University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Football Signs 23 to National Letters of Intent
2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
February 1, 2006
Over 800 UConn fans attended a reception at Rentschler Field's club lounge on Wednesday night to hear Randy Edsall and the UConn coaching staff discuss the program's newest signees.
STORRS, CONN. - University of Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall announced on Wednesday that the Huskies have signed 23 student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to join the UConn program.
"I am very pleased with the overall speed and athleticism of this class across the board, from the linemen to the skill positions,” Edsall says. “I think that our coaches did an outstanding job this year of identifying talent and finding young men who are just the right fit for this university and our football program. I think that we have covered all of our needs with this class. We have upgraded our special teams in particular for years to come with the addition of Desi Cullen, the long snapping ability of Martin Bedard and Derek Rich and the ability of several young men in this class to return punts and kickoffs. We have also added a large number of tight ends and linebackers which bodes well for our special teams. Those are the types of young men that you want for both your punt and kickoff teams.”
The Huskies wrapped up the third winningest four-year span in school history this past fall by battling through a barrage of injuries to record a 5-6 mark, giving the team 28 total wins over its first four Division I-A seasons combined. UConn led the BIG EAST Conference in total defense, becoming the first active league member to ever lead the conference in consecutive seasons in this major category. In addition to its lofty BIG EAST finish, UConn ranked seventh nationally in total defense and fourth in both passing defense and passing efficiency defense. UConn’s 297.2 yards per game average in total defense is the school’s best since 1979. Playing before sell out crowds in all six home games at Rentschler Field, UConn saw four of its student-athletes earn All-BIG EAST honors in 2005.
The following is a full signee roster and short biography of each:
Pronounced mar-teen bed-ARD...Named to the CEGEP All Star team...An accomplished long snapper who was named Specialist of the Year... Ranked 18th in the province by Football Quebec...Had 35 catches last year for 450 yards with nine touchdowns...Enrolled at UConn in January of 2006 and will participate in spring drills...Will be the third Quebec native to join UConn in recent years (along with Shawn Mayne and Jason Ward), but the first francophone...Laval has also produced current NHL stars Alexandre Daigle, Martin St. Louis and Jose Theodore.
Missed his senior season due to injury...Recorded 91 tackles as a junior and was an honorable mention All-Broward County pick...Team captain...Also plays basketball...Brother of current UConn corner back Darius Butler.
Played running back and linebacker in high school…Was a team captain in junior and senior years…Earned all-county honorable mention honors as a junior and was all-conference as a sophomore…Will play in the Nassau County vs. Suffolk County All-Star game…Also plays basketball and lacrosse and is captain of both teams.
Was used in high school for kickoffs, field goals and punts…In his senior year had four kickoffs go through the goalposts and had only three kickoffs returned on him…Averaged 43 yards per punt in his senior year and, in one game, had seven punts for a 49 yard average…Earned all-district, all-region and all-county honors in junior and senior years…An all-state honorable mention pick as a senior...Also played soccer and was part of his regional Olympic Development Program...Will become only the second Kentuckian to play at UConn, joining Louisville’s Corey Taylor (Trinity Catholic) who lettered in 1995.
Named honorable mention All-Metro by the Washington Post as a senior...Named all-county and all-league as both a junior and senior...Ran for 550 yards in 2005 with 10 total touchdowns after rushing for 260 yards as a junior and scoring a total of seven times...On defense as a senior recorded 85 tackles, including 11 for loss with eight sacks, while forcing four fumbles...Also served as the team’s kicker and punter...Team co-MVP in 2005...Captained the varsity football team as a senior and the freshman football team in ninth grade.
A first team All-Broward County pick and second team all-state selection as a high school senior in 2004...Was named a Dade-Broward County All-Star…Spent the past season prepping at the Salisbury (Conn.) School…Originally signed a Letter of Intent with UConn last February…Played strong safety and outside linebacker and some tailback this year at Salisbury…Had 50 tackles and two interceptions on defense this year and rushed for 550 yards.
A first-team Class M all-state pick as a senior by the state coaches’ association...Recognized by both the New London Day and Norwich Bulletin on their all-area teams...Started for two years on both the offensive and defensive lines...Named team captain as a senior...Blocked two field goals in 2005...Did not play football until high school...Also threw shot and javelin for the track and field team.
Pronounced kin-dlee jocks...Named second team All-Broward County by the Miami Herald and played in the Dade-Broward All Star Game...BCAA Sun-Sentinel All Star.
Named Gwinnett County’s wide receiver of the year by the Gwinnett Touchdown Club...As a senior, caught 47 passes for 866 yards with eight touchdowns while also picking off four passes on defense...School’s all-time leading receiver...Helped Berkmar to the state playoffs as both a junior and senior after the Patriots went 0-10 his sophomore year...Chosen to play in the Georgia North-South All Star Game.
Pronounced cun-you...As a running back in high school, gained 1,044 yards in his senior year on 145 carries for an average of 7.2 yards per carry…An all-area pick for the past three years by the Johnstown Tribune Democrat and was the three-time conference Player of the Year…As a junior, carried the ball 170 times for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns for an average of 8.2 yards per carry while making 14 receptions for 223 yards and five touchdowns…On defense as a junior, made 55 tackles and five interceptions….Earned all-state honors as a defensive back as a senior…Nominated for the prestigious Big 33 All Star Game…Also plays basketball and track and field where he was a Pennsylvania state gold medalist in the triple jump and the 200 meter dash last year…Older brother, Jim, is a wide receiver at Penn State.
Pronounced loo-truss...Named all-state by the New Haven Register...Team captain who also earned all-area and all-conference honors…Had 232 rushes for 2,017 yards in his senior year - good for second in the state…Also had 15 receptions for 249 yards and four touchdowns…Returned a kickoff for a touchdown...On defense, had 63 tackles, a sack and four interceptions - two returned for touchdowns…Led the state in scoring with 204 points…Brookfield went 12-1 in senior year, won the South-West Conference Championship Game and advanced to the state Class SS finals…Named MVP of the conference championship game…Also lettered in lacrosse for four years...Has an overall grade point average of 3.3 and had a 4.0 grade point average in first quarter of senior year.
An all-state selection in Maryland...Named first-team All-Metro by the Washington Post as a defensive back...Named all-league as both a running back and a defensive back as a senior after earning the honor as a junior on defense only...As a tailback, rushed for 1,105 yards as a senior and 12 touchdowns while also catching 25 passes for 421 yards and four TDs...A dangerous returner, brought back five kickoffs for a touchdown in 2005, one short of the national single-season record...Also returned a punt 98 yards for a touchdown...Intercepted six passes in 2005 and broke up 19 others to go along with 53 tackles...Attended same high school as current UConn tailback Terry Caulley.
Pronounced mick-can...Named second-team All-Broward County by the Miami Herald and played in the prestigious Dade-Broward All Star Game...Had nine career interceptions...Also returned two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns...Helped Miramar to the 6A Regional Final before losing to eventual state runner-up Deerfield Beach...Also starting guard on the Miramar basketball team.
Helped Hyde to two consecutive Class S state championships, both following undefeated seasons...Ran for 1,532 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 9.6 yards for his 160 carries...Made 38 tackles on defense with a pair of interceptions...Had an 84-yard kickoff return...Named all-state by the Hartford Courant and the New Haven Register...Set Class S records in both the 100 meters (10.79 seconds) and 200 meters (21.7) and is the reigning State Open champion in both events...Brother of current UConn wide receiver Brandon McLean.
Pronounced oliver...Captained Woburn his senior year to a 12-1 record and the Division I-A Super Bowl Championship, the school’s first title since 1979...Named All-Scholastic by the Boston Herald and All-Eastern Mass. by the Boston Globe...Chosen to play in the Massachusetts Shriners’ Game...Named Woburn’s Lineman of the Year and Lifter of the Year in the weight room.
Named second team All-Greater Rochester in both senior and junior years by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle….Had 37 receptions for 768 yards and six touchdowns as a senior after registering 30 receptions for nearly 800 yards and six touchdowns in his junior season...Also started on defense for three years and made 24 tackles and had three interceptions and a fumble recovery as a senior…A three-year starter...Helped Penfield Central advance to sectional final in junior and senior years…Also plays varsity basketball...Teammate in high school of current UConn defensive tackle Rob Lunn.
Pronounced poh-LEE-toe...Named All-Berks County and All-Inter-County League at tight end as both a junior and a senior and at defensive end as a senior...Football team captain as a senior...Also lettered in track, volleyball and basketball...A district qualifier in shot put, discus and javelin who earned All-League accolades in javelin...A member of the honor roll throughout his high school career who had perfect attendance three years running.
Team captain who earned all-area second team honors in junior and senior years...Ran the ball 19 times for 236 yards and a touchdown in 2005…Also served as the team's long snapper…Helped team go undefeated in junior year regular season and advance to state quarterfinals…Part of winningest graduating class in school history…Also lettered in basketball and baseball where he was an all-area honorable mention…Ranked in top five percent of his class academically and a member of the National Honor Society.
Recorded 75 tackles, two sacks and an interception as a senior...A versatile athlete, also gained 350 yards as a receiver and 250 yards rushing...A two-time first-team all-conference choice who was also named all-section...Lettered in basketball.
Prepped this past season at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia…At Warren High School, was first team all-county pick and a two-year letter winner…Also played basketball and baseball in high school...Cousin of late Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer.
Gained 860 yards on the ground as a senior with 11 rushing touchdowns and an 11.3 yards per carry average...Also caught nine passes last year, good for 222 yards and three scores...Recorded 24 tackles, including 2.5 sacks, and one interception on defense...Also returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns...Helped North Attleboro to a 9-1 record as a senior and a share of the conference championship...Named League MVP...A Boston Globe All-Scholastic pick in both football and track while earning All-Scholastic honors on the gridiron from the Boston Herald...Named to the Attleboro Sun Chronicle’s All Star teams in both football and track...Won the state championship in both the 110 high hurdles and the long jump...Also lettered in basketball for three years.
All-West Alabama first team…All-State honorable mention…Team captain as a senior...Three-year varsity lettermen…Had 135 tackles with seven sacks and four interceptions as a senior and had 79 tackles with eight sacks as a junior…Will play in the 2006 Max Emfinger All-American Bowl...Also plays basketball…Will become the first Husky ever to hail from the state of Alabama.
All-state honorable mention pick from Ohio who made 98 tackles and had 18 sacks in his senior year…High school is one of the top programs in the state of Ohio as the Tarblooders expect 15 Division I signees in this year's senior class…Glenville advanced to 2004 state Division 1 semifinals...Older brother, Donte Whitner, started at strong safety for Ohio State this past season is expected to be a late first round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
