One and done: Wildcats' Lagow commit to quarterback UConn

If you'd have asked Plano Senior senior Richard Lagow where his recruiting trail would end back when it began freshman year, Connecticut would be as far off the radar as it gets.

In fact, the Wildcats quarterback had yet to even visit the Northeast before the Huskies reached out to express interest.

And sure enough, it is within the small confines of Storrs, Conn., where Lagow will look to continue his career on the gridiron after verbally committing to play football for Connecticut.

"It's unbelievable," Lagow said. "A couple months ago, I was sitting around with no offers. Everyone that talked to me at camps was shocked I hadn't received any offers. I was just like, 'yeah, I don't have any, but hopefully they start coming in.' They'd tell me I'd definitely get some and I kept waiting, hoping and praying something would happen and it's all worked out."

While the Huskies had been in the back of Lagow's mind for the past month or so, the quarterback's decision wasn't finalized until Monday when he capped his initial visit to the campus.

Lagow made the trek to participate in UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni's annual football camp.

"I got there a day early and met with (running backs coach Clayton) White at the facilities," Lagow said. "He showed me around, the camp was on a Sunday and then I stayed a day late and met with coach Pasqualoni, (quarterbacks coach Shane) Day and we just hung out for a while.

"Me and my dad also went to go see the shore, so Monday was more like a family vacation kind of thing, but we knew what we had to get done."

Lagow notified the Huskies' staff of his decision to commit prior to returning home, capping a recruiting venture that took form last winter when Lagow sent film to UConn. It wasn't until a few months later that White began to regularly contact Lagow, leading to an offer in mid-May.

"UConn had been to my school two times during the spring," Lagow said. "The first time, coach White came and then he and coach Day came together. The day after they left, they offered me and I decided to go to their camp."

It was the first offer the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder received and that made a difference despite visits to the likes of Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Houston during Spring Break.

"In recruiting these days, in my position, schools only take one or two per class and most of the time, it's just one," Lagow said. "Because of that, kids commit very early and a lot of schools already have quarterbacks committed. It's not so much waiting to see if something better comes, because Connecticut is still a great program.

"You never know what will happen ... let's say I got an offer from Oklahoma and then they make an offer to another kid that next day. If he accepts that offer, then my scholarship is gone. With quarterback, it's a bit different than other positions; if a school's looking to just recruit one and someone takes your spot, you're out of luck."

Fortunately for Lagow, his collegiate future is no longer in jeopardy, although it'll mean adjusting to an initial culture shock after spending his years growing up in Texas.

"[Storrs is] a small town," Lagow said. "I liked it a lot. Obviously being there during the summer, there isn't much going on. It's chilly, there are trees everywhere. Everywhere you go, there's only one lane to drive in ... It's something that will take some getting used to."

Getting used to that scene change is still a ways away though, with Lagow just a couple months from beginning his senior campaign with the Wildcats. As a junior, Lagow enjoyed his first full season as a starter; a year in which he threw for 1,646 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for five scores.

As he looks to build on those numbers, Lagow can do so with one less decision on his plate.

"It's definitely a huge stress reliever," he said, "and now I can focus on my last season with Plano, which is something that I'll remember for the rest of my life."

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