It has been suggested in recent days that old/new UConn football coach Randy Edsall reneged on a scholarship offer the previous administration made to Ryan Dickens, a linebacker from Raritan High School in New Jersey.

A story written on nj.com earlier this week reported that Dickens, who had verbally agreed to accept a scholarship offer seven months earlier — when Bob Diaco was coaching — was told Sunday night by Edsall that UConn is going “in another direction.”

Edsall has been carved in the national media for heartlessness and betrayal.

The problem here: All we know is one side of the story. That’s because NCAA rules prohibit schools from discussing recruits until national letters of intent are signed. Hence, Edsall has no way to defend himself.

What is fact?

What is fiction?

I don’t know.

Only the dramatis personae do.

And until they’ve all spoken, presumption and speculation fill in the blanks.

So let’s assume — just for spits and giggles — that Edsall is the Grinch Whole Stole The Recruiting Process. He did it. Pulled the kid’s scholarship less than a month before signing day.

You might want to hang Edsall by his fingernails.

But I don’t.

This is major college football.

Not a Harlequin Romance.

This is business.

And if you are Edsall, assigned with the task of rebuilding a program from rubble, why would you ever keep somebody whom you might not perceive as good enough? Or someone who doesn’t fit your system or style of play?

What, you’d bring him to campus knowing he had no chance to play?

Is that fair?

Why are you bound to a honoring commitment somebody else made?

Good questions, all.

Anybody want to formulate some good answers?

UConn isn’t going to become competitive again until some players, good ones, start thinking East Hartford is lovely this time of year. Or any time of year. So while we all might feel sorry for Dickens — if his side of the story is true — the bigger picture here is about the UConn football program. That’s Edsall’s responsibility. He’s got enough of Diaco’s mess to clean without bringing in more bad players.

Sadly, the musings of the national media have been a giant swing and a miss thus far. I nearly spit out my coffee the other day listening to this guy Finebaum on ESPN torch Edsall for a decision Edsall may or may not have made.

This is the same Mr. Finebaum whose professional career has been devoted to opining about those paragons of virtue in the Southeastern Conference. Send up a flare the next time Mr. Finebaum needs a new thesaurus to find the suitable adjectives to kill Nick Saban when he does the same to some kid.

It’s not hard to find stories about how Lane Kiffin (when he was at Tennessee), Bobby Petrino and Jim Harbaugh have all done the same in the recruiting process. It doesn’t pass the smell test. But then, when coaches are entrusted with one job, win, why are we killing them for being heartless?

Then there’s this: I know Edsall to be an honorable man. He stood for all the right things last time around here at UConn. I doubt much has changed. And I’m not about to throw him down a flight of stairs without at least hearing his side.

Again, though: Edsall is under no obligation whatsoever to honor Bob Diaco’s commitments. The plan here is to win and win as soon as possible. That won’t happen with players Edsall and his staff perceive as not good enough. There’s plenty of not good enough here already.

And the idea that some of these blatherers are weighing in with their apocalyptic growls before all the facts are presented? Makes you want to stick your fingers in your ears and make that loud NANANANANA sound until it stops.

In fact, that’s not a bad idea.

NANANANANA.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro