Loyola Standout Joins Tigers from UConn

When Leon Kinnard wanted to move forward, he decided to go back where he started.

The sophomore UConn quarterback and  grad is transferring to  to play for the Tigers. UConn is in a transitional period—coach Randy Edsall left for Maryland.

Towson head coach Rob Ambrose had recruited Kinnard for UConn when he was offensive coordinator under Edsall.

"Coming to Towson is a great opportunity for me," Kinnard, a Reisterstown native, said in a press release. "I know that I could have contributed if I had stayed at UConn. But, I think I have a chance to contribute even more at Towson. I am just looking forward to playing football. I am excited to be playing for Coach Ambrose and having some fun."

At UConn, Kinnard saw action in five games at wide receiver. He completed one pass on three yards and ran 18 yards on four carries.

In his senior year at Loyola, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Kinnard led the Dons to an 11-0 record and was a second-team All-Metro player and an honorable mention All-State selection. In his junior year, he threw 13 touchdown passes.

"At UConn, we recruited him to be a quarterback," Ambrose said in the release. "After I left, I am not sure what happened. He is the type of player who makes plays. The wider the field, the more effective he is. We are probably going to use him at quarterback first because that will help him learn the offense quicker.

"But, he could do a number of different things for us," he said. "He could play wide receiver, running back, defensive back and return kicks. I may not know where he will contribute but I know he will contribute."

Kinnard will join former Loyola teammate Doug Shaw, the Tigers' offensive center.