UConn didn't have a player on the American Athletic Conference, but center Alex Mateas now the No. 2 prospect in the latest Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau's ranking of the top 20 prospects for the 2015 CFL Draft.
The top five players include UNLV offensive lineman Brett Boyko, Mateas, Western University defensive lineman Daryl Waud, Yale University running back Tyler Varga and University of Manitoba receiver Nic Demski.
Mateas, a redshirt senior from Ottawa, Ontario, started all 12 games at center for the Huskies this season.
Earlier this month, Mateas spoke to the New Haven Register about how far UConn's offensive line had come in coach Bob Diaco's first season.
"I am very proud to see the improvement," Mateas said at the time. "You can feel the improvement in every game and every week in practice but it is always nice to see it on the board a little bit. I am really happy with the guys and trying to soak in the experience.
"Every part of the equation is helpful. Coaches start off everything by teaching us the schemes, the way they plan out the game plans and we just try to do what they tell us to. We are really enjoying it. They are going to be in great shape, they are a great group of guys and work really hard and are really hungry. The ceiling is tremendous for them. I would like to think that Gus (Cruz) and I have tried to do all that we can, help the guys out as much as we can. I have really enjoyed working with the young guys and finishing off my senior year with Gus Cruz has been a pleasure."
And Mateas is excited about the prospect of playing professionally in Canada.
"That would unbelievable, it would be just a dream come true," he said. "I am going to take everything I learned here, apply it to whatever happens to the future."
