Secondary Concerns for UConn
After the first week of spring practice, here is UConn coach Randy Edsall's assessment of what he's seeing.
It is not good news.
"They made a lot of mistakes the first three days and that's what we got to look at," Edsall after the Huskies' first spring practice in pads Saturday at the Shenkman Center.
"There's ability there, but boy, ... some of the guys are making the mistakes you don't like. ... When their eyes are not where they're supposed to be and they're ... staring certain things down and not reading the correct keys, that's something they've got to get fixed quick and we've got to help them .
"If not, we've got to get somebody else in there."
Safety Jerome Junior and cornerbacks Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Dwayne Gratz and Gary Wilburn all return with experience to help the younger guys. This time last year they were in the same position, but had to grow up fast.
Wreh-Wilson (shoulder), currently out of spring practice, was probably the most ready to play. He did an admirable job filling in at cornerback after Jasper Howard died in October.
Junior, who started 12 games, had an up-and-down year but ended playing his best game in the Huskies' 20-7 Papajohns.com Bowl victory over South Carolina. He recorded his only pass breakup of the year as the Huskies allowed Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia to complete just 16 of 38 passes for 138 yards.
"I just want to improve on everything now," Junior said.
Gratz, a sophomore and Wilburn, a junior, were talented. They just didn't have the experience and had their moments last season, both good and bad.
Gratz could very well start opposite Wreh-Wilson but he running with the first or second group . He's having classroom issues and Edsall, as is his way, is making the sophomore from Piscataway, N.J., pay.
"He just wanted me to get my grades up," Gratz said. "It's important to him and he wanted me to understand. That's his way of showing me. I've just got to stay humble, do what I'm supposed to do and work hard.
"Overall, I think we'll be better as a unit because we've had more time to learn and gain experience from the games. Me, Blidi and Jerome, we can help the younger guys on what to expect. We'll be better."
As it is, Gratz, who played all 13 games last season, pulls some of the younger players aside after plays.
Andrew Opoku, a 6-foot-4 safety, and Gilbert Stlouis, a blazing quick corner from Plantation, Fla, are not allowed to talk the media until they become a little more acclimated but it's likely Edsall included them in his assessment.
Youngsters such as redshirt freshman corners Tevrin Brandon, Chris Lopes and Markieth Cirinna (New Britain) along with fellow classmate and safeties David Kenney and Marcus Aiken can talk — they've also been in the system for a year. Aiken, from St. Paul-Bristol, was switched from wideout to safety last summer.
"It's just the little things," Brandon said. "I know I need to use my [peripheral vision] a little more to help those guys out and just get the whole gist of the coverage. It's still early. We'll get it soon.
"We're young but we have an opportunity to play this year. I want to get out there so I'm going to do what I have to do but there will be opportunities."
Like Brandon, there are high expectations for Lopes. "I just want to try to meet them and meet my own," Lopes said. "My mind-set has been to come in here and bust tail, try to perfect every play but you have to know what you're doing and what your keys are in zone, manto-man or Cover 2. That's just how it is."
Aiken is getting a lot of time opposite Junior at free safety ("left safety" as UConn calls it). He made some athletic plays last week, but there's more to being the last line of defense.
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-spring-practi.artmar21,0,3772640.story
