Draft Diaries: East Hartford, Connecticut

About the scouting trail in East Hartford, Connecticut

NFL Draft Bible founder Ric Serritella is back on the scouting trails for the 2021 college football season with a breakdown of each city, town and school pit-stop along the scouting trails. We’ll even bring you some of the great culture and food from this great country of the United States. Be sure to check back, as he details the cities, towns and communities that help makeup the surroundings of future NFL pros. Plus, an inside look at which players are grabbing the attention of the NFL scouting community.

The first trip up on the scouting trails leads us to East Hartford, Connecticut, home of the UConn Huskies. An independent football program currently undergoing a culture change under head coach Randy Edsall, UConn held an open scrimmage at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on August 14th, 2021.

#OnLocation Rentschler Stadium
East Hartford, CT | ⁦@UConnFootball⁩

⁦@NFLPABowl⁩ 🌹 https://t.co/2527MCVoYj pic.twitter.com/HpooQC6knf

— All Access Football (@NFLDraftBible) August 14, 2021

Setting: 

While the Connecticut campus is largely based in Storrs, Connecticut, the Huskies play in East Hartford (founded in 1783), with a population of 50,272. Nicknamed the "Insurance Capital of the World", Hartford holds high sufficiency as a global city, as home to the headquarters of many insurance companies, the region's major industry.

Weather: 

On this day, it was a high of 86 degrees, sunny, with high humidity, which didn’t take long to affect the players on the field.

🌹@NFLPABowl Watch | One player the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be keeping an eye on is @UConnFootball OT Ryan Van Demark (@Ryan_Van_Demark).

A four-year starter/team captain, Van Demark possesses great size (6065/302), along with sound footwork, strength and 85-inch wingspan! pic.twitter.com/BBqERWHxtx

— Ric Serritella (@RicSerritella) August 16, 2021

Prospect Watch: 

There have been over a dozen NFL teams come through UConn through the first two weeks of training camp, primarily to see junior DT #57 TRAVIS JONES [6043/330] (SCOUTING REPORT) (ON LOCATION), a true nose tackle who possesses the size, strength and leadership to potentially play his way into the top 100; he has placed a renowned focus on diet/conditioning entering 2021. A four-year starter with 33 starts on the left side, senior OT #74 RYAN VAN DEMARK [6065/302] (ON LOCATION) possesses the length and frame that should allure NFL teams; he has been wearing a weighted chest protector throughout summer practices and owns an 85-inch wingspan, lots of developmental upside. One senior player worth monitoring is senior RB #34 KEVIN MENSAH [5086/199] (ON LOCATION), who has been one of the more decorated runners in Huskies history, however, he will need to show the ability to break tackles in order to fulfill any NFL aspirations. Up and coming junior CB #21 JEREMY LUCIEN [6011/196] (ON LOCATION) was a pleasant surprise with his ability to mirror; he possesses prototype size/speed, demonstrated sound footwork and natural instincts, keep an eye on him. Sophomore QB #11 JACK ZERGIOTIS [6012/212] is expected to win the starting job; the Canadian-born signal-caller is sure to be on the CFL radar due to his poise and accuracy.

Distance Traveled:

Lavallette, NJ to East Hartford, CT = 188 miles (1st scouting trip of the year)

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