Former Yale recruit now headed to UConn

STORRS, Conn. (WTNH) -- Sean Marinan Jr. was all set to play college football at Yale, but that was before the coaching change.

Tom Williams is out and Tony Reno is in.

This means Marinan, who was a WIlliams recruit, was left on the outside looking in.

However, he's made the best out of a bad situation. after not being wanted as a Bulldog, Marinan found a home at UConn.

He's a Husky, and has already started summer classes and lifting with the team.

"The new coach at Yale revoked my offer, so Coach Pasqualoni called me a couple nights after and said you can come up here," said Marinan. "It's one of those things where things seem to happen for a reason."

Paul Pasqualoni offered Marinan a spot as a preferred walk on. There is no scholarship money, just a chance to prove himself.

"He's going to get an opportunity and that's all you can ask for," said Sean Marinan Sr., "you throw a challenge down in front of him and he's going step up."

If anyone knows that to be true it's Marinan's high school coach, who just happens to be his dad.

He's watched his son overcome obstacles, especially the label of undersized offensive lineman.

Being a coaches kid was viewed as a plus in the eyes of some college coaches.

"Most of the guys I've talked to throughout the process, that's a big plus," Said Marinan Sr. "He's smart, on top of that, and for us he was a coach on the field, he ran the offensive line for us. As a preferred walk on he's treated just like a scholarship player, that's why he's up there now."

His commitment is already paying off. Marinan Jr. got word last week that he has received an academic scholarship.

Now the next step is proving that he fits in on the football field.