After speaking at the monthly Middlesex Chamber of Commerce breakfast, UConn football coach Paul Pasqualoni provided an update on some of UConn's injured players.
On tight end Sean McQuillan, who suffered a concussion when hit by Taylor Mack in Saturday's practice he said, "we are optimistic. We are going to have to go through the whole procedure and protocol but we are optimistic that he will be OK."
Regarding safety Andrew Adams, who was also injured in Saturday's practice he said (with) Andrew we are kind of getting the evaluation and I am not sure, there are two different scenarios and I don’t know which one it is yet. We are waiting for the swelling to go down."
Pasqualoni also said that defensive end Jesse Joseph "may have a chance of being back before the season starts, we will wait and see."
Of the three starters who could miss the season opener, McQuillan's could be the one whose absence is felt the most because the Huskies were already thin at tight end coming into camp. If McQuillan isn't cleared by next Thursday, the start could go to Spencer Parker or one of the two freshmen (Michael Boland and Tommy Myers) who have been seeing time with either the first or second-team offense during practice. Obi Melifonwu figures to replace Adams at safety and Pasqualoni has called him one of the best athletes he has ever coached with a 4.5 40-yard dash time and 41-inch vertical leap.
Among the highlights from a 17-minute speech to a sold-out ballroom at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell:
Pasqualoni said Casey Cochran is ahead mentally of the three true freshmen quarterbacks in the race for the No. 2 QB spot
He mentioned Shakim Phillips as the top kickoff returner and Brian Lemelle as the top punt return guy.
He continues to rave about former Hand star's Matt Walsh's ability to catch the ball from the fullback position
Pasqualoni was impressed with the return of 10 players who underwent offseason surgery mentioning that running back Martin Hyppolite "hasn't missed a snap" despite breaking his hip in a March automobile accident, kicker Chad Christen being on campus and in treatment "every single day, he did not have a summer" and linebacker Jon Hicks' return from knee surgery in 4 1/2 months which "he has never heard of."
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