Former UConn receiver Geremy Davis had a rather uneventful rookie season after the New York Giants took him in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft.

I've been seeing multiple reports where Davis has been working with the first-team offense. Some of that could be a result of players being held out of the Organized Team Activities but it gives Davis a chance to show what he can do.

Quarterback Eli Manning gave his thoughts on Davis in an interview posted on the Giants official site.

"Geremy is a bright guy," Manning said. "He knows the offense very well. He studies hard. He’s really in tune with what his assignments are. He’s got great size. He’s one of our bigger receivers. You can move him around and put him in different spots. He’s going to be really keyed into what his assignment is, so that’s always helpful. Hopefully, he can step up and get on a roll and make some plays for us come game time."

Also, Shamar Stephen returned to the field for the Vikings at their OTA sessions and here's a story about him posted on the Vikings' official site.

While this won't come as a surprise to anybody who followed Geremy Davis' career at UConn, it is still obvious that his work ethic and professional attitude is impressing folks at the New York Giants training camp.

“I think he’s come a long way,” Giants wide receivers coach Sean Ryan said in a blog on the Giants official site. “The thing I really like about him is that he’s really serious. I mean, for a rookie he’s serious about his business. And he’s been that way since day one — he’s a note taker, he pays attention to everything, he’s detailed, he is as good of a worker as you can ask for with a maturity level, for a rookie, that is outstanding. And that is really what’s been most impressive to me.”

While Davis, a sixth-round pick of the Giants, faces plenty of competition to make the final roster, it is clear he is doing everything he can to make the team.

Byron Jones, just the second UConn player to be taken in the first round, drew praise from star receiver Dez Bryant when he not only ran stride for stride with Bryant but knocked a pass out of the hands of one of the NFL's top receivers.

“That was a good job by him because I had it,” Bryant said in a Dallas Morning News blog. “He had my right arm. I practice on my left and my right enough. I had my eyes glued to the ball. He just made an outstanding play. He ripped it out.”

Also former UConn star and second-year pro Shamar Stephen is listed at No. 2 at nose tackle on the most recent depth chart released by the Minnesota Vikings.

Stephen had a solo rookie season outperforming most of the players taken ahead of him in the draft. Stephen was the 35th defensive linemen selected but only first-round pick Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams and second rounder Ego Ferguson of the Chicago Bears had more tackles than the 23 recorded by Stephen.

When they teamed together at UConn both Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed the ability to be around the ball. That hasn't changed as they moved to the NFL.

Over the last three games Moore and Wreh-Wilson have combined for 49 tackles.

Moore finished with 50 tackles in 15 games during a solid rookie season but he already had 43 tackles in five games this season including 24 over the last three games

Wreh-Wilson didn't have more than six tackles in his first 17 regular-season NFL games but he has topped that number in each of the last three games. He has 41 tackles in seven games after making 13 stops in 13 games as a rookie.

It also caught by eye that eight former UConn defenders saw time in NFL games this week and Shamar Stephen of the Minnesota Vikings was the only one to be on the winning team.

Here is the breakdown:
Will Beatty, OT New York Giants: Bye week
Donald Brown, RB San Diego: Was inactive (concussion)
Darius Butler, CB Indianapolis: Had seven tackles in 51-34 loss to Pittsburgh
Marcus Easley, WR Buffalo: Was inactive (knee)
Dwayne Gratz, CB Jacksonville: Had one tackle in 27-13 loss to Miami
Ryan Griffin, TE Houston: Did not have catch in 30-16 win over Tennessee
Danny Lansanah, LB Tampa Bay: Had two tackles including tackle for loss in 19-13 loss to Minnesota
Robert McClain, CB Atlanta: Had four tackles in 22-21 loss to Detroit
Sio Moore, LB Oakland: Had nine tackles including two tackles for loss in 23-13 loss to Cleveland
Dan Orlovsky, QB, Detroit: Did nit play in 22-21 win over Atlanta
Kendall Reyes, DT San Diego: Had one tackle in 35-21 loss to Denver
Anthony Sherman, FB Kansas City: Had one catch for 24 yards and threw key block on Knile Davis' kickoff return for TD in 34-7 win over St. Louis
Shamar Stephen, DT Minnesota: Had two tackles in 19-13 win over Tampa Bay
Jordan Todman, RB Jacksonville: Returned two kickoffs for 52 yards, ran twice for 10 yards and had two catches for no yards in 27-13 loss to Miami
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB Tennessee: Had seven tackles in 30-16 loss to Houston

When Sio Moore had to be taken off the field in a stretcher in a preseason game against Green Bay there were concerns that his promising pro career was over almost before it even got started.

Well, Moore announced that he was healthy and ready to go with a sensational effort in a season-opening 19-14 loss to the New York Jets as Moore not only had a career-high 13 tackles but also a sack and two forced fumbles. Tyvon Branch had a sack in the same game, Robert McClain an interception in the end zone against future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and Shamar Stephen recorded his first career tackle to top the first UConn alumni report of the NFL season.

Will Beatty, Giants: Started at left tackle in 35-14 loss to Lions.
Tyvon Branch, Raiders: Had seven tackles and a sack in 19-14 loss to Jets
Donald Brown, Chargers: Had two carries for minus 2 yards in 18-17 loss to Arizona
Darius Butler, Colts: Had four tackles in 31-24 loss to Broncos
Marcus Easley, Bills: Had two tackles in 23-20 overtime win over Bears
Dwayne Gratz, Jaguars: Had four tackles in 34-17 loss to Eagles
Ryan Griffin, Texans: Had six-yard catch in 17-6 win over Washington
Danny Lansanah, Buccaneers: Had one tackle in 20-14 loss to Panthers
Robert McClain, Falcons: Had five tackles and interception in 37-34 overtime win over Saints
Sio Moore, Raiders; Had 13 tackles and a sack in 19-14 loss to Jets
Dan Orlovsky, Lions: Did not play in 35-14 win over Giants
Kendall Reyes, Chargers: Had one tackle in 18-17 loss to Arizona
Anthony Sherman, Chiefs: Had a four-yard run in 26-10 loss to Titans
Shamar Stephen, Vikings: Had one tackle in 34-6 win over Rams
Jordan Todman: Ran three times for six yards, had a five-yard catch and 36 yards on two kickoff returns in 34-17 loss to Eagles.
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Titans: Had three tackles in 26-10 win over Chiefs

Ryan Griffin and Nick Williams were teammates and classmates at UConn as well as underutilized offensive options with the Huskies. They have something else in common, they both had touchdown catches and led their teams in catches in yesterday's preseason games highlighting a day when 11 former UConn products were not only in action by many of them played starring roles.

Griffin had five catches (on five targets) for 71 yards and a 31-yard touchdown reception with 59 seconds remaining in the Houston Texans' 18-17 win over Denver. Griffin's TD pulled the Texans within a point and Tom Savage connected with Travis Laphart for the go-ahead two-point conversion.

Williams caught three passes (on four targets) for 17 yards highlighted by a 7-yard touchdown with 5:03 left to play in Washington's 23-17 loss to Baltimore. It was the second straight game with a TD catch for Williams who is making a late bid for a roster spot among a very crowded group of receivers in Washington.

On the other side of the ball, Danny Lansanah and Shamar Stephen earned starts to help Tampa Bay and Minnesota post victories.

Lansanah had five tackles, one shy of the team lead, and a tackle for a loss in the 27-14 win over Buffalo. I've been a Buccaneers fan since living in Florida in the mid-1980s and I cover UConn so perhaps I'm paying more attention to this than most people but I think Lansanah is one of the better stories to emerge out of the preseason as he has been bouncing around trying to land a spot in the NFL and it certainly looks like he will be there when the Buccaneers select their 53-man roster.

Stephen, a seventh-round pick by the Vikings, has been opening eyes in Minnesota's camp. He drew the start in place of an injured Linval Joseph and had three solo tackles in the 30-12 win over Kansas City.

Lawrence Wilson had three tackles in the St. Louis Rams' 33-14 win over Cleveland 

Former UConn offensive tackle Will Beatty got the start at left tackle in last night's preseason game against Indianapolis in his first live game action since suffering a broken leg in the 2013 regular-season finale.

Courtesy of the transcript on the Giants official site, here are some thoughts from Beatty, who according to reports was in the game for about 10-12 snaps.

"I felt good out there, but I'd feel a lot better with a win. I felt like I had an average performance, but I don't want to be average. I want to be extraordinary."

In the same game former UConn DB Darius Butler had a nice play for the Colts resulting in a diving interception on an Eli Manning pass intended for Victor Cruz but one of his teammates was called for an illegal contact penalty wiping out the interception.

As for the game, former Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib led the Giants to a come from behind 27-26 win.

Shamar Stephen, the first UConn player taken in May's NFL draft, continues to impress for the Minnesota Vikings. The seventh-round pick received work with the starters and recorded three tackles in a 30-28 win over Arizona.

As for some of the other former Huskies in action last night, Danny Lansanah had two tackles in Tampa Bay's 20-14 loss to Miami and Kashif Moore had a 12-yard catch in Pittsburgh's 19-16 win over Buffalo while Lawrence Wilson had a tackle in the St. Louis Rams' 21-7 loss to Green Bay.

MAJOR HONOR FOR JENNINGS
Former UConn defensive end Teddy Jennings was named to the All-Arena Football League first team after finishing his rookie season with a team-leading 11 sacks for the Philadelphia Soul.

Jennings recorded 5 1/2 sacks in back to back games against Iowa and Orlando. He finished fourth in the league in sacks and seventh with 11 1/2 tackles for loss despite missing three games.

Jennings and Portland defensive back Varmah Sonie, who had nine interceptions, were the only rookies selected to the AFL defensive first team.

The NFL is holding a rookie symposium to try to help the next wave of promising prospects make the often difficult transition from college life.

Something tells me the first-year players with the San Diego Chargers don't need to head at a week-long group of seminars but merely spend some time with third-year defensive end Kendall Reyes.

If ever there was a visual of a professional athlete who "gets it", the festivities on the playing fields outside the Boys and Girls Club of Nashua yesterday during the second annual R.E.Y.E.S (Re-engaging Youth through Exercise and Sport) Family Field Day would certainly do the trick. Reyes was not merely the face of the event but he was at the forefront of every activity, engaging with the people who turned out, posing for photos and acting like anything but the resident NFL star. Of all the people who turned out for the event, it's highly unlikely any of them enjoyed themselves more than Reyes himself.

Reyes joins Donald Brown (now his teammate in San Diego) and Darius Butler as the only UConn products to be taken in the top 50 picks in the NFL Draft. He is the first kid from Nashua, N.H. to play in the NFL since linebacker Kole Ayi played a total of 12 games with St. Louis and New England during the 2001 and 2002 seasons and the first one to be drafted since tackle Herb Wester went in the fifth round of the 1988 draft. But there is so much more to Reyes than being the Big Man on Campus.

Even though he has started 20 regular-season games during his first two NFL seasons, including all 16 during the 2013 season, Reyes has not forgotten his roots.

Before he was attracting college recruiters to his games at Nashua North High School or playing a pivotal role in UConn playing in its first BCS bowl game, he was like one of the more than 200 kids who turned out on Saturday. The Nashua Boys and Girls Club was once his sanctuary, a place where he not only became a better athlete but a more well-rounded person as well.

"I spent a good amount of years mostly from fourth to sixth grade when my family needed me here," Reyes said. "The Boys and Girls Club, they had my back and our entire family's back. That is where I spent the bulk of my years here, they were very pivotal years growing up."

So when it came time for Reyes to organize an event in his hometown, it was only natural that the Boys and Girls Club and Nashua Police Athletic League would be at the forefront of the feel-good event. So shortly after the San Diego Chargers wrapped up mini-camp, Reyes was "on the first thing smoking out of San Diego, I hoped on the field flight I could and I came out.

"Giving back, that is just part of who I am. It is just the fact that I actually get to do it. I can get everybody together to do something for the community out in Nashua and basically all of Southern New Hampshire. Basically it is a blessing and I am so glad I get to do it, working with all of these people who are willing to give up some time and make sure these kids have a great time. That is what it is about at the end of the day, that this kids have a truly great experience that they can go and remember and help them in any facet of their lives."

When the inaugural event was held last year Stellos Stadium was the site but this year Reyes and the other event organizers decided to hold it at the Boys and Girls Club. So on the fields at Grand Avenue there was an obstacle course, dunking tank, 3 on 3 basketball games and a variety of other events set up.

"It's great," Reyes said. "I would say the first year was definitely the learning curve so you learn from that and I brought it back second year. I wanted it to do it here at the Boys and Girls Club of Nashua, it is a great location and it is easier for us to set everything up. The turnout is great, we have a bunch of food for everyone, the kids are having a blast and I am going out and playing games with them. I really couldn't ask for anything better."

This weekend was all about giving back and reconnecting with people who helped Reyes become the first player from Nashua to start an NFL game since Greg Landry in 1984. In about a month he will be back in San Diego looking to become a more consistently effective player in his third season with the Chargers.

"We put some good things together, we have some solid players and now we have to figure it out," said Reyes, who has 62 tackles and 10.5 sacks in his first two NFL seasons. "We have a solid team so it is just being consistent and things are looking good for us in 2014. You learn so much in this game, every year you learn more about the game, learn more about yourself. It is always adapting and molding to the game. Adaptability and ability to stay healthy, that is a huge part of it, taking care of your body and mentally staying with it is all a huge part of it."

He has a familiar face on board as the Chargers signed Brown, the only UConn player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, in the offseason. When Reyes was a freshman Brown enjoyed a record-setting season with the Huskies as he ran for 2,083 yards and 18 touchdowns. While he's not going to reach those numbers this season with the Chargers, it didn't take long for Brown and Reyes to take trips down memory lane.

"Don's out there, we have gone golfing a few times and he is a solid dude," Reyes said. "I always looked up to him and now that he is on our locker room I still look up to him, the type of leadership he has, he is an excellent teammate and he always puts his team first and I always admired him."

Reyes admits his delight at seeing the ever expanding number of his former UConn teammates making it into the NFL.

"We all still chat it up and get together whenever we play against each other, it is awesome," Reyes said. "There are so many of us that are in the league now. Back at UConn we would also talk about the league and now we are there so it is dreams coming true. So many guys that made it and so many guys that are about to come on up, we have done some good things and clearly there is talent in Connecticut."

The most recent additions are defensive tackle Shamar Stephen and linebacker Yawin Smallwood, taken in the seventh round of last month's draft by Minnesota and Atlanta respectively.

"I was excited to see them drafted. I hit them up to tell them I was proud of them and now it is starts," Reyes said.

Byron Jones, who will be a senior cornerback on the 2014 UConn squad, figures to be up next as he was rated as one of the top five senior prospects at his position by one NFL draft analyst.

"He was a freak athlete since the day he showed up," Reyes said. "He is doing his thing and as long as he continues to work hard and continue to get better he is going to be a solid player."

Reyes admits that when he comes back into New England, he tends to gravitate to Nashua rather than head back to UConn but he said he has been getting positive progress reports on how things are progressing up new head coach Bob Diaco.

"I am not going to lie it is pretty tough getting back there," Reyes said. "I live year round in San Diego, I have a huge commitment here in New Hampshire. I go back when I can but it is pretty tough going back. I have heard a lot of good things about the coaching staff, even some of the former players I am in contact with, they love the (staff) and the changes."

Finally, I would have been remiss had I not asked Reyes for his reaction to the death of San Diego sports icon Tony Gwynn, who lost his battle with cancer last week.

"It is not news you want to hear," Reyes said.  "I can definitely empathize with his son Tony Gwynn Jr. and his family (Reyes' father Gerard passed away in February at the age of 49). I was at an event with him but I never got too close. The whole Chargers' organization we went down to the stadium and visited his statue so the community loved him."

Former UConn defensive tackle Shamar Stephen signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Stephen, the team MVP of the 2013 UConn squad, was taken by the Vikings in the seventh round.

According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press Stephen will receive a signing bonus of $65,148 with his four-year deal worth $2.285 million.

There was a transcript up on the Minnesota Vikings official site of head coach Mike Zimmer's thoughts after the first day of rookie minicamp. He was asked a couple of questions about former UConn defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, a seventh-round pick of the team.

Q: What do you see from Shamar Stephen?
 A: Yeah he’s been out here a couple of days and he’s got some good power with him. I think he’s going to be a bigger guy once he gets a little more into the weight program, but he’s got great quickness, great quick hands. He’s got a chance down the road too.

Q: He’s already at 300, do you see a weight you want him at?
 A: Well I think he can develop a little more in his upper body. I haven’t talked to the strength coaches about weights and where we want them to be at and where they can get to at this point. We’ll have that conversation probably in the next two weeks.

FORMER UCONN DB SIGNED BY JAGUARS
Safety Jerome Junior, who spent his first three collegiate seasons at UConn before finishing up at Winston-Salem State, was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars after earning a tryout at the recently-completed rookie minicamp.

Junior had 167 tackles in 37 games at UConn from 2009-11. He had six career interceptions as a Husky including a team-leading four during the 2010 season.

Junior and running back Beau Blankenship were two players who attended training camp on a tryout basis signed by the team. There were 24 others, including former UConn defensive end Tim Willman, who had tryouts with the Jaguars but left without being signed.

Former UConn offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett was feeling pretty good about things as he saw ex teammates Shamar Stephen and Yawin Smallwood taken in the seventh round in the NFL Draft. However, there was more good news coming his way before the draft came to an end.

Right before the name of the final player taken in the three-day draft Bennett received a call from the Cincinnati Bengals telling him that they were signing him as a free agent. UPDATE 5/12 at 6 p.m.: Bennett was not on the list of 10 players signed as undrafted rookie free agents. The Bengals would not confirm whether  Bennett came in and did not pass a physical saying that they signed the 10 college free agents who came in and passed physicals and that the team does not have any players in camp on solely a tryout basis.

"I never talked to them before the draft so it was really surprising but it was cool nonetheless, I am happy," said Bennett, who is flying out to Cincinnati this afternoon. "They called me right before Mr. Irrelevant was announced they called me to let me know.

"It was just the Bengals, they said ‘you are signed, you are good.’ I obviously haven’t played football in a while and it is exciting to get back into football. There are a lot of things that I don’t know what to expect, it is a lot of anticipation and what is going to happen."

Bennett had an injury-plagued career as he was one of the rare players to be granted a sixth season of eligibility. He started every game over the last two seasons at left tackle and also got some positive reviews for his performance in the Medal of Honor Bowl.

"For me it is exciting, it was one of those goals because everybody wants to play in the NFL," Bennett said. "I’ve taken a few hits and had some setbacks at times but you have to get that out of your mind, get to work and focus on staying there. There are a lot of different things running through my head. It is exciting but it is also kind of nerve wracking at the same time."

Yesterday Bennett was with former teammate Steve Greene, an offensive guard who started alongside Bennett for the last two years and Bennett said that Greene is receiving an tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also, I have seen a report that DE Jesse Joseph will receive a tryout with the Chicago Bears. The Bears should have a pretty good idea what Joseph is capable of as former UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni is the team's defensive line coach.

Duane Forde @DuaneFordeTSN
DE Jesse Joseph, a 2013 Alouettes draft pick out of UConn has been invited to mini camp with the Bears, no contract.

 I haven't heard anything about the other UConn players getting free agent contracts or invitations to try out at rookie mini camp.

Bennett was thrilled to see Stephen get taken by Minnesota and Smallwood go to Atlanta,

"I was very nervous there for a while," Bennett said. "I didn’t think they were going to. It is nice to see their names come across the TV. It’s great seeing guys you went school with making it, especially Yawin because he came out early. He didn’t go as high as he thought but it happens."

Former UConn quarterback Mike Box, who transferred to Division II Indiana (Pa,) University, will be heading to the Washington Redskins rookie mini-camp

IUP Crimson Hawks @IUPCrimsonHawk
Former #IUPFB QB Mike Box (@AutoBox_5) has been invited by the Washington Redskins to their rookie mini camp beginning on May 16.

Former UConn DB Tevrin Brandon, who transferred to Monmouth, will be at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp

Chris Shanafelt @ChrisShanafelt
The Kansas City Chiefs will be signing former UConn/Monmouth CB, Tevrin Brandon.

I just listened to a video of the post-draft press conference with Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

Spielman said that with three seventh-round picks, he was considering trading one of them to pick up a sixth-round selection in next year's draft but not with Stephen still on the board.

"When you have a big guy him to be sitting there, we were not going to trade that pick," Spielman said.

He also said that after he selected UConn's team MVP that some rival GMs texted him with "he was our guy" responses.

Here's some of Spielman's other thoughts on landing Stephen.

"He's a strong physical nose tackle," Spielman said. "He's another player high on our board at the time when we were picking. I did not feel like he was not going to be there much longer. This guy will come in and compete as an interior player for us. We really enjoyed visit with him, trying to create as much competition as we possibly can."

Perhaps he had to wait a little bit longer than he was anticipating before he heard his name called in the NFL Draft, but once Shamar Stephen spoke with the Minnesota Vikings coaches there was a sense of exhilaration when Minnesota took him in the seventh round.

"Every minute goes by slower and slower but I am blessed with the opportunity to be able to play," Stephen said.

"It is a long wait, I want to come in, prove I can play and be a factor for them next year," Stephen said. "I am not trying to worry about what round I got drafted, I just want to make the team and show people I can play."

Stephen had 60 tackles as a senior including a team-high 10 tackles for loss to go with three sacks as he was named the team’s most valuable player. He had 130 tackles including 17 tackles for loss during

It was the eighth straight year that at least one UConn player was taken in the draft and 22 Huskies have been drafted since 2005.

Stephen took a visit to Minnesota in late April and felt comfortable in his meetings with the coaches and the scheme that they play.

"They definitely showed me a lot of love, just the scheme and everything that they did," Stephen said.

Making the day all the more special was that he was surrounded by family and friends when he got the call.

"It means everything for me and my family," Stephen said. "It is a great opportunity for me and my family and I am trying to come out here and prove to everybody I can play and be able to be a factor for this team.

"Everybody was excited for me, everybody was happy for me. I definitely have to thank my family for all the support and thank my friends for all the support. It was definitely a great moment for me."

Former UConn stars Yawin Smallwood and Shamar Stephen expected
to be taken on either Firday or Saturday in NFL draft.

These next few days are going to be anxious ones for the former UConn players who have put themselves in position to get their names called in the NFL Draft.

Last year five UConn players were drafted and a total of eight made it into NFL camps. That number is expected to be significantly smaller this time around but linebacker Yawin Smallwood and defensive lineman Shamar Stephen are expected to be drafted while defensive end Jesse Joseph has met with a few NFL teams since UConn's pro day.

I've found it beneficial to reach out to those people who have played a significant role in the NFL Draft process. So yesterday I spent a few minutes with Tony Villani, a well-respected trainer who counts Jamal Lewis, Hines Ward, Takeo Spikes and Osi Umenyiora among some of his clients during his 12 years in charge of XPE Sports.

Villani began working with Smallwood in January and to say he was impressed with UConn's leading tackler in the 2012 and 2013 would be an understatement.

"The linebacker I love a lot and worked with for 12 years was Takeo Spikes" Villani said. "He is like a longer, rangier Takeo Spikes. His strength, his movement, his attitude all of that reminds me of Takeo, he is more of a stretched out version of a Takeo Spikes."

Spikes was a first-round pick by Cincinnati in the 1998 NFL Draft. He has recorded more than 1,400 career tackles and earned All-Pro honors twice so that's pretty high praise.

So what impresses Villani the most about Smallwood?

"His physical size and his ability for that size," Villani said. "He’s a 6-2, 245/250 pound guy with length, normally those guys are regulated to play inside or outside and not play both but he is athletic enough to play both. Normally you have those short squatty inside linebackers or you have rangy outside linebackers. He kind of fits the mold of them both size wise and ability wise so that was what I was impressed with the most."

Villani also loves Smallwood's blue-collar, no-frills approach to the game.

"You can get guys who you can call knuckleheads and he definitely has zero percent knucklehead in him," Villani said. "He is very down to earth, has a work-hard attitude. I got zero complaints about him."

One issue Villani did have with Smallwood was a troublesome hamstring. He did what he could to prepare Smallwood to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but Smallwood had to ease up when his hamstring tightened up running the 40 at the combine. He was clocked at 5.01 but his 10-yard split was one of the best among the linebackers. Villani predicted that Smallwood would have run in the  "4.7 (second) laser range, 4.6 hand range which for somebody who is almost 250 pounds is very acceptable.

"His 10 yard among all the linebackers was probably the fifth or sixth fastest out of 35 (linebackers) so I know he got out real well. Because of his size, he wouldn’t have been one of the fifth or sixth fastest but he probably would have been in the top third, top 12.

"He had a hamstring injury that we really couldn’t get cleared up in time for the combine so we really had to focus on his positional drills and had to change the plan to make him look good on his positional workouts after the combine rather than trying to do the 40 real fast at the combine."

Villani is not sure if the lack of a top time in the 40 will impact Smallwood's draft position. He said he is hoping that Smallwood is a second-day pick which would make him either a second or third round pick. Many of the mock drafts being circulated have him going much lower than that but these mock drafts have proven to be as reliable as a Connecticut weather report in December or January.

Villani, who has 14 or 15 clients expected to be taken in this year's draft. admits he is not sure which round Smallwood will end up being taken in or the role that 5.01 40 will play come draft time.

"I think it (the slow 40 time) does in the media’s eyes because they need a lot of stuff to report about, they come out with mock drafts in mid January and do six more," Villani said. "It is weird because they say that the 40 doesn’t matter and it always ends up mattering, then when the draft happens you will find out."

The draft begins Thursday night with the first round. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday with rounds 4-7 conducted on Saturday.

The NFL Draft Bible site recently updated its positional rankings and the UConn quartet of Jimmy Bennett, Jesse Joseph, Yawin Smallwood and Shamar Stephen all made the cut.

Smallwood is the No. 3 rated inside linebacker, Stephen is No. 23 among defensive tackles, Bennett is the 27th rated offensive tackle and Joseph ranks 28th among the defensive ends.

Stephen and Smallwood are also among the players listed in the NFL.com database. Stephen is tied for eighth among defensive tackles/nose tackles with a grade of  5.4 while Smallwood is tied for seventh among inside linebackers with a 5.2 grade.

There are others with Connecticut ties in the NFL Draft Bible player ratings.

Khairi Fortt of Stamford is the No. 15 outside linebacker and Silas Redd of Norwalk is the No. 27 running back while Kevin Pierre-Louis of Norwalk is the 20th rated outside linebacker. Mike Flacco (yes, he is the brother of Ravens QB Joe Flacco) of the University of New Haven is the 18th rated tight end former UConn defensive back Tevrin Brandon out of Monmouth is the No. 46 ranked cornerback.

Defensive end Jesse Joseph became the third member of the 2013 UConn football team to accept an invitation to play in a postseason all-star game.

Joseph, who had 40 tackles including six tackles for loss as a senior and finished his career with 15 sacks, will be playing in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson, Calif. on Jan. 18.

While Joseph is hoping to open the eyes of NFL scouts during the practice sessions and in the game, he does have the option of playing in the CFL as the native of  Laval, Quebec was takeb by Montreal with the 23rd overall pick in May's CFL Draft.

Offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett will be playing in the Medal of Honor Bowl and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen has been selected to play in the Senior Bowl.

The news is not all good for former UConn defensive standouts as cornerback Dwayne Gratz, a rookie cornerback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, is not expected to play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Colts due to an ankle injury. With the Jaguars already being eliminated from playoff contention, Gratz will finish his rookie season with 32 tackles and two interceptions as he started eight of the 10 games he played in.

Former UConn tight end John Delahunt, a native of Ottawa, was one of 24 players taken by Ottawa in the CFL's expansion draft earlier this week.

Delahunt, who switched to fullback as a rookie with the Grey Cup finalist Hamilton Tiger-Cats, had nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

He was taken by the Ottawa Redblacks with the 13th overall pick in the expansion draft.

In a story in the Ottawa Citizen Delahunt said "I’m happy that it gives me a chance to play in my hometown, and I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Delahunt figures to battle it out with Patrick Lavoie, a former Montreal Alouettes fullback, who was also taken in the second round of the expansion draft. Lavoie had 33 catches during the 2012 but just six catches in 2013.

SMALLWOOD NO. 2 ILB
Yawin Smallwood, who declared for the draft after UConn's season-opening win over Memphis, is rated as the No. 2 inside linebacker trailing only Alabama's C.J. Mosley on the NFL Draft Bible's database.

Smallwood is projected as a second-round pick on the site.

Also, Shamar Stephen is rated as the No. 21 defensive tackle and projected to be taken in the fifth round.

Angelo Pruitt has been able to contribute while playing nearly
every spot on the defensive line over the last two seasons

One advantage of having UConn's game against Michigan televised on ABC is it gave me a chance to look back at what transpired.

At the top of the list of the things I was eager to get a closer look at was how the playing time at defensive end was doled out.

By my unofficial tally, the snap count was divided almost equally among Tim Willman (46 snaps), Jesse Joseph (42) and Angelo Pruitt (41) while Reuben Frank was used almost exclusively on obvious passing downs.

When Joseph was in the game he was usually lined up at the left defensive end while Willman was used to the right DE. However, Angelo Pruitt was moved all over the place. Not only did he play both defensive end spots but every once in a while he would be used inside when the Huskies lined up defensive ends side by side in an attempt to breath some life into what was a struggling pass rush.

By game's end I thought that other than defensive tackle Shamar Strephen (who drew praise all night long from analyst and former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman) no defensive lineman was more impressive than Pruitt.

I asked UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni about Stephen's performance on Saturday which went under the radar not only by us media folks but also the stat keepers. The tape shows that Stephen threw the Michigan offensive lineman into quarterback Devin Gardner which resulted in Gardner's fumble. Ty-Meer Brown scooped up the ball and ran it in to put UConn up 21-7.

"I think he is playing really consistent," Pasqualoni said. "He is probably our most consistent, steady player on defense. He is not going to get a lot of the fanfare not going to get a lot of accolades but he is a guy who gives you everything he's got with effort, fundamentals and dependability. Shamar is very smart, he wants to be a great player and he is playing very consistently."

In one sequence Pruitt drew a hold on Michigan's all-everything left tackle Taylor Lewan wiping out a long run by Devin Gardner and then dropped tailback Fitz Toussaint in the backfield. Pruitt finished with six tackles including two tackles for loss.

"Although I am moving around on the field, fundamentals and techniques stay the same," Pruitt said. "When I am on the outside, I am setting the edge on the inside and taking on a double team, being in great position to take on the block."

Pruitt usually split time with Joseph at the left DE spot in the first two games but he saw more time on the right side against Michigan. Considering that meant a matchup with Lewan, who is projected to be a top five pick in April's NFL draft it is an indication of how much confidence the UConn coaches have in Pruitt. Pruitt said the approach doesn't change regardless of which side he lines up on.

"Teams are changing their tight ends so any moment each side can be the strong side," Pruitt said. "I think both sides are the same with technique and responsibilities and setting the edge. It works hand and hand."

Pruitt said while his teammates never lost faith in their ability to be a top-flight defense after rough games against Towson and Maryland, it did feel good to show the nation that the Huskies can still be an elite defensive unit.

"This game didn’t really prove anything to us because we knew who we are and our record doesn’t reflect us as a team or reflect our work ethic but I think it just proved to the world that we are the UConn defense that has been pretty good for the last couple of years," Pruitt said. "We have the potential to do something great."

Since Pruitt hails from Cincinnati I was curious if he had any reaction to the tragedy suffered by his hometown school as Cincinnati freshman offensive lineman Ben Flick died in a car accident and two other Bearcat football players were hospitalized after the Saturday night crash.

"For my teammates and teammates across the nation, that is a very unfortunate event," Pruitt said. "You never want someone to get hurt on the field or off the field so me hearing about that, I am saddened about it and I wish that program the best of luck so they can recover from this."

With UConn ready to host Michigan on Saturday night in what could be the most high-profile home game in program history, it seems like a perfect time to look back on UConn's 2010 game to Michigan.

Although he did not start in the game, senior defensive tackle and captain Shamar Stephen made one of his two tackles on UConn’s first defensive series.

“That was the first time I ever played in a game so it was definitely a great experience for me,” Stephen said. “I remember it was a pretty fast tempo, getting into it was a little different and as the game wore on, I adjusted and started making the plays.

“It was definitely nerve wracking at first but once you make that first hit, it all goes away and you are into the game. I was more focused on my assignments. I just didn’t want to mess up in my first game but it was pretty crazy.”

Stephen was one of six current Huskies to play in the 30-10 loss to Michigan in the 2010 season opener. Jesse Joseph started at defensive end and made four tackles, Cole Wagner had a 66-yard punt, Chad Christen averaged 65.3 yards on three kickoffs while Martin Hyppolite and Taylor Mack also played in the game.

Many of the current seniors were on the travel squad for UConn’s lone trip to Michigan Stadium.

“It was a fantastic experience,” UConn senior offensive tackle Kevin Friend said. “I was a redshirt freshman and I have never seen a stadium like that before and just to see it, looking up at it and seeing that it was full it was awesome. Just feeling what the team felt in the locker room and how everyone came together before the game and psyched everybody up. It was an awesome experience.”

Fellow senior offensive lineman Steve Greene also has mostly positive memories of the trip to Michigan.

“I remember it was a big place and we were in the game and we had a chance to win it too,” Greene said.
“It is one of the most famous arenas in college football so obviously it is a great experience.”

When UConn has had its full complement of defensive linemen senior Tim Willman has been garnering the majority of first-team snaps at right defensive end which happens to be the same position Trevardo Williams held down in recent years en route to seeing the program sacks record.

Willman, who is about 20 pounds heavier than Williams, obviously brings a different dimension that Williams as he lacks the speed and impressive first step that Williams possessed but in the practices I attended in the preseason he was consistently one of the more noticeable defensive players I have seen. He was in the backfield on a regular basis which is something he will be asked to do in his senior season.

"I bring a lot of good run stopping," said Williams, who had three sacks during the 2012 season. "I learned a lot of technique from him so I am trying to play like him but also play my own style."

UConn not only lost Williams but defensive tackle Ryan Wirth from its defensive line. Wirth has been the one player that UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni has consistently mentioned as one of the toughest players that the Huskies need to replace.

With Shamar Stephen healthier than he was at any point last year, Julian Campenni seemingly in position to build on a solid freshman season and Jesse Joseph back after missing the last nine games of last season with a torn Achilles' tendon, the Huskies have a chance to have one of its most physical defensive fronts in recent memory.

"We lost two great players and we miss them a lot but we are picking up right where we left off and we are not missing a beat," Willman said

"That is something we are going to hang our hats on. We are going to play physical, play hard and play UConn defense."

Spring practice will come to an end this afternoon with the spring game. It's going to be interesting to see how the event gets run because on Tuesday head coach Paul Pasqualoni made it sound like the squad was going to be split in half and it will resemble the Blue-White Game of the past. A couple of days later a press release was sent out stating it was going to be more of a controlled scrimmage due to a lack of healthy bodies at certain positions.

Linebacker, defensive line and running back seem to be the positions hit the hardest by injuries.

Yawin Smallwood hasn't practiced all spring while Omaine Stephens and Jon Hicks are other linebackers out of action which leaves five linebackers able to go today. The good news is that the healthy linebackers seem to have made an impact this spring.


"Ryan Donohue is having a really good spring," Pasqualoni said after Tuesday's practice. "He is a leader capable of directing his teammates which is a big prerequisite of the linebacker position. He is doing a very good job and has a clear understanding of what the concepts are, what he is seeing and his instinctiveness and reactionary stuff is really good. Brandon Steg is having his best spring since I have been here so that is very encouraging. He has been on the scout team for my two years here, Graham Stewart is learning the position but you can see the explosiveness so he has the skill set, Jefferson Ashiru is playing more consistently, Marquise Vann is playing more confidently, more assuredly so I am encouraged with that group."

On the defensive line, probable fall starters Jesse Joseph and Shamar Stephen have spent more time riding the stationary bike while promising sophomore tailback Joe Williams suffered an ankle injury in a scrimmage a week ago that will keep him out of action today. Martin Hyppolite, a passenger in a car involved in a fatal accident in New Hampshire, is still recovering from those injuries and will also be sidelined.

"He is walking around," Pasqualoni said of Hyppolite. "(UConn trainer) Bob (Howard) said he has a ways to go to get it healed but there is no way of us knowing until we get to June or July. He is in all the meetings learning everything."

Pasqualoni said the returners will catch punts and kickoffs but there will be no returns in the game/scrimmage.

Here is how the UConn press release described what fans can expect today.


Saturday’s Blue vs. White Spring Game will not have a typical team vs. team format due to the fact that the Huskies have a limited amount of healthy players in certain position areas. The UConn offense will scrimmage against the UConn defense in various situations, including standard gameday, “back to the wall” starting at the one-yard line and having to move downfield and red zone.

Parking lots opened at 9 a.m. today with Rentschler Field gates set to open at 10:30 a.m. The game/scrimmage will begin at noon. WTIC-1080 will broadcast the game live and while SNY is expected to have a crew at the game, it will not be televising the game live as it did last year.