Southingtons CT star quarterback making decision soon

Last week Jay Rose, a 2-star Connecticut recruit with offers and interest from all over the country, including the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12, narrowed his list down to four schools. The 2016 athlete is considering (in no particular order): UConn, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Wisconsin.

Rose also had offers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Boston College, N.C. State, and Maryland. He explained why he felt comfortable cutting the list to four.

"What all four of those schools have in common is they are very good academically and I like their football program," he told UConn Report.

The Southington native played tight end for Southington High as a sophomore on a team which won the Class LL state championship. He switched to quarterback last year as a junior as the team captured a second-straight championship in a dominant win over Norwich Free Academy.

His team is replacing many seniors, but their 2015 campaign got off to a good start in this summer's Grip It and Rip It 7-on-7 tournament at New Canaan High in July. The Southington team stormed through the competition, finishing second in a regional tournament featuring the best teams from New York and Connecticut.

Shortly afterward, Rose made another visit to UConn to check out a summer workout session and meet with the coaches.

"I was impressed with how hard they work out and the intensity of what they do," he said.

He had a brief meeting with offensive coordinator Frank Verducci, where he learned more about what UConn's scheme will look like.

"He explained the offense a little bit to me, they had it up on the board," he explained. "We talked through some of their setups, formations, what they're trying to do, stuff like that."

He plays quarterback for Southington, with great success, and is hoping to give quarterback a shot in college, but many colleges were interested in moving Rose to tight end or H-back.

"I'm still kind of set on giving quarterback a try to see if it works out. This year I definitely want to show the coaches that I can play quarterback at the next level."

This offseason, Rose has been working hard to master the position.

"A big piece I've been working on is my lower half, things like footwork, and the mental game, being quick in decision-making, reading coverages easier-- that was really something I had to work on," he said.

Rose plans on making a decision before his senior season starts, which will be on Friday, September 11 against Manchester. The aspiring business major likes UConn academically, and, on the football side, the facilities, the direction of the program, offensive style, and opportunity to star in his home state were all attracting him to Storrs.

"It's obviously a dream come true to be a hometown hero with all my family and friends there to see it. That would be unreal."

No matter where he ends up, Rose will be representing Connecticut as an athlete of high quality and character from a place that is lacking in respect.

"I know a lot of people think Connecticut or northeast football isn't too special... It's not as highly praised as others, but in reality there are a lot of talented players that I've seen out of here."

UConn already has more in-state commitments within the six-person Class of 2016 than in the entire Class of 2015. Connecticut high school football has been proven to be on the rise in production of Division 1 football players. Capturing in-state recruits will hold greater significance and potential impact than in years past.

The Huskies' offer will also stand out because they are one of two schools in Rose's final four, along with Syracuse, which will give him the opportunity to play quarterback. Both Wisconsin and Wake Forest have offered him as a tight end.

UConn Report will be staying in touch with Rose as he gets closer to making his decision.