Storrs — Ben Murawski can carve out space on the football field with his 6-foot-6, 337-pound frame.

His size also comes in handy on the basketball court.

Long before Murawski switched sports and became an offensive lineman, he played basketball, suiting up for his high school team in Harleysville, Pa.

A video of Murawski showing off his dunking skills during a pickup game at St. Thomas More in Oakdale, where he spent three years and played football before heading to UConn, went viral a few years ago.

Now a redshirt sophomore, Murawski is the starting left guard on a rebuilt offensive line.

“I don’t do it anymore,” Murawski said about playing pickup basketball. “Back in the day, we would have 5-on-5 runs at the gym at St. Thomas More. We’d all play pickup basketball. … Basketball was my main sport for probably 11 or 12 years.”

Murawski transitioned from basketball to football after gaining significant weight during the COVID pandemic in 2020. He also had a growth spurt in high school.

He knew then it was time to make the switch.

“I was just eating constantly,” Murawski said. “I gained like probably 65-70 pounds just from COVID and then had to drop it all if I wanted to go play basketball again. And I was just like, `I’m not going through that struggle.’ ”

Looking for a prep school, Murawski visited the St. Thomas More campus with his parents Mike and Lauren Murawski. They all fell hard for the school.

“I decided to go there because I knew football was going to be my career path and not basketball,” Murawski said. “So I took the opportunity and ran with it.”

A three-year starter for the Chancellors, Murawski drew interest from UConn. He chose the Huskies because he liked the program’s family atmosphere and coaching staff.

But injuries derailed the beginning of his UConn football career.

During his freshman season in 2022, Murawski tore his labrum in his left shoulder and then his right one roughly seven months apart.

He endured a long rehabilitation process before returning to the field.

“When I got here as a freshman, obviously, it didn’t go the way I planned it,” Murawski said. “Everybody helped me – the trainers, the weight room guys, the coaches – to keep my mindset right and keep everything correct and just keep going forward.”

After seeing limited action as a reserve offensive lineman in 2023, Murawski took a big step forward this season, making his first collegiate start Aug. 31 at Maryland.

Murawski is part of an offensive line that has earned high marks through two games. The Huskies have yet to allow a sack and played a role in the school record-setting offensive performance in Saturday’s 63-17 mauling of Merrimack.

His agility and athleticism that came in handy on the basketball court also serves Murawski well on the football field.

UConn coach Jim Mora believes Murawski has a bright future.

“He’s a big, massive guy,” Mora said. “He plays with a lot of confidence. He knows what he is doing. For a guy that’s 330 pounds and almost 6-7, he’s got unbelievable athleticism and really great feet.”

Mora heard the stories about Murawski’s pickup basketball days.

“When they go play pickup basketball in the off-season, he’s the point guard,” Mora said. “You’d think he’d be the power forward but he’s the point guard. He’s dribbling between his legs and dunks and all that.

“So he’s got that athleticism that you really like, especially in our scheme. And he’s a smart kid. He just doesn’t make mental errors. He just needs more experience. He just needs snaps. WIth more and more snaps, you’re going to see his ability to be consistent really, really improve.

“He’s going to be a really good player here.”

News and notes

Junior running back Victor Rosa will have surgery on a broken finger Wednesday and miss Saturday’s game at Duke. He’s expected to return for the following week’s game against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 21 in East Hartford.

Mora has a decision to make about the starting quarterback for this weekend’s game. Joe Fagnano is coming off a terrific performance while playing in place of opening game starter Nick Evers, who sat out due to a concussion. Fagnano threw for a school-record tying five touchdowns and passed for 328 yards while completing 13 of 19 passes. He also had a rushing touchdown.

Evers is back working out with the team, so there’s a chance that he’ll return to action on Saturday.

So what will be the deciding factor in Mora’s decision?

“If (Nick) has a good week, yes (he’ll start)...,” Mora said. “We all appreciate the job Joe did; It was unbelievable. Yet over the course of a four week camp, we decided (Nick) was our quarterback. I know if Nick is called upon, he’ll be ready. And he has to prove that to us this week that he’s ready. I know if Joe is called upon, we’ve seen he’ll be ready.”

g.keefe@theday.com