the linebackers can make plays so making a big deal out of the tackles recorded by the defensive line can be a fruitless exercise. That is certainly how the UConn defense is set up but still, I was expecting to see more from the line. Not only were sacks hard to come by but so were pressures. It often looked like Hill could have opened a book, read a few pages, then could look up and pick out which receiver he'd like to throw to. Making matters worse is he also seemed to have plenty of running room when he tucked the ball and took off I was curious if the defensive line got spooked by Hill's ability to take off and make huge plays with his legs. Diaco said that certainly played a role.

"When the defensive line starts to attack creases get created and (Hill is) a guy who was incredibly proficient at finding the crease and being a hard guy to tackle with a foundation of speed and power," Diaco said. "He runs like a big back so inevitably, shortly thereafter, what the defensive linemen what they start to do, they stop the attack, the start to decelerate and now they aren't pushing on the blockers, they are looking in the backfield, looking for him and which way he is going to go. That is probably what it looked like. It doesn't take long for it to happen. You are 305 pounds, you give it all you've got to rush and then all of a sudden you have to put your brakes on and have to chase the guy across the field. He redirects and then you are chasing him across the other way and the next play you are 'OK, I am not doing that again,  let's see where this guy is coming.' It is a teaching moment."

That led to my follow-up question regarding whether he saw the ability to generate a pass rush in the days and weeks leading up to the BYU game.

"We are not going to have a problem rushing the passer but we are a no-crease defense," Diaco said. "We believe in, we don't see any difference in horizontal separation and vertical separation so our defense plays differently. We are not an up the field defense, we don't believe philosophically that is what keeps the points down."

The good news for UConn is that Stony Brook quarterback John Kinder ran the ball nine times and finished with negative 34 yards rushing when the four sacks recorded by the Bryant defense are factored in so it looks like the Huskies will be facing a one-dimensional quarterback who only runs as a last resort similar to the quarterbacks they square off against daily in practices.

Casey Cochran was one of 13 state products to play in UConn's opener

As I mentioned in the days leading up to Friday's season opener, there was going to be a chance for local products to shine at Rentschler Field.

I went back through the online box scores dating back to 2006 to see how many Connecticut players took part in the season opener. I would have gone back further but the 2005 box did not include a player participation list and this is just the third time that at least 10 Connecticut natives played in the Huskies' opener as 10 players saw snaps in 2008 and 2006. 

According to the participation chart, 13 Connecticut players got into the game

Here is the breakdown

DT Kenton Adeyemi (Wethersfield): Had three tackles

QB Casey Cochran (Monroe): Started and was 17 of 31 passing for 171 yards with an interception

TB Max DeLorenzo (Berlin): Started and finished with a team-high 38 rushing yards

DB Chris DeBerry (Torrington): Saw time on special teams

CB Byron Jones (New Britain): Started and had five tackles

DL Sean Marinan (Higganum): Saw time on special teams

TE Sean McQuillan (Glastonbury): Started and had 33 yards on three receptions

TE Tommy Myers (Coventry): Had a three-yard catch

TB Arkeel Newsome (Ansonia): Ran three times for 10 yards, caught an 18-yard pass and had 49 yards on kickoff returns

LB/DE Cole Ormsby (Windsor): Had a solo tackle

LB Graham Stewart (Durham): Started, tied for the team lead with 11 tackles and forced a fumble

WR Noel Thomas (Norwalk): Had two catches for 18 yards and made a special-teams tackle

FB Matt Walsh (Madison): Saw time at fullback and the field goal, extra point, kickoff return, punt return and punt coverage teams as he recorded one tackle.

Former St. Luke's star Noel Thomas is one of 11 Connecticut natives
on UConn football team's two-deep chart which was released on Thursday

A quick look at UConn's two-deep chart and there are no lack of local boy makes good stories out there.

The emergence of Casey Cochran as the No. 1 quarterback, Max DeLorenzo as potentially being the top running option, Sean McQuillan the top guy at tight end, Graham Stewart primed for a big season at linebacker and Byron Jones being named as a team captain and emerging as an NFL prospect at cornerback have been reported on in the past and they will continue to dominate the headlines. However, there are some other state natives flying a bit under the radar.

Defensively, Windsor's Cole Ormsby is pushing for quality playing time at the hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end position. Ormsby learned his lessons well a season ago when he knew he was going to be redshirted.

"I worked as hard as I could and tried to be ready," Ormsby said. "I am ready for anything and whatever the team needs me to do.

"I am excited because I want to prove to everybody that I can do it. I am way more prepared with the new coaching staff,"

Well, he is ready to go now. While UConn coach Bob Diaco said Ormsby has the flexibility to be an asset either on the outside or inside, Ormsby said he has worked almost exclusively on the outside.

Moving over to the offense, tight end Tommy Myers has been a fixture at UConn sporting events as long as he can remember since his father Norman played for the UConn football team in the early 1980s and his mother Peggy was one of the stars of Hall of Fame Geno Auriemma's first women's basketball teams at UConn.

Like Ormsby, Myers was redshirted a season ago but is now No. 2 at tight end.

If there is such a thing as a player born to play football at UConn, Myers could certainly fit the bill.

"I remember coming to these games when they were at Memorial Stadium and just always wanted to play UConn football and it feels natural," Myers said. "I kind of fell into the position of tight end because growing up I always wanted to play quarterback or receiver like everybody does but I think I fell into the tight end spot just by size and ability."

He displayed some of that ability in the spring game when he one of four players to catch at least four passes. Noel Thomas was also on the list of prolific pass catches in the game. As a freshman he was best known as a gunner on the punt coverage teams as he displayed a knack for downing Cole Wagner punts inside the 5.

Diaco said Thomas has made tremendous growth as a player and a person in the last several months and he has put himself into the rotation at receiver.

"I just want to help the team win and anything I can do in a positive way," Thomas said.

So what has Thomas been doing to get ready for his sophomore season?

"I've been running a lot, working out with Coach (Matt) Balis (UConn's strength and conditioning coach, he is an amazing guy, and I just want to make sure I catch everything that is thrown to me."

There are 11 state natives on UConn's two deep chart while others like Tim Boyle, Arkeel Newsome, Steve Hashemi aren't on the two-deep but could see action this season. Here is the list of Nutmeg State natives on the depth chart

Kenton Adeyemi (Wethersfield), No. 2 defensive tackle
Chase Briley (Hartford), No. 2 kicker and No. 2 punter
Casey Cochran (Monroe), starting quarterback
Max DeLorenzo (Berlin), starting tailback
Byron Jones (New Britain), starting cornerback
Cole Ormsby (Windsor), No. 2 defensive end
Sean McQuillan (Glastonbury), starting tight end
Tommy Myers (Coventry), No. 2 tight end
Graham Stewart (Durham), starting linebacker
Noel Thomas (Norwalk), Co-No. 2 receiver
Matt Walsh (Madison), No. 2 fullback

The press conference announcing Casey Cochran as UConn's starting quarterback had not even wrapped up yet when the tweets started pouring in at a fast and furious pace. No, it wasn't Cochran's impressive finish to the 2013 season that generated all the buzz but his mullet. Deadspin got into the act as did many other online entities and that left Cochran practically speechless.

"I didn't even know what to say, it is unbelievable and I never in a million years would have imagined that," Cochran said. "That's a little tough. I guess is the (world) I live in."

Junior linebacker Graham Stewart, was much more receptive to discussing Cochran's hairstyle, however.

"Me and Casey are pretty close and during the offseason we hang out," Stewart said. "He has been working hard on that mullet and for everything to come to fruition with it, that is great. At first a lot of people are like 'what are you doing?' but he had a vision and a path for his mullet and I think the mullet is a great statement. I think people will be rocking the mullet after seeing how he does. I think it is awesome, I am pro mullet 100 percent and I might grow one myself if that is what it takes."

Reuben Frank, with UConn coach Bob Diaco at Saturday's practice, is one
of players who could be asked to play either defensive end or linebacker

Let's make no mistake, it was the creative defensive mind of Bob Diaco that earned him national recognition as one of the nation's top assistant coaches and rising stars. Diaco walked away from a successful situation as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame to try to reinvigorate a program at UConn coming off three straight losing seasons.

The feeling was that after years playing a 4-3 defense that Diaco's Huskies would play primarily a 3-4. Those thoughts were seemingly confirmed when UConn posted a roster with 18 linebackers and nine defensive linemen. Then at American Athletic Conference football media day Diaco stated that he was planning to use four down linemen about 50 percent of the time and would go with a 3-4 alignment the rest of the time. Most of the teams I have covered have played either a 3-4 or 4-3 so I was very intrigued by how this was going to work so after yesterday's practice I asked Diaco if the same players who line up in a three-point stance as a 4-3 defensive end and shift to a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker in the same series or would he need to change personnel to make the move from a 3-4 to a 4-3 or vice versa.

"That facilitates one of those players being that guy who can do both jobs that is why we don't have to sub to get in and out of defenses that look like sub defenses," Diaco said. "Graham (Stewart) will afford even more opportunity because for us, (he is not) the prototypical outside backer, he plays longer and bigger because he is strong, powerful, tough and rugged but he moves as quick and changes direction like a safety."

I asked Diaco if it was a fair assessment that players like Stewart and Reuben Frank will be required to learn more one position. At first he hesitated before responding with "I an going to say yes. For me to minimize the fact that you need to be able to see, move and fundamentally do your work from the two-point (stance) and also the three-point (stance) and that is like nothing, no that is definitely something."

One thing of note is that I count 18 players who have either gained or lost at least six pounds since the end of last season (based on weights on the UConn roster in the 2013 season finale against Memphis and the one currently on the UConn site) and nine of those are either defensive linemen or linebackers. The top guy is redshirt freshman linebacker Junior Joseph who dropped 20 pounds to get down to 242. Offensive guard Zach Rugg and defensive lineman B.J. McBryde are next up having lost 16 and 14 pounds. The top guys in the weight game department are linebacker Cameron Stapleton and receiver Blake Feagles. Stewart is also in that select group as he was listed at 236 pounds last season to his current weight of 227.

Alignment was a major issue for Diaco on the first day of practice. During the spring he was none too pleased watching players line up offsides, not lining up properly and not knowing where they should be lining up. While it wasn't perfect in the first day of preseason camp, he saw tremendous progress.

"I don't mind saying that the program was a long way away, we are closer now," Diaco said. "Practice one fall camp was in sharp contrast to practice one in spring football so it shows the amount of investment made during the spring and specifically post-spring to come back to the summer conditioning program and be able to move forward. I remember saying let's not worry about fall camp, let's see how they come back after three weeks away. Have we made a dent culturally to see how they live. They came back and they were ready to move forward from a training standpoint.

"Everybody participated today, everybody was ready. Twelve men on the field, 10 men on the field, ball security errors, penalties, offsides, things that lack discipline, lining up offsides, not getting aligned, not being in your stance before the ball is snapped, those are all things that we did not want to see at practice today. It wasn't necessarily what we want to see, we have things that we don't want to see so we are still at the point but they have made a lot of ground up in that area."

UConn assistant coaches Don Patterson and Mike Foley speak to the mothers 
of Bobby Puyol and Ellis Marder before Women's Football 101 Clinic

I've been inside the Burton Family Football Complex many times over the last few years but never experienced a night like tonight with the inaugural Women's Football 101 Clinic.

Sean Marinan, Deshon Foxx, Jhavon Williams and Graham Stewart
talk to a group taking part in the Women's Football 101 Clinic at UConn

The appearance of UConn President Susan Herbst drew much of the pre-event publicity but there were other coaches, administrators, moms of current UConn players as well as others from both inside and outside the UConn community."It is going to be a fun night, a way to get everybody involved and meet all of the coaching staff," said Peggy (Walsh) Myers, mother of UConn redshirt freshman tight end Tommy Myers and a star on Geno Auriemma's first women's basketball team at UConn. "There are moms here, alumni, coaches, I think it is a great thing.

"I think it is awesome, I think it is a really good idea to get women involved in the sport and have a good time with all of this."

So what does her son think of all of this?

"He doesn't want me to embarrass him," Meyers said. "I was going to wear his jersey but he said just don't embarrass me."

The moms of quarterback Tim Boyle, kicker Bobby Puyol and defensive back Ellis Marder were among the estimated 200 women who took part in the event.

While this was the brainchild of first-year UConn coach Bob Diaco and something he took part in when he was on Brian Kelly's staff at Central Michigan, it was quarterbacks coach Don Patterson who set the tone for the evening when he told the gathered campers "hopefully you will leave here with more knowledge of football than your significant others."

Those who took part went through tackling and blocking drills, attempted field goals, ran through an agility course, threw some passes, spent time in the weight room and in film study rooms.

"It is just another opportunity to expose UConn Husky football to a whole other group and the give back is 'have you ever been in a football meeting?' so here is a great opportunity to actually sit in football meetings and get on the field coaching just like actual players," Diaco said.

As much fun as those who signed up for the clinic were having, the UConn players who volunteered for the event may have been the ones making the biggest commotion.

An ever present smile was on the face of offensive tackle Paul Nwokeji as he was involved in a blocking and tackling drill, quarterback Chandler Whitmer was there throwing passes but perhaps nobody was enjoying themselves more than linebacker Graham Stewart and defensive back Jhavon Williams who were clearly getting into the spirit that Diaco envisioned this night being all about.

"It is so great," Diaco said. "There are administrators here, there is great support from faculty, there is people from student services, there are parents of players, it is a just a great event.

"We capped it at 200 and it sold out really quickly so if everybody enjoys themselves and tells somebody else we go to 400 and if they tell two people 'what a great time, let's go together next year' now you are at 600 people so we would like to keep escalating it."

Getting back to the Myers family, I asked Peggy how her son likes the new coaching staff and she said "he loves it, Tommy is very fired up."

While it is not an excuse for the way the Huskies have struggled, it should be notes that Friday night could be the first time that UConn could have the services of every defensive player listed on the two-deep chart headed into preseason camp.

The injury bug began when Andrew Adams, a projected starter at safety, injured his shoulder in a blocking drill late in camp. Adams needed to undergo surgery and missed the first four games. A high-ankle sprain suffered in the Maryland game knocked linebacker Graham Stewart out of action for four games. A shoulder issue kept cornerback Taylor Mack out of the lineup for the last four games. David Stevenson, who came into the season as the top reserve cornerback, was suspended for four games.

Now they are all expected to be in action when the Huskies host Louisville on Friday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN2).

Mack's return could be the most important considering how much the young secondary has been exposed over the last couple of games.

"(He's practicing) in pads, all the tests are positive," Mack said. "I spent the bye week in pads and I’m doing light contact, I do it every day and see how it feels. The way that the tests look and the way my shoulder is now, I will be cleared to play."

Mack's absence was due to a nerve issue with his shoulder and neck after he made a hit in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner to score a touchdown.

"My whole shoulder, neck, arm went numb, it was more intense pain than it was before," Mack said.

"I am working every single day trying to get my shoulder right, with the nerve in my neck and there is no electricity to give you the strength back in my arm," Mack said. "It is frustrating because you want to get back and there is nothing you can do. They say patience is a virtue. I prayed and luckily I should be able to come back (against Louisville). It was the play when I hit Devin Gardner going into the end zone.

Stewart returned to action in a 62-17 loss to Central Florida but he is still not 100 percent.

"I’ve been (practicing) since the UCF week so that is my time frame to get back but I have been trying to get back since Buffalo but ankle (injuries) are annoying," Stewart said.

"At the end of the day it is the kind of injury that it is going to nag you no matter what you do and the training staff has been taking good care of me and I am feeling better."

Stewart believes the Huskies can still salvage the season even if it won't result in a trip to a bowl game.

"I feel a sense of urgency," Stewart said. "I am glad to be back and I need to make plays. The season hasn’t gone our way but the season is not over, we can turn it around with this game and win out. That is what we want to do but I am trying to work hard, get back in the swing of things and put us in position to win.

"My reps are limited during practice and during a game. It is whatever I can do I am out there to do. It is a tough situation to be in because I know what I can do but my body is not letting me, whether it is I can’t cut or I can’t accelerate like I want to."

It is not Stewart's first brush with injury since he transferred from Florida. Last year he tore his pectoral muscle while trying to max out in the bench press.

"That is the worst thing that you can do is feel sorry for yourself," Stewart said. "Maybe it is some bad luck but all I can do is focus on the next  day and know it is going to get better.

"Through any adversity that you go through in life you always have to stay positive. There is no use of being negative or feeling down on yourself because you snap your finger and anything can change. Primarily what I am focused on is how can I get better and how can I help the team and at the end of the day that is all I can worry about."

UConn released its depth chart for Friday's game against Louisville and the most noteworthy change came at quarterback when redshirt freshman Casey Cochran is listed as the No. 2 QB instead of former starter Chandler Whitmer.

Since freshman Tim Boyle replaced Whitmer as the starting quarterback, Cochran is the only other quarterback to see the field for the Huskies. Cochran was 2 for 3 for 11 yards against Cincinnati and was 7 of 11 for 95 yards including a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Lemelle in a loss to Central Florida.

Whitmer started the first four games and passed for 896 yards with five touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Obviously I will have more on this tomorrow when we meet up with UConn interim coach T.J. Weist and selected players on the weekly media interview session.

Also, senior Tyler Bullock is listed as the starting right offensive guard but also as the second stringer at left guard, a spot previous held down by freshman Kyle Schafenacker.

Cornerback Taylor Mack is back in the two-deep but listed as the backup to Jhavon Williams.. Linebacker Graham Stewart is also back on the two-deep chart. Like Mack he began the season as a starter before being sidelined by injury.

Also, more than 30,000 tickets are already out for the next two home games against Louisville on Friday and against Rutgers on Nov. 30.

While linebacker Graham Stewart is expected to be back after missing the last four games with a high-ankle sprain, it is not sounding good for cornerback Taylor Mack to get onto the field for UConn on Saturday.

"He tried to go a little bit and really couldn’t do much so he is going to be a game-time decision for us," UConn interim coach T.J. Weist said on a conference call earlier today. "He has not had much contact this week so we are not sure if he is going to go."

Freshman Jhavon Williams is set to make his fourth straight start at cornerback in Mack's absence.

Although Stewart and Ryan Donohue, who were starting linebackers before getting injured, are both expected back against UCF Jefferson Ashiru and Marquise Vann figure to be the starting outside linebackers.

It has not been the easiest of senior seasons for starting right offensive tackle Kevin Friend.

Friend missed the season opener as he recovered from a concussion suffered in practice. He returned the next week against Maryland but injured his ankle after he was pushed to the ground during the first quarter. He attempted to come back in and play but simply couldn't put enough weight on the ankle to play. He missed the last two games as well. However, on a conference call earlier today interim UConn coach T.J. Weist said Friend has been able to practice all week long.

"Kevin has practiced, basically all week and he looks better in terms of being able to go," Weist said. "We are taking it day by day but he has practiced well."

That would be a major boost for the UConn offense as Friend's replacements (Xavier Hemingway and Dalton Gifford) are still a bit raw and have struggled.

When he met with the media on Tuesday Weist discussed the impact that Friend could have on a struggling offense if he were able to return.

"If your starting tackles are out on either end you’ve got problems. We haven’t had the depth, the quality of depth that we need to step up and take their place. Obviously we need that and we can’t go on the waiver wire to get more guys so yes he is very important for us, any offensive line that has movement, that has guys moving around."

Of the players considered to be questionable, WR Kamal Abrams seems to be the most likely to play against South Florida followed by Friend, CB Taylor Mack and WR Shakim Phillips. Don't expect to see either LB Graham Stewart or DB Andrew Adams out there on Saturday.

Weist said that Phillips practiced yesterday and today will be a key day to see how his tender hamstring feels.

"We’ll see how he feels," Weist said. "Taylor Mack practiced and he is still questionable. He looks a little bit better and we will find out at practice today.  Andrew Adams had a little bit of contact yesterday, he is truly questionable coming off of surgery so he is just starting back into contact from that standpoint. Kamal has practiced and he is almost full go for us and he is ready to go. Stewart is not probable, he hasn’t practiced for us."

It's looking like cornerback Taylor Mack will be back when UConn hosts South Florida on Saturday. On the weekly American Athletic Conference call interim head coach T.J. Weist said starting right offensive tackle Kevin Friend was able to practice on a limited basis on Sunday and he hopes to get him back as well.

"Friend looks good, he practiced a little the other day," Wesit said. "He is still questionable and once we do get him back, hopefully we get him back for this game, it will solidify that offensive line which is what we need. If you are weak at one spot, it really weakens the whole thing. We’ll see if I can get him out to practice tomorrow, he will still be questionable for us but if I can get him back that would really help our offensive line."

Neither WR Shakim Phillips nor LB Graham Stewart has returned to practice yet and it doesn't sound like Stewart is coming back soon.

"(Shakim) Phillips hasn’t practiced yet, he is still questionable," Weist said. "That hamstring is going on a little longer than we thought. We will take it day by day with him and it would be a bonus if we can get him back.

"He hasn’t been back, he has still been walking around in a boot, we will see if we get him back but I don’t think it is going to be any time soon."

The biggest surprise on the two-deep chart which was released yesterday was seeing Andrew Adams listed as a second-stringer safety. Adams saw plenty of time last season in nickel packages and he was in line to be a starting safety before he injured his shoulder in a blocking drill late in preseason camp. The thought was he would miss about eight games if he was able to come back at all. However. he was out there doing some non-contact drills on Sunday.

"(Adams) is questionable more than anything," Weist said. "He practiced the other day but it was no contact, he was really just getting out there and getting loose. He has come back pretty fast, he has come back pretty strong but he hasn’t really taken that first hit yet. We are not going to depend on him, it would be a bonus if we get him but he did practice some on the non-contact period so we will kind of see and kind of go from there."

So what would Adams' return mean to the secondary which has been pressing freshmen into duty because of injuries.

"It is unbelievable because he is such a good leader and the players respect him," Weist said. "When you’ve got a guy like that who has played a lot of football, the guys back there respect him and he gives you that solid force that you need in the secondary. We have some young guys around him who can so ‘OK, here’s a guy who is going to recognize formations and those things.’ He adds that maturity and experience."

Weist talked about the week in general and it was a week ago today when Paul Pasqualoni was let go as head coach and offensive line George DeLeone was also fired.

"It’s been a tough week for us last week obviously going through some transition, starting out 0-4 and not reaching our expectations," Weist said. "It is always tough to go through change and decide who is going to take over and how they are going to do it. Our players have responded well and they have done a good job from that standpoint. This offseason we had three good practices, we gave our players a little bit of time off. We are looking forward this week to getting back and playing football going up against a good South Florida team that did a good job against Cincinnati. Our guys are excited, it has been tough but our guys are excited to get back to football and really get a fresh start with a different perspective for me as a head coach, our coaching staff and making some changes."

It was also announced that the Oct. 19 game against Cincinnati will start at noon

It's looking more and more like it will be the dreaded "game-time decision" status for UConn's three injured starters.

On a conference call with the media earlier this afternoon, UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said he considers offensive tackle Kevin Friend, wide receiver Shakim Phillips and linebacker Graham Stewart to be questionable which was also how he referred to them on Tuesday.

"We are going to look at them again today," Pasqualoni said. "Kevin is moving around, Shak is moving around, Graham is moving around. As we go out to practice, we are going to look at them today. I would say they are questionable as of this afternoon.

"We have all day Saturday. We have our meetings and all of that so we will get a real good evaluation by Saturday game time."

So if Phillips, who has the most receiving yards through two games as any UConn receiver since 1989, can't do who will replace him?

"John Green will go in," Pasqualoni said, "John did in and did a good job last week. We are working a bunch of people, Dhameer Bradley, Noel Thomas, Thomas Lucas trying to bring him along as well as he is a tall kind of a same type of guy as Shak so we are working those guys and it is just a matter of how much we can get them, how much they can get ready and what they can get ready to do by Saturday."

This is where the departure of Tebucky Jones, coming off a big game in Fordham's win over Temple and Ricky Gutierrez, one of the more impressive receivers during spring ball, hurts the Huskies since the last three receivers Pasqualoni mentioned are true freshmen with Lucas not moving over to offense until late in preseason camp.

If Friend can't go or if hobbled by a high-ankle sprain, Xavier Hemingway and Dalton Gifford are the candidates to step in at right tackle.

"We are optimistic for Kevin but we are working Dalton Gifford and Xavier Hemingway," Pasqualoni said.

Considering how much Hemingway has struggled filling in for Friend in the first two games and Pasqualoni admitting - at least in the Towson game - that he wished he had given him some help I asked Pasqualoni whether it will change the way he utilizes his fullbacks and tight ends in an attempt to keep quarterback Chandler Whitmer protected.

"There are a few things you can do in the protection that can help over there," Pasqualoni said. "It is not always just keeping another guy in, sometimes you can slide the line, you can keep another guy in, you can roll out away from it so we have all of those mechanisms and we are certainly aware of it."

Junior receiver Shakim Phillips was pretty confident that his tender hamstring will not keep him out of Saturday's game against No. 15 Michigan while senior offensive tackle Kevin Friend is another of the key players undergoing multiple treatments a day in an attempt to get back on the field.

"I feel good, I am all right. I think I will be (able to play)," said Phillips, who was injured during his 75-yard touchdown reception in the loss to Maryland.."Around like the 20 I felt something. When you are in the game you kind of feel something but there is no way I am going to stop now. I am not going to quit or anything like that so I felt running and tried to push through it. It feels a lot better than it did on Saturday, I am just doing rehab three times a day trying to get to get back as fast as possible.

"It happens and that is just the way the game works. I just have to keep doing treatments and I will be all right. I feel a lot better, I am able to move a lot better. It wasn’t really bad, bad where I couldn’t walk but I did need some help"

If Phillips is frustrated, imagine what Friend is going through. He missed the season-opening loss to Towson due to concussion-like symptoms and was able to get back in the mix only to get knocked out of the game in the first half.

"It is so frustrating," Friend said. "I wish I could be out there because I could help us be better as a team.

"I do what they tell me. I am doing everything I can do to get back and make some plays."

Friend suffered a high-ankle sprain when he was pushed to the ground by a Maryland defender. Friend got up slowly and started to line up when he was pulled from the game. He did return but was pulled from the game again and this time he did not return.

"It was terrible," Friend said. "I was so psyched for the game, the adrenaline is rushing and I was doing pretty good and (it happening) early in the first quarter too I was so frustrated, I felt awful watching my team knowing that they need me out there, It is disappointing, I am a competitor and I want to compete."

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said he considers Friend, Phillips and starting linebacker Graham Stewart question for the Michigan game.

"They are working hard doing their part for the rehab part," Pasqualoni said. (UConn athletic trainer) Bob Howard is working on them as hard as he can and the kids are working as hard as they can. We’ll have to see how it goes, they are getting a little bit better. They were a little better yesterday and a little better today so we will see how it goes."

If Graham Stewart wondered whether he made the right decision when he left Florida to transfer to UConn so he could be closer to home they disappeared late last week.

Stewart's sister was getting married on the same day that UConn opened its preseason camp. As passionate as Stewart is about football, he knew that this is one day that football was second on his list of priorities so he missed the opening practice with the blessing of UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni.

“That was tough for me,” Stewart said. “I told her ‘look, I am just not going to be there.’ All jokes aside, I am so happy for my sister. I did miss the first practice which did suck but I am here now and I am not going anywhere.

“It was awesome. You never know how it is going to go until you see you sister or your brother walking down that aisle but it was an emotional, happy time.”

Stewart admits it would have been a tougher scenario if he were still enrolled at Florida,

“Would I have been able to come all the way back if I was in Florida, the chances behind that are probably slim to none,” Stewart said. “It meant a lot for me to be there and be a groomsman and just see my sister being wed.”

It didn’t take long after Stewart hit the practice field for him to earn a spot with the starting unit alongside All-American candidate Yawin Smallwood and Ryan Donohue as UConn tries to move on after losing Jory Johnsn and Sio Moore (who combined to start 59 career games) to graduation.

“Being able to sit out last year, watching them and watching film the good thing was I was able to pick up the good traits from both of them,” Stewart said. “They are both guys who can play in the NFL and Sio is excelling (with the Oakland Raiders). I see myself fitting into Sio’s old role but putting my own stamp on the position.“I feel strong being able to pass rush and blitz but at the same time being able to cover a lot of ground.”

As much as Stewart is eager to make impact plays for the revamped UConn defense, he is driven even more by helping UConn shake off the frustration from back to back 5-7 seasons. Winning is nothing new to Stewart as he came out of the highly-successful Xavier program. Stewart joins redshirt freshman defensive end Sean Marinan and true freshman quarterback Tim Boyle to give the Huskies three Xavier graduates on the roster. The strong-armed Boyle has made an immediate impression during the first week of preseason camp.

“We are proud of that,” Stewart said. “We come from a program that is used to winning and we want to win. Sean is my closest friend and Tim is out slinging the ball and looking like Tom Brady which I know he wants to. I have a long extensive history with Tim, I know the type of person Tim is and Tim is the kind of guy who is always in the film room studying and he is a football junkie. He is going to do what it takes to get the job done at the end of the day.”