Spring Ball Notebook: Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
Projected Spring Game Depth Chart: Wide Receivers
#1 Keelan Marion, So, Atlanta, GA, 6-0, 194
#86 Kevens Clercius, rSo, Montreal, Quebec, 6-2, 208
#7 Cameron Ross, rSo, Newark, DE, 5-10, 180
#2 Nigel Fitzgerald, Gr`, Greensboro, NC, 6-3, 218
#4 Matt Drayton, rSo, Jacksonville, FL, 5-11, 186
#5 Aaron Turner, So, Ellicott City, MD, 5-8, 177
#84 Jacob Flynn, rSo, Southington, CT, 6-3, 192
#14 Elijah Jeffreys, rJr, Somerville, MA, 6-4, 199
#9 Darius Bush, rFr, Savannah, GA, 5-10, 181
#88 Josh Tracey, rFr, Bridgeport, CT, 5-10, 165
#42 Kevin Dunn, rSo, Berlin, CT, 6-2, 198
#15 Mark Didio Jr., So, Westport, CT, 5-9, 177
#39 Hayden Jordan, rSo, Hartford, CT, 5-7, 187
The ‘new look’ 2022 UConn Huskies have not let up since spring ball has begun. That intensity and excitement has trickled into the wide receiver room, where there is a strong young core of developing targets.
Leading the way is sophomore Keelan Marion, whose spring has been full of highlight-reel type plays. The Atlanta native made an immediate impact a year ago as a true freshman, leading the team in receiving yards (478), while averaging 17 yards per catch. He flashes great potential due to his ability to win deep and play above the rim—he has bulked up nearly 20 pounds since his arrival to Storrs.
A minor left ankle injury limited Marion for a brief stint in April but he has been amongst the hardest workers and is a true lead by example teammate.
“Everybody just continues to work, continues to strive to be as great as we can,” Marion stated when asked about the goals and tempo of this spring under the new coaching staff. “It’s been great. Great coaching, great guys, they interact a lot and have been keeping the energy up. They bring it every day, each one of the coaches brings it every day. I love it, we all love it. It’s definitely a change.”
Lining up opposite Marion on the boundary will be a couple of big-bodied pass-catchers in redshirt sophomore Kevens Clericus and graduate senior Nigel Fitzgerald. A native of Montreal, the French and Creole speaking Clericus had to learn English when he arrived at UConn. With a better understanding of the language and the playbook, the 6-foot-2 possession wideout should look to improve upon his 2021 campaign, where he nabbed 20 balls for 260 receiving yards and three scores. He has been seen taking reps primarily with the first team unit thus far.
A transfer from Old Dominion, the spring chronicles of Fitzgerald have been well-documented. While injuries have prevented him from reaching his full potential, the North Carolina native has been a lightning rod throughout camp and brings an added dimension to the offense. Fitzgerald must be respected for his ability to stretch the field but his most valuable asset just might be what he brings to the red zone offense, as a lengthy mismatch who can also win vertically.
The wildcard of the group would be redshirt sophomore Cameron Ross, who has eased himself back into action, as he continues to rehab from a broken foot that he suffered two games into the 2021 campaign. The Huskies sat out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the team-leading 723 yards that Ross posted in 2019 are the most receiving yards in a single season that any Huskies player has had during the past five years. When healthy, Ross is arguably the top threat on the UConn offense and he too has felt the renowned energy pulsating across campus.
“The chemistry is definitely getting better,” Ross said during Huskies spring camp. “These coaches have done a great job of emphasizing that brotherhood. That’s kind of like our theme now. I think between the coaches and the players, just everybody around the team, the recruiting, the environment, the way they’re changing around the building, it’s all getting put together. So, we just need to go out and execute.”
Other players who are projected to factor into key roles include redshirt sophomore Matt Drayton, who missed last season due to a knee injury but appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman for UConn in 2019, making 21 receptions for 278 yards and a pair of scores. In addition, super sophomore slot weapon Aaron Turner should return to a similar role after leading the Huskies with 33 receptions (232 receiving yards) a year ago. One player worth keeping an eye on is walk-on redshirt sophomore Jacob Flynn, who has been a noticeable standout during the spring.
Projected Spring Game Depth Chart: Tight Ends
83 Brandon Niemenski, So, Mountaintop, PA, 6-6, 237
87 Bo Estes, So, Tulsa, OK, 6-2, 221
45 Christopher Johnson, rFr, Jacksonville, FL, 6-1, 220
82 Brendan Heatherman, rFr, Stafford, VA, 6-4, 258
85 Russell Dixon, rSo, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 6025, 224
One of the more under-heralded players on the UConn roster is sophomore Brandon Niemenski, who can be employed in numerous ways. The jack-knife weapon can be utilized as a traditional inline blocker, h-back and has even been motioned into the backfield as a fullback during the spring. Niemenski can make plays in the passing attack too and is tough to bring down after the catch. The Pennsylvania native currently projects as the Huskies starter.
We have mentioned that the roster is littered with new faces, which includes sophomore tight end Bo Estes, who comes to Storrs after a stint at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. While he doesn’t possess great size, Estes seems to have a knack for finding the open seam and could be employed as a receiving threat in the slot. It remains to be seen if incoming freshman Justin Joly will see the field in 2022 but he is considered a future impact player for the program.
The UConn Spring Game on Thursday, April 21st at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium will give us our first real look at the team in a competitive scrimmage atmosphere. A lot will happen between summer and fall camps but it will be a night filled with anticipation bearing the fruits of all their labor put in this spring.
*Stay tuned for more updates from our ‘Spring Ball Notebook’ here at UConn Illustrated, your new home for exclusive coverage of Huskies football! Be sure to follow us @UConnSI
