Cheshire Academy (CT) ATH C.J. Holmes' Recruitment Blowing Up

[aman kidwai]

We predicted this would happen after seeing him play across the fall, but the young man has also worked extremely hard in the off-season and is starting to gain serious national interest, holding offers from UCLA, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi State, among others.

He has visits planned for Notre Dame, Alabama, and Penn State.

 

[the Blades]

Does this help Uconn ??? if not .....why should we Uconn fans care ??? This is getting a little frustrating...... even with this chart below, I guess some of these CT kids still think they have to go to a P-5 to get to the NFL and how many of them will end up recruited over at these football factories and end up at 3 or 4 on the depth chart ?

 

[aman kidwai]

I think it's notable that CT players are getting this kind of interest, it hasn't happened a lot before. We had some other players at the event with UConn interest/relevance but those videos are in the Fieldhouse. This is more general interest...

 

[the Blades]

Appreciate the work Aman ....the talent has always been here, from Dwight Freeney, Tebucky Jones days to even when Penn St was plucking CT guys, there is a long list that goes back for years. The general stuff is nice but Uconn has to start closing with some top end guys eventually....I don't see this happening right now so I don't know if more exposure ( Michigan camp in CT) is going to be a good thing or bad thing if these kids keep getting poached at the same time these national media "know it all's " say there is no recruiting talent in CT....I'm just speaking out loud but maybe Edsall had it right with these under the radar CT kids that went from 2 stars by clueless Rivals evaluators to Uconn and into the NFL...then again since these P-5 decision makers stole Uconn's BCS window dressing it probably doesn't help the cause........

 

[aman kidwai]

Appreciate the work Aman ....the talent has always been here, from Dwight Freeney, Tebucky Jones days to even when Penn St was plucking CT guys, there is a long list that goes back for years. The general stuff is nice but Uconn has to start closing with some top end guys eventually....I don't see this happening right now so I don't no if more exposure is going to be a good thing or bad thing if these kids keep getting poached at the same time these national media "know it all's say" there is no recruiting talent in CT....I'm just speaking out loud but maybe Edsall had it right with these under the radar CT kids that went from 2 stars by clueless Rivals evaluators to Uconn and into the NFL...then again since these P-5 decision makers stole Uconn's BCS window dressing it probably doesn't help the cause........

As far as UConn keeping the top in-state talent, it'll come with time. We have to remember it's been just 16 years of FBS football for UConn, competing against schools with decades to establish themselves...

With guys like Holmes, Ben Mason, or Tarik Black, you can't expect those guys to choose UConn over the types of offers they have. Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, etc. are on another tier athletically and academically. It isn't pleasant to say, but it's the absolute truth. Jones and Freeney went to Syracuse, a far cry from the national options Connecticut's top players are now getting.

Now, UConn is clearly competing with the likes of Rutgers, BC, and Syracuse for talent. Those schools will have an advantage due to conference affiliation, but UConn is winning some of those times and if we ever move up in conference we'll win more. But that's why those schools don't want us in...

In conference, UConn is competing with Temple for regional talent, and I'd say for the most part getting the players they want. We should be concerned if we ever lose a recruit to UMass, which isn't happening.

 

[the Blades]

As far as UConn keeping the top in-state talent, it'll come with time. We have to remember it's been just 16 years of FBS football for UConn, competing against schools with decades to establish themselves...

With guys like Holmes, Ben Mason, or Tarik Black, you can't expect those guys to choose UConn over the types of offers they have. Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, etc. are on another tier athletically and academically. It isn't pleasant to say, but it's the absolute truth.

Now, UConn is clearly competing with the likes of Rutgers, BC, and Syracuse for talent. Those schools will have an advantage due to conference affiliation, but UConn is winning some of those times and if we ever move up in conference we'll win more. But that's why those schools don't want us in...

Well tell that to the 4/5 star BB players who have been choosing Uconn over many of these so called elites and plenty of others for years...

Yeah I get it, in FB perception is reality, I've been to the Big House (tough to compete with)..... tradition...Uconn is looked at as a new jack, etc.. and all the reasons you laid out....like BC, Rutgers, Cuse and the haters never wanting Uconn to gain any momentum in FB..........and if you believe it enough and print it enough it can never change, because I read it enough from the national writers.... I just don't want to accept it just like I didn't accept Uconn BB being a dreg of the Big East in the 80's...then came Chris Smith from Bridgeport, Uconn's 1990 dream team only a decade after the Yankee conference and the rest is history ..... .so I guess you can call me a dreamer....