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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Connecticut

08/03/20 - Brian Keating, rSr/2022, Connecticut, 6-0, 225 (DS#7 LS) + More +

2020 PRESEASON PATRICK MANNELLY LONG SNAPPER AWARD WATCHLIST: Brian Keating, Connecticut,...Senior long snapper Brian Keating has been named to the initial Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List, an award that recognizes the best FBS senior long snapper. The Patrick Mannelly Award is named after former NFL long snapper Patrick Mannelly, The Award benefits Bernie's Book Bank, a non-profit organization located in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Last year's inaugural winner was John Shannon from Notre Dame. 20 senior long snappers make up the initial watch list. Ten semi-finalists will be announced on November 16, 2020 and then three finalists selected on November 27, 2020. The winner is tentatively expected to be announced on December 12, 2020. Keating is also on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, an award given to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. - UConn Football

(DS#7 LS) rSr/2022

LS Brian Keating, Connecticut
News Source: UConn Football
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07/27/20 - Brian Keating, rSr/2022, Connecticut, 6-0, 225 (DS#7 LS) + More +

2020 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Brian Keating, UConn, senior, long snapper,...The Wuerffel Trophy, known as "College Football's Premier Award for Community Service," is presented annually at the All Sports Association's Awards Banquet in Fort Walton Beach. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Keating has played in 47 of 48 games in his UConn career at long snapper. - UConn Football

(DS#7 LS) rSr/2022

LS Brian Keating, Connecticut
News Source: UConn Football
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07/23/20 - Kevin Mensah, rSr/2023, Connecticut, 5-09, 202 (DS#999 RB) + More +

2020 PRESEASON DOAK WALKER AWARD WATCH LIST: Kevin Mensah (Sr.), Connecticut,...Mensah rushed for over 1,000-yards for the second-straight season in 2019, marking only the second time that a Husky (Jordan Todman in 2009 and 2010) eclipsed 1,000-yards rushing in consecutive years. Mensah's five rushing TD's against UMass on October 26 marked the highest single-game total in the nation this year and he was honored as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Minutemen, which included 164-yards on the ground. The senior has accumulated 2619 rushing yards in 35 career games for the Huskies. - UConn Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: UConn Football
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05/12/20 - Jonathan Pace, rJr/2023, Connecticut, 6-5, 294 (DS#999 OT) + More +

UConn's new TV deal for football, combined with the robust schedules assembled for the next five years, will provide the selling points coach Randy Edsall needs to kick-start recruiting. "This is a really good day for us," Edsall said in a conference call with reporters Monday, as the four-year agreement with CBS Sports was announced, "and it came at the right time because we're right in the middle of recruiting kids from the 2021 cycle." The deal assures the Huskies, who have left the American Athletic Conference and will play as an independent in football, will have exposure, with most of the games to be played between 12:30 and 3 p.m. on Saturdays, something Edsall wanted. As he makes the recruiting rounds, albeit virtually during the coronavirus shutdowns, Edsall said he has been feeling the positive vibes in recent weeks.

"There's no question," he said. "Myself and our coaching staff, we really sat down and talked a lot about what is going to be our message and how are we going to market what we're doing. By telling them, 'Hey, we felt good about the television package' and by telling them about the schedule we were playing, and how we're going to play more Power Five [conference] teams now than what we would have staying where we were previously, that made a big impact with the kids we were talking to. So that helped us tremendously, and we've seen tremendous interest...Do we have a challenge ahead of us? Yes, we do. But we have an ability to go out and sell things to get the kind of kids we need to win." - Hartford Courant

(DS#999 OT) rJr/2023

OT Jonathan Pace, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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05/11/20 - Kevin Mensah, rSr/2023, Connecticut, 5-09, 202 (DS#999 RB) + More +

UConn has agreed to a multi-year television deal that will put most of its home football games on CBS Sports Network, the school announced Monday. The university did not disclose the financial details of the deal between CBS and Learfield IMG College, which holds UConn’s athletics multimedia rights, but said it is worth seven figures over four years. Under the contract, the network plans to televise four UConn home games in 2020 (Indiana, Liberty, Middle Tennessee and Army) and all home games from 2021-2023. This will be the Huskies' first season as a football independent after leaving the American Athletic Conference. Most of UConn's sports teams will be playing in the Big East, which signed a 12-year, $500 million media deal with Fox in 2013. - AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: AP College Football
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05/09/20 - Ian Swenson, rJr/2023, Connecticut, 6-0, 216 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

The continuing coronavirus shutdowns have put the 2020 college football season in question, and could compel UConn to reimagine its current independent schedule. "We're planning for all contingencies," Athletic Director David Benedict told The Courant on Friday. "The most important thing is, we don't even know if we're going to have a season yet. We're certainly planning like we're going to have a season, but that has to be determined first. That's going to determine how we move forward." There has been speculation that college football could start late and play a shortened season with travel limited, in which conference opponents eliminate nonconference games or play only within their region. That could lead to independents playing more games against one another, which could mean Notre Dame or Brigham Young appearing on UConn's schedule. There have been such discussions, Benedict said.

UConn, having left the American Athletic Conference to join the Big East in most other sports, is competing as an independent in FBS football, and has scheduled games with a number of high-profile programs, including five from Power Five conferences. Illinois and Indiana (Big Ten), Virginia and North Carolina (ACC) and Mississippi (SEC) are on the 2020 schedule. "I have not received a single call from anyone on our schedule telling me, 'Hey, you need to prepare for us not playing our game,' or 'We need out of our game,'" Benedict said. "If that is where we land, there's going to be effort and conversation within the independents to coalesce and play each other, but that's not where we are right now." - Hartford Courant

(DS#999 OLB) rJr/2023

OLB Ian Swenson, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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04/25/20 - Matt Peart, rSr/2020, Connecticut, 6-6, 318 (DS#8 OT) + More +

The Giants, looking to fix their offensive line, took UConn tackle Matt Peart with the No. 99 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Peart, 6 feet 7 and 318 pounds, joined Andrew Thomas, an offensive tackle the Giants chose in the first round, in what could become an impressive pair of bookends. The Giants were in the market for a center, but couldn't pass on Peart. "It's about value," Giants GM Dave Gettleman told reporters on a conference call late Friday night. "[Peart] was too good of a value to pass by. We had him rated well above the rest of the other centers on our board. He is long, he's big. He's a 315-pound kid that's skinny. We interviewed him a number of times, he's a great kid. He's athletic and he's long and we think he has a lot of upside for a young kid. He's a guy that the coaching staff really wanted to work with."

Born in the Bronx, Peart has been a Giants fan all his life, and they were among the teams that paid a lot of attention to him in the predraft process. They've had success in drafting Randy Edsall-coached, UConn linemen in the past, with Will Beatty in 2009. Peart started 48 games in a row for UConn, every game the last four seasons, and got better each year. He was a late-comer to football, switching from basketball during his time in prep school. But he has exceptional athletic ability for such a big man, running the 40-yard dash in 5.01 seconds at the Combine and navigating the agility drills impressively. - Hartford Courant

(DS#8 OT) rSr/2020

OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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04/13/20 - Matt Peart, rSr/2020, Connecticut, 6-6, 318 (DS#8 OT) + More +

Former teammate Foley Fatukasi, drafted by the Jets in 2018, told Peart the pre-draft process wouldn't be easy, and he needed to treat every part of it like he would only get that one shot. Little did either know how true that would be in this year of the coronavirus. Peart followed up his Senior Bowl performance in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 25 with a strong showing in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis at the end of February. At 6 feet 7 and 318 pounds, Peart ran the 40-yard dash in 5.06 seconds, made a vertical leap of 30 inches, a broad jump of 113 inches. Then they measured his arms - 36 5/8 inches, longer than any other tackle. That set the scouts and analysts abuzz.

"I knew I had long arms," Peart says, with a belly laugh, "but when they came up and said I had the longest, I was like, 'Oh. … Really?' I couldn't help but laugh and smile. I thought I'd be middle of the pack, but to have the longest? That's pretty good." Then the process was swept into this uncharted territory. There was not to be a Pro Day at UConn, no visits or workouts for individual teams, few chances to work out at conventional facilities. Instead, Peart has spent the last month lifting weights in his basement, marking off his quiet street to run sprints and "gassers," uphill, to the wonderment of neighbors out walking their dogs. Distance runs, up to 3 miles, not his favorite thing, are keeping him in shape, and he has had virtual interviews with numerous teams assessing his football IQ and upbeat disposition. - Hartford Courant

(DS#8 OT) rSr/2020

OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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03/20/20 - David Pindell, Sr/2019, Connecticut, 6-0, 202 (DS#169 WR) + More +

David Pindell is joyfully proactive in the way he continues to chase a football dream. Pindell figures if he keeps working out, keeps throwing the football, keeps recording these actions on the fields of Columbia, Md., and keeps sharing videos with the world on social media, he's eventually going to catch the right eye and opportunity. "Keep posting stuff, keep posting stuff, keep posting stuff," Pindell said. These are the repetitions of his everyday life, as much as five-step drops, out routes and crossing patterns. Keep throwing, keep filming, keep believing, keep in touch with a growing football community cultivated through these actions and keep doing what you love until you just can't any longer.

Pindell, who played two years at UConn and started every game as a senior in 2018, is still at it. If you're among his 78,000 followers on Instagram or 16,000 followers on Twitter, you know this, and he has again ramped up efforts. Pindell remains optimistic about a playing career past the point where many players are met by the frustrating reality that the game just won't have them. He remains committed to creating and exhausting every single avenue before either reaching his goal or moving on without a sliver of regret. - Hartford Courant

(DS#169 WR) Sr/2019

WR David Pindell, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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02/22/20 - Matt Peart, rSr/2020, Connecticut, 6-6, 318 (DS#8 OT) + More +

2020 NFL COMBINE INVITE: Matt Peart, OT, Connecticut,...The Kingston, Jamaica native anchored the Huskies offensive line for four seasons, starting all 48 games. A team captain in 2019 and member of the leadership council in 2018, he helped produce back-to-back 1000-yard rushing seasons for Kevin Mensah. It is only the second time in program history that the Huskies have had the same running back put together back-to-back 1000 yard campaigns (Jordan Todman). - Connecticut Football

(DS#8 OT) rSr/2020

OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
News Source: Connecticut Football
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02/18/20 - Oneil Robinson, Jr/2022, Connecticut, 6-1, 180 (DS#999 FS) + More +

Three members of UConn's 2019 football team face charges stemming from a November burglary on campus. Running back Khyon Gillespie and defensive backs Oneil Robinson and Ryan Carroll are accused of stealing about $5,000 worth of items, including a television, video game systems and clothes from a dorm on Nov. 23, according to arrest warrant affidavits. The three sophomores face charges including burglary, larceny and making false statements. They did not immediately return email messages Tuesday seeking comment. Gillespie and Robinson turned themselves in to police last week. Carroll was charged Tuesday. - AP College Football

(DS#999 FS) Jr/2022

FS Oneil Robinson, Connecticut
News Source: AP College Football
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12/09/19 - Matt Peart, rSr/2020, Connecticut, 6-6, 318 (DS#8 OT) + More +

2019 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): OT Matt Peart, UConn, Sr.,...The Kingston, Jamaica native anchored the Huskies offensive line for four seasons, starting all 48 games. A team captain in 2019 and member of the leadership council in 2018, he helped produce back-to-back 1000-yard rushing seasons for Kevin Mensah. It is only the second time in program history that the Huskies have had the same running back put together back-to-back 1000 yard campaigns (Jordan Todman). The 6-7, 303 pound lineman is projected to be one of the top tackle prospects in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft and he will participate in the prestigious Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on January, 25, 2020. - Connecticut Football

(DS#8 OT) rSr/2020

OT Matt Peart, Connecticut
News Source: Connecticut Football
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10/28/19 - Kevin Mensah, rSr/2023, Connecticut, 5-09, 202 (DS#999 RB) + More +

OCT 28/WEEK 9 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kevin Mensah, UConn, Jr., RB, Worcester, Mass.,...Mensah rushed for 164 yards and a career-high five touchdowns - the most by an FBS player this season - in UConn's 56-35 win at Massachusetts. Mensah's first two touchdowns gave the Huskies the lead as he became the first UConn player with five rushing TDs in a game since the 1993 season. - American Athletic Conference Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
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10/26/19 - Kevin Mensah, rSr/2023, Connecticut, 5-09, 202 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Kevin Mensah ran for 164 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and Connecticut breezed to a 56-35 victory over Massachusetts on Saturday. Mensah sandwiched scoring runs of 17 and 2 yards around a 1-yard TD plunge by UMass' Bilal Ally to give the Huskies (2-6) a 14-7 lead after one quarter. The Minutemen (1-7) pulled even 7 seconds into the second quarter on Andrew Brito's 40-yard scoring strike to Jermaine Johnson Jr., but UConn scored three touchdowns over a 7:26 span - Art Thompkins' 25-yard run, Mensah's 5-yard run and Jack Zergiotis' 57-yard scoring strike to Cameron Ross - to go up 35-14 with 5:41 left. Brito hit Samuel Emilus for a 14-yard score with 64 seconds remaining to pull within 35-21 at halftime. Ally's second TD from a yard out got the Minutemen within 35-28 early in the third quarter, but Quayvon Skanes hit Jay Rose for a 15-yard TD on his only pass of the game to push the UConn lead to 42-28 heading into the final quarter. It was Rose's first career TD catch.

Mensah put the game out of reach with TD runs of 14 and 3 yards. The last UConn player to rush for five TDs in a game was Wilbur Gilliard against James Madison in 1993. Gilberto Torres capped the scoring with a 19-yard TD run with 52 seconds left in the game. Thompkins finished with 135 yards rushing on 13 carries as the Huskies piled up 326 yards on the ground. Zergiotis completed 18 of 27 passes for 198 yards with one interception. Freshman Cameron Ross had nine catches for a career-high 120 yards. He was the first Huskies receiver to top the 100-yard mark this season. Ally finished with 159 yards rushing and Brito completed 20 of 40 passes for 239 yards with an interception for UMass. - Connecticut/AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: Connecticut/AP College Football
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08/29/19 - Kevin Mensah, rSr/2023, Connecticut, 5-09, 202 (DS#999 RB) + More +

UConn's running back tandem of Kevin Mensah and Art Thompkins combined for 235 yards and two touchdowns and the Huskies opened their season by holding off Wagner from the Championship Subdivision 24-21 on Thursday night. Mensah rushed 36 times for 144 yards and a 4-yard touchdown. Thompkins had 91 yards on 17 carries and a 5-yard score, as the Huskies matched their win total from last year.

Dymitri McKenzie rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns, including 55-yard score for the Seahawks. He also capped a 92-yard fourth-quarter drive with a 7-yard touchdown to give Wagner its final points. UConn got the ball back with just over 3 1/2 minutes left and was able to run out the clock. - AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2023

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: AP College Football
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