Mark Didio Jr. following his father's footsteps to UConn

Even after early signing day, UConn football keeps working the recruiting trail, adding a commitment from Mark Didio Jr., a slot receiver from Westport, Connecticut. He will enter the program as a preferred walk-on.

“I’m very excited to come to UConn because it’s a great opportunity for me to play the sport I love,” Didio Jr. said. “I think I can earn my way into a role in the offense and contribute to a team that is playing on a national stage.”

The newest Husky’s last name might sound familiar to long-time UConn fans. His father, Mark Didio Sr., is UConn football’s all-time receiving leader. Didio Sr. originally hails from Syracuse, New York, but crossed enemy lines to play for the Huskies. He put up impressive stats as a receiver even by today’s standards, ending his UConn career with 239 catches for 3,535 yards, both school records that he holds to this day.

Didio Jr. is from Westport, Connecticut, and played at The Taft School in Watertown where he faced off against fellow UConn recruits and Avon Old Farms teammates Tyler Phommachanh and Josh Tracey. He was a reliable option in the slot his junior year but didn’t play as a senior after his season was canceled due to COVID. Still, he attracted the attention of the UConn coaching staff in December of 2019 when he was approached by UConn receivers’ coach Aaron Smith.

"[He was] honest with me about where they thought I'd fit into the UConn offense and how I could work my way and earn my way into that role,” Didio Jr. said.

It’ll be a tough ask for Didio Jr. — or anyone for that matter — to reach the great heights of his father, but the elder Didio did have some sound advice for him as he is set to enter his first season at Storrs.

"My dad has told me that I need to go up there, work my tail off, and give everything I can day in and day out and my opportunity will come,” Didio Jr. said.