Connecticut lands wide receiver

Hialeah (Fla.) American wide receiver Ricky Gutierrez needed just one official visit to make his decision.

"I committed to Connecticut last night, like around 7 o'clock," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is still on campus at Connecticut, preparing to head home after watching their basketball game against Notre Dame. He talked about the reasons why he feels the Huskies are the right team for him to join.

"I think UConn has an awesome academic program and also an awesome athletic program," Gutierrez said. "I also just kind of wanted to go up north and be on my own, grow up as a man. So decided to go ahead and commit to them. They are a very good school."

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound wide receiver talked about what Paul Pasqualoni and his staff told him about how he fits into their offensive attack.

"They told me I have a real good chance of coming in and getting some early playing time," Gutierrez said. "They said that as far as receivers in their offense, they are looking for someone to step up and be a big-time player. I feel it is a great fit because they are a pro-style offense and they throw the ball a lot. I feel I have a good chance to start."

Gutierrez also claimed offers from Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Kansas, and Middle Tennessee. He was also drawing interest from Illinois and Purdue.