In Wednesday's JI

Here is Wednesday's notebook. I have led with a story about defensive ends Kendall Reyes and him and Twyon martin moving into the starting lineup.

I give UConn and the coaching staff a lot of grief about the lack of WRs, they deserve a tip of the cap for what they are doing on the defensive line. These guys they are getting are hardly blue chip prospects and they are turning into good players quickly. The fact two freshmen are starting on this defense is tremendous. I understand Lunn and Polito are banged up (especially Polito), but Martin is a player and I love Reyes' potential.

I like the D-Line for the future. Cody Brown is a star, but even next year Lindsey Witten looks like if he gets a ton of snaps he could become a sack force. He has played great recently.

Lastly, how is Reyes only offered by UNH and UConn? All that money and only UConn saw potential? I don't know about you , but he projects to be a pretty good player. His body frame should be able to add weight easily and he should maintain the agility when he fills out. I would say the worst barometer of a high school propsect is basing his potential on who offers. Not every Ohio State prospect goes to the NFL. How do you know if Ohio State looks at the offer as a kid who is a star, or are they just looking for depth.

Regardless, I like the direction of the line to a more athletic and more explosive. How many power teams are left in the country outside of the Big 10? Everyone else uses speed.

UConn has struggled to get the star WR because those guys are easily projectable and want to play in warm weather pass happy offenses. To find this many D-lineman and so young bodes well for the future. These guys are much harder to find than others.

Lastly, Jeff Hathaway was quoted in The Courant today saying no one has contacted him about Edsall and Syracuse and that Edsall told Hathaway he has no interest. That should put an end to this. Don't know why this information is so hard to pry out of UConn (attempts to reach Hathaway were rebuffed Monday. Didn't try Tuesday, perhaps should have again). If the guy wants to stay, and UConn wants to keep him, do so publicly.

On a side note. Don't know why Edsall passed on a chance to say no outright to Syracuse Tuesday. If he said he wasn't interested in the position at all, now or in three weeks or 6 weeks, then this goes away. He had a chance to do that and instead cited his statement.

PR 101. Don't leave any ambiguity if you don't want any ambiguity. The statement failed to squelch the rumors because of "careful wording" and it boxed him in if he does indeed want the job.

Randy Edsall can't leave now without reputational harm and sour feelings because of the statement. If he doesn't want the job, why let the rumors persist? He needs a more aggressive stance. I understand he doesn't want to embarass Syracuse, but the ambiguity and no comment isn't a good strategy. It's not going to go away. It will hang over this program until Syracuse picks it's next coach.

It makes UConn look weak allowing those rumors to contine out of Syracuse.

What do you guys think?