UNH's O'Neill looking for fast start
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
DURHAM -- Perhaps no University of New Hampshire football player has improved his position more in the last year than offensive lineman Seamus O'Neill.
Last fall O'Neill entered the UNH program fresh out of Manchester Central and was a backup at offensive guard. This year he's penciled in as the starting right guard on the team's two-deep depth chart.
"He had a great summer and got his weight up from about 275 pounds this spring to 291 pounds right now," UNH offensive line coach Joe Conlin said. "He's an attentive kid. He pays attention in meetings. If you tell him to adjust his footwork in a certain way, he's going to go out and see that he does it. That's one thing he does very well -- he takes coaching ... he listens to coaching. He understands that he doesn't have it all figured out and he's got a lot to learn.
"We saw the potential early on. Last year he learned the system better than your typical freshman. Each day he's always looking to get better. He's always looking for my feedback. Like a lot of our guys he's a hard worker and it's starting to click for him."
O'Neill, who played three years of varsity football at Central, has also played some center for the Wildcats. He said the toughest adjustment from high school to college football was getting used to the physicality and speed at the college level.
"From this camp to last camp the whole mindset is different," O'Neill said. "Going in last year I didn't know what to expect. It helps getting that one camp under your belt because you learn the whole offense.
"I'm bigger and stronger thanks to the conditioning coach here."
O'Neill said UNH was one of three schools that offered him a scholarship. Rhode Island and Maine were the others.
"This was the right fit for me," he said.
UNH head coach Sean McDonnell said there's a big difference between weighing 270 pounds and 291 pounds when you're an offensive lineman. O'Neill was asked to report at 285.
"He did everything he needed to do this summer to get where he is -- to give himself an opportunity to play football," McDonnell said. "Right now he's in the mix and it's because of all the hard work he's done."
Talking back
McDonnell on former Souhegan High School running back Sean Jellison, who is entering his senior season at UNH: "I hope he does the same thing he did his senior year in high school. I hope he scores a lot of touchdowns and gains a lot of yards.
"My expectations are that he keeps playing the way that he's played, and now he'll have an expanded role. This is a kid who has an opportunity to be the starting tailback for us.
"All of us know that you can't do it with one (back) any more at this level and in football. Whether it's high school, college or the pros, they're playing with two or three backs. I think the opportunity for him to start will be good for him and good for us. I also think it will give a kid like (running back) Dontra Peters an opportunity to ease into it."
Kaplan moves to defense
Matt Kaplan, who played at Franklin High School, is among the New Hampshire residents trying to earn a roster spot as a walk-on.
Kaplan helped New Hampshire post a 34-20 victory over Vermont in last weekend's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. He played offensive line for the New Hampshire Shrine team, but is being used as a defensive lineman at UNH. He was listed at 6-foot-1, 297 pounds on the Shrine roster.
"We've known about the kid for over a year and a half," McDonnell said. "We had him in camp (the summer after his junior year). The one thing about the kid is he loves to play football. He's a thick, solid, strong kid.
"I'm excited for Matt. If you work at it as a defensive lineman in this program and keep grinding you're going to have an opportunity to play. You talk to the kid and say, 'You got an opportunity. Take advantage of it.'"
