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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Connecticut

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07/07/22 - Jackson Mitchell, Sr/2024, Connecticut + More +

Coming off a one-win season, Jackson Mitchell wasn't sure he would ever wear the UConn football navy blue and white uniforms ever again. The Huskies linebacker thought long and hard about transferring out of Storrs. It took two meetings with new head coach Jim Mora to change his mind. "I was confident when they came in," he said. "We talked to coach Mora and I heard him talk. He talked to me. I just talked with other guys here. I thought it was the best decision to stay, even with the past and not winning so much. "I definitely thought about it for a second, but I realized this was the place to be and the place I wanted to be. I trusted coach Mora and coach [Lou] Spanos, who would be around. We thought we had a real chance to turn this thing around with coach Mora and the rest of the coaches."

Mitchell, academically a senior but with two years of football eligibility left, was one of the few bright spots on a team that finished 1-11 overall. He was the team's leading tackler with 120 last season, including 6.5 for loss and one sack. In the locker room his teammates look to him as their leader. "He's a wise man for his age because he has been playing so much football here," said Spanos, UConn's defensive coordinator. "The production is outstanding. I mean, top-10 tackler in the country. He leads by example. When he speaks, everybody listens. When I say everyone, I mean all three phases (of football) because if Jackson is talking, there's a reason for it." - Hartford Courant

Sr/2024

ILB Jackson Mitchell, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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07/05/22 - Eriq Gilyard, rSr/2024, Connecticut + More +

Eriq Gilyard has always been an old-school, smash-mouth, run-stuffing middle linebacker. He can't wait to be that again. Gilyard shuffled between schemes and responsibilities at UCF last season and was rotated and then squeezed out of the Knights' 4-2-5 defense under first-year head coach Gus Malzahn and his pair of defensive coordinators. By October, the two-year starter with 197 career tackles had enough and decided to transfer. In January, he enrolled at Kansas and was one of eight players to join the team before the start of winter workouts.

Gilyard, who is 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds, was able to preserve a redshirt year by playing in only four games last season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. His addition, along with those of Craig Young from Ohio State and Lorenzo McCaskill from Louisiana, should fortify a unit that, like the rest of the defense, had to rely on inexperience last season. "I feel like just the opportunity that I have here, (it's) as far as being able to play, being able to show what I can do, coaches, scheme, and honestly, I like challenges," Gilyard said. "It's no surprise that Kansas isn't as good as they should have been last year and I want to be a part of the change that comes with this program - that I know will come." - Lawrence Journal World

rSr/2024

ILB Eriq Gilyard, Connecticut
News Source: Lawrence Journal World
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06/16/22 - Kayode Oladele, rSr/2024, Connecticut + More +

Memphis senior defensive lineman Kayode Oladele confirmed to The Commercial Appeal that entered the transfer portal Tuesday. Oladele, who is eligible as a graduate transfer, played 11 games in three seasons after enrolling in 2018 a week before the Tigers' season opener. A former four-star recruit from Florida, he initially signed with Auburn in December 2017 but it was reported the following summer that he wouldn't enroll at the school. Oladele redshirted in 2018 and appeared in a career-best eight games in 2020, where he recorded one tackle. He appeared in two games last season and played with the Tigers during spring practice. - Memphis Commercial Appeal

rSr/2024

DE Kayode Oladele, Connecticut
News Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal
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05/05/22 - Jack Stewart, rSr/2025, Connecticut + More +

UConn has lured a Power Five prospect back home to Connecticut. Jack Stewart, a big, powerful lineman from New Canaan High, is transferring from Michigan and committed to the Huskies and new coach Jim Mora on Monday night. "I'm coming home," Stewart said, in announcing his decision via Twitter. Stewart, 6 feet 4 and 314 pounds, was one of the top linemen in Connecticut, and, playing on both sides of the line, helped New Canaan to the state final in 2015, '16 and '18. He played for Lou Marinelli, whose son, John, is on Mora's staff. Stewart, a junior, was at Michigan for three seasons, but never saw any game action. - Hartford Courant

rSr/2025

OG Jack Stewart, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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04/21/22 - Jack Stewart, rSr/2025, Connecticut + More +

Michigan football has wrapped up spring practice, giving players the opportunity to ponder their next move. And for the second time in as many weeks, the Wolverines have a player who's entered the NCAA transfer portal. This time it's reserve defensive lineman Jack Stewart, a former three-star recruit who never played in a game for Michigan, a team spokesman confirmed to MLive on Tuesday. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound Stewart came to Ann Arbor in 2019 as an offensive tackle, dealt with injuries and health issues and soon found himself switching sides of the ball.

He did not get into a game during his three seasons at Michigan, from 2019 to 2021, leaving him two years of college eligibility. "I've had a great experience playing both OL and DL at the University of Michigan," Stewart wrote on social media Tuesday. "Thank you for everything Ann Arbor. I'm very excited to see where this new journey takes me." Stewart, from New Caanan, Conn., joins linebacker Jordan Morant as the second player to enter the NCAA transfer portal since Michigan concluded spring practice on April 4. - Ann Arbor News

rSr/2025

OG Jack Stewart, Connecticut
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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12/20/21 - Kevin Mensah, Sr/2022, Connecticut + More +

Running back Kevin Mensah, the fourth-leading rusher in UConn history, has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Mensah had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018-19, but saw his role diminish as a senior as freshman Nate Carter took over as the Huskies primary ball-carrier. While he still has a year of eligibility left due to the COVID-19 season, Mensah's departure was expected. He was honored on Senior Day last month against Houston, the final game of the Huskies 1-11 season. The 5-foot-9, 202-pound Mensah finished his UConn career with 2,933 rushing yards, ranking behind Donald Brown (3,800), Terry Caulley (3,187) and Jordan Todman (3,179). - CT Post

Sr/2022

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: CT Post
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12/16/21 - Eriq Gilyard, rSr/2024, Connecticut + More +

Lance Leipold's Kansas football staff continued to hit the transfer portal hard on Tuesday, as former UCF linebacker Eriq Gilyard announced his commitment to the program. Gilyard became the fifth transfer to pledge to the Jayhawks in the past five days, leading up to Wednesday's early signing period. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds on the UCF roster in 2021, Gilyard was a few weeks into his senior season when he left the Knights. He played in four games and started one. Because he only participated in four, he will be able to use 2021 as his redshirt season. Additionally, Gilyard can use the NCAA's 2020 Covid waiver for an extra year of eligibility and join the Jayhawks with two years remaining, even though he was a senior entering the season at UCF. - Lawrence Journal World

rSr/2024

ILB Eriq Gilyard, Connecticut
News Source: Lawrence Journal World
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12/14/21 - TaQuan Roberson, rSr/2025, Connecticut + More +

Following last week's announcement that Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford would return for a sixth season, third-string quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson entered his name into the transfer portal on Monday morning. The redshirt sophomore quarterback took over for Clifford following his injury suffered in the 23-20 loss against Iowa. Roberson went 7-for-21 (33% completion rate) on passes for 34 yards and two interceptions and rushed 10 times for 27 yards. After Penn State went into the bye week, head coach James Franklin was bullish on who the starting quarterback would be with Clifford's injury status and Roberson's performance in the Iowa game looming large. - Centre Times

rSr/2025

QB TaQuan Roberson, Connecticut
News Source: Centre Times
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11/26/21 - Noah Plack, rSr/2024, Connecticut + More +

2021 ALL-CAA FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM (COACHES): Noah Plack, Delaware, S, Jr.,...Safety Noah Plack received his second-straight nod to the All-CAA Second Team after ranking fourth on the team with 57 tackles despite missing the first three games of the season due to injury. The redshirt junior was a dominant force both in the secondary and near the line of scrimmage, finishing with three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and 0.5 TFL. - Delaware Football

rSr/2024

OLB Noah Plack, Connecticut
News Source: Delaware Football
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09/03/21 - Durante Jones, Sr/2025, Connecticut + More +

Jones, a true freshman from Atlanta, started at safety against Fresno State and had six tackles in his collegiate debut. Senior safety Diamond Harrell said Tuesday that Jones already carries himself like a leader. "Durante is the quarterback of the defense," Harrell said. "He's very vocal. He has a lot of energy, very aggressive...playing next to him is really great because we need that on our defense. We need someone to bring the defense, when they're down, when everybody's head is down, we need him to make sure everybody's head is up. Just lift everybody's head up so we can keep going and never go back down." Edsall said he wasn't surprised to see Jones win the starting job in preseason camp. - Hartford Courant

Sr/2025

SS Durante Jones, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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09/03/21 - Kevon Jones, rJr/2024, Connecticut + More +

Junior defensive lineman Kevon Jones, who had 93 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2018-19, was held out of Saturday's season opener due to an undisclosed violation. Edsall said he expects Jones to return this week. "I love K.K to death, I love the kid," Edsall said. "He has too many sins, self-inflected wounds. I just hope that, moving forward, he can just limit those decisions that he makes that aren't in his best interest. It's going to be good to have him back, he has a chance to be a force for us out there. I just hate any time any young man makes a poor decision and it ends up taking an opportunity away." Jones, an East Hartford native, missed time in 2018 and 2019 for academic reasons and, according to Edsall, "not achieving and not living up to the standards" of the program. - Hartford Courant

rJr/2024

OLB Kevon Jones, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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08/14/21 - Kevin Mensah, Sr/2022, Connecticut + More +

UConn running back Kevin Mensah isn't quite sure what his career rushing numbers are or how they might stack up when his been around forever college football career ends in about four months. Which is probably healthy, because Mensah's body of work through four years and three seasons, which leaves him in line to become one of the program's all-time leaders, won't necessarily help him remain the Huskies' top ball carrier when the team resumes competition Aug. 28 at Fresno State and beyond. "He can't get complacent and can't rest on his past accomplishments to think he's got the job won," coach Randy Edsall said at the Huskies' media day event last month. "But he's been productive. I think the challenge to Kevin is taking his game to another level. … He's maturing, and he needs to continue to mature. I'll just be honest. He hasn't developed as the type of leader that I would expect (from) a guy in his situation. Gotten better, but still has a ways to go."

Mensah, a fifth-year senior, will have to prove himself again on a team with options it has not had the luxury of drawing from since his 2017 arrival, which coincided with the return of Edsall. Rob Burns, a graduate transfer from the University of Miami, and Nate Carter, a freshman from Rochester, N.Y., are Mensah's main backfield competition. Edsall wants Mensah to work a little more efficiently and talk a little less. - CT Post

Sr/2022

RB Kevin Mensah, Connecticut
News Source: CT Post
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08/03/21 - Travis Jones, Sr/2022, Connecticut + More +

Travis Jones is a hulking figure, checking in at 6-foot-5, 333 pounds. Although he's soft-spoken and reserved in demeanor, the defensive tackle from New Haven commands attention when he walks into a room. That was certainly the case Thursday as the chiseled junior settled into his seat inside Shenkman Training Center. Jones was asked a lot about his physical transformation. A real lot.

As usual, he was to the point as he spoke in front of cameras at UConn football media day, explaining he wants to be better conditioned and would like to become more agile overall. "Everybody slimmed up and cut body fat and weight and added muscle," Jones said. "I feel great playing at my weight right now." Coach Randy Edsall recently showed Jones a picture from freshman year. Jones, standing next to left tackle Ryan Van Demark and long snapper Brian Keating in the photograph, weighed closer to 360 pounds then. "They said, 'Holy crap,' " Edsall said. "You look at them back then and you look at them now, they've reshaped their bodies. When you see Travis today, you're going to be amazed at what he's done." Van Demark joked that Jones could pass as a professional wrestler. "He's come a long way since freshman year," he said, smiling. - CT Post

Sr/2022

DT Travis Jones, Connecticut
News Source: CT Post
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07/20/21 - Travis Jones, Sr/2022, Connecticut + More +

UConn junior defensive lineman Travis Jones was named to the Bednarik Award watch list Monday, given out to college football's top defensive player. Jones, a New Haven native and Wilbur Cross graduate, totaled 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Huskies in 2019 and had 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks as a freshman in 2018. "People are going to look at him and go 'holy crap, look what he's done with his body,'" UConn coach Randy Edsall said of Jones. "And it's like that with the whole team for the most part. I just know this: I've been doing this for 40 years, and I sure as heck see the difference in the kids." - Hartford Courant

Sr/2022

DT Travis Jones, Connecticut
News Source: Hartford Courant
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05/08/21 - Robert Burns, rSr/2023, Connecticut + More +

The Huskies also landed a pair of Power Five transfers on Friday: Miami running back Robert Burns, and Colorado offensive lineman Valentin Senn. Burns, a redshirt junior, was a four-star recruit in high school per ESPN, and a three-star according to 247 and Rivals. He picked the Hurricanes over Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson. The Miami native played sparingly for the Hurricanes, rushing for 193 yards on 47 attempts in three seasons. Burns was fourth on Miami's depth chart at running back in 2020, and entered the transfer portal in January. Burns joins senior Kevin Mensah, who's rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, redshirt sophomore Khyon Gillespie and freshmen Brian Brewton, Nathan Carter and Devontae Houston. Mensah will likely be UConn's primary back, though the Huskies are tasked with replacing the production of Art Tompkins, who rushed for 510 yards and two touchdowns in 2019. - Hartford Courant

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