Rody Ricketts sprinted past defenders against Notre Dame Prep last September, making clear why Bunnell football’s senior star is moving on to Division I at Sacred Heart University. In an Instagram reel shared on Monday, Ricketts announced his commitment to Sacred Heart, thanking family, friends, and coaches for their support and reflecting on the challenges that shaped his journey.
“The journey hasn’t always been easy,” Ricketts said. “But every challenge has prepared me for the next chapter. I’m forever grateful, but the work is far from finished. I’m proud to announce I’ll be committing to SHU.”
Listed as a wide receiver and defensive back on Bunnell’s roster, Ricketts has contributed in nearly every facet of the game during his three seasons with the Bulldogs. He has run routes as a receiver, carried the ball as a running back, thrown passes on offense, played in the defensive secondary, returned kicks, and even handled punting duties.
Bunnell coach Ty Jenkins praised Ricketts’s versatility during the preseason, recalling how the player requested to line up at defensive end as a freshman and recorded a sack on his first play. “There’s not a position he can’t play,” Jenkins said. “He’s not willing to back down to anybody.”
Ricketts’s talent caught attention early. Division I offers began arriving in his junior year from schools including Syracuse, Central Connecticut, and UMass. By the start of his senior year, he had 16 Division I offers, which included two more Connecticut schools—Sacred Heart and the University of New Haven.
Last fall, Bunnell reached the Class MM finals for the first time since 2007, finishing as runner-up with a 10-3 record. This season has been tougher, with the Bulldogs sitting at 2-3 midway through their schedule. Still, Ricketts has been a standout performer. He leads the team with 675 all-purpose yards, including 27 receptions for 439 yards and six touchdowns, alongside 11 rushes for 174 yards and a touchdown. He has also completed two passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Over his high school career, Ricketts has caught 65 passes for 1,247 yards and rushed 82 times for 1,062 yards, accumulating 30 touchdowns in total. His impact stretches beyond football; he is also part of Bunnell’s boys basketball team, which won back-to-back CIAC Division III championships in 2024 and 2025, before finishing as Division II runner-up last winter.
Ricketts’s commitment to Sacred Heart adds to the growing list of local talents joining the university’s football program. The announcement brings a close to recruiting discussions that began intensively last fall and confirms his path toward continuing a multi-dimensional football career at the collegiate level.
According to Yahoo Sports.
