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UConn Football Offseason Position Battles

The young UConn Husky squad is returning a majority of starters from 2015, the team looking to improve on their 6-7 record from last season. However, there are some key positional battles to keep an eye on, with new starters earning an opportunity to make their presences felt as first team players. Here are three of the most important showdowns to keep an eye on this spring and summer.


Left Tackle: Richard Levy vs. Matt Peart

Levy is the incumbent starting offensive tackle, but given the issues that UConn’s big uglies have had in the past, his job is certainly not safe. There have been multiple cases of Husky coaches lauding Peart, calling the 6-foot-7, 290-pound redshirt freshman one of the most talented players on the team. Jim Fuller of The New Haven Register said that “to say the coaches are excited about what he brings to the team would an understatement of incredible proportions,” and given his background as a basketball player and his athletic frame, the upside is there for him to be special. Levy, however, will not go down without a fight. It will be intriguing to see how this battle shapes up over the remainder of the offseason.


Safety: Brice McAllister vs. The Field

With senior Andrew Adams leaving for the NFL, there is quite a battle going on to start next to Obi Melifonwu. McAllister has proven to be a special teams ace for the Huskies, his awareness and straight-line speed serving him well as a gunner. Diaco believes McAllister is due for a larger role per his comments at the National Signing Day press conference.

Watkins is less of a known commodity, but by all accounts he has the spatial awareness and ball skills to make an impact. Adams’ main role was to compliment Melifonwu as a deep cover man, letting the bigger Obi play in the shorter middle of the field and lay the lumber. Both McAllister and Watkins have big shoes to fill. This battle will rage, and although Watkins has the upper hand at this point it would not be shocking if McAllister can end up overtaking him by the fall.

Redshirt freshmen Aaron Garland and Marshé Terry will also be candidates to fill the starting role. Garland moved over from cornerback and is a former 3-star recruit from Illinois.


Defensive End: Cole Ormsby vs. The Field

With sturdy Kenton Adeyemi leaving for the pros, Cole Ormsby is going to get the first crack at taking over his starting spot. However, at 262 pounds, Ormsby is much smaller than his predecessor, and he has consistently played his best as a rotational rusher. It remains to be seen whether he can function effectively as an every down player. The Huskies have ample depth at the position, including freshman Phillipe Okounam and sophomore Sheridan Lawley, both of whom are closer to Adeyemi’s strong build. Ormsby is going to get his every down opportunity, but there is no shame if he ends up as a passing down player instead; he can still make a major impact when he is on the field regardless of when he plays.

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