Re-hired Edsall able to sell history at UConn to recruits

STORRS, Conn. (AP) - Randy Edsall had less than a month to put together his first recruiting class since being re-hired as coach at UConn, but says having a history at the school was invaluable in landing a recruiting class that includes 18 high school seniors and two college transfers.

"They would ask about the number of guys in the NFL, they would ask about graduation rates and things that we do," he said. "I had 12 years of knowledge and information that I was able to use."

Edsall also already had some recruiting ties in place that helped him land players such as linebacker T.J. Gardner from nearby Windsor High School, who switched his commitment from Boston College.

Other things to know:

Top 25 Class: No

Best in class: RB David Williams technically isn't a member of the official recruiting class, but landing the transfer from the University of South Carolina was will give Edsall an option at running back to compete with Arkeel Newsome.

Best of the rest: Edsall says offensive lineman Robert Holmes at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds may get a chance to contribute immediately for a unit that was a weak spot on last season's 3-9 team.

Late addition: QB Marvin Washington from Orlando, Florida, switched to UConn after backing out of his commitment from UCF.

One that got away: Edsall received a lot of heat for backing out of the previous staff's commitment to LB Ryan Dickens from New Jersey two weeks before signing day. "You try to make the best decisions for the program and what you think is best and sometimes when that happens, people don't agree with you," he said.

How they'll fit in: Edsall says he hasn't had time to do an in-depth evaluation of the returning talent, but says this class makes the team faster and more athletic.

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