Transitioning to a new team for either a junior college athlete or a transfer student-athlete can be difficult. New teammates, new coaches and different playbooks all highlight the obvious changes and sometimes challenges for these players.
But at UConn, these players are familiar territory and now under Bob Diaco, the Huskies have adopted a family-like culture. Even for the incoming freshmen, the newest Huskies been busy creating a tight-knit environment via social media.
UConn continues to build their roster as they added transfer E.J. Levenberry from Florida State last week. Levenberry totaled 60 tackles in two seasons for the Seminoles, but transferred due to a lack of playing time.
Welcome to the #UConnfootball family EJ Levenberry! pic.twitter.com/K0NLwHw2gi
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) March 13, 2015
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During his time coaching at Notre Dame, Diaco recruited Levenberry who held offers from 20 major programs before choosing FSU. Now the two reunite in Connecticut, and Levenberry will file paperwork in hopes of becoming eligible to play for the 2015 season.
Levenberry will join a group of linebackers that already holds another transfer player, Graham Stewart. Stewart, a Middletown, Conn. native, played his freshman year at the University of Florida before transferring to UConn in 2012. He sat out the 2012 season, but has been a strong anchor for the Husky defense as he started all 12 games at linebacker and led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss last year.
Another transfer player who didn’t get to see the field last year due to NCAA rules will compete for the starting quarterback spot this spring. Bryant Shirreffs transferred from NC State last season but was limited to scout team duties.
Junior college athletes have been a common theme for UConn as well, specifically at quarterback.
Last year’s part-time starting quarterback Chandler Whitmer hailed from Butler Community College in Kansas.
During the Randy Edsall era, Tyler Lorenzen was immediate help at quarterback coming out of Palomar College in San Marcos, CA.
The newest QB on the roster, Garrett Anderson, comes from Laney Junior College in Oakland, CA. Even after visiting for the first practice of the spring, Anderson praised how UConn has created a family atmosphere.
UConn, and the rest of the AAC, have provided solid landing spots for college football’s “free agents.”
Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel is poised for a promising 2015 after transferring from Notre Dame.
SMU landed Matt Davis, a former Juco product and Texas A&M transfer.
Justin Fuente recruited three Juco (defensive) players to play, and early enroll this spring for his Memphis Tigers.
Bob Diaco is going the Juco/transfer route in hopes of speeding up the transition period for UConn. Under his first full year of recruiting, Diaco brought in players with good size that can make an immediate impact, but until the opening week against Villanova, it’s all promising speculation.
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