UConn football wide receiver Thomas Lucas is seen during the Huskies’ game against Army at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field on Sept. 12, 2015. (Bailey Wright/The Daily Campus)
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Thomas Lucas will transfer to Duquesne University, he told The Daily Campus on Tuesday.
Thomas sent a tweet early Sunday morning saying that he wouldn’t be returning to UConn.
“The coaches are great,” he said. “I never really had a problem with them. It was just I had a lack of playing time. I wasn’t getting the exposure that I thought I should have. Great coaching staff…loved the team, the players on the team. We all bonded together. They’ll do great for the next couple of years.”
Sad That I Won't Be Playing At Uconn Nomore Going To Miss My TeamMates And The Coaches Wish Yall The Best #GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/MWlbQoDUMW
— Ocho (@TeeDoee8) January 3, 2016
Lucas said he told coach Bob Diaco of his departure after the team’s 16-10 loss to Marshall at the St. Petersburg Bowl.
“We kind of had like a family talk,” Lucas said. “The coaches…I learned a lot from them. They turned me into the gentleman that I am now. I realize that college is a business, especially D-I football at that level. It’s a business. I just took it for what it is and hopefully I find a school that benefits me.”
When reached on Sunday, Mike Enright, UConn’s associate director of sports information, declined to comment.
Lucas, from Silver Spring, Maryland, appeared in eight games last season and totaled seven catches for 83 yards.
In 2014, he appeared in 11 games and had nine receptions for 122 yards. Lucas finished his UConn career with 18 games played, 16 catches and 205 catches.
Lucas is the second wide receiver to leave the program in the last two months. In November, junior wide receiver Dhameer Bradley announced that he would transfer from the program.
This story was updated Tuesday Jan. 5 to reflect Thomas’ plan to transfer to Duquesne.
Matt Zampini is sports editor for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at matthew.zampini@uconn.edu. He tweets @Matt_Zamp.