What a job Jim Mora did in his four seasons as head coach at UConn.
Mora took over a team that was 1-11 the year before his arrival. The Huskies were and still are competing as an independent and there wasn’t much positive happening with the program.
Mora did an incredible job, including consecutive 9-4 records the past two seasons. He is now guiding Colorado State, and Jason Candle takes over after a successful 10-year reign at Toledo. Candle went 81-44 and won two MAC titles.
Now he looks to keep the recent momentum going at UConn.
UConn Season Preview
Not only is there a new coach, but a major roster turnover with Candle bringing a large number of transfers, including numerous players from Toledo. How all the new players and coaching staff adapt will be the key for the Huskies.
Key Players To Replace
Quarterback Joe Fagnano passed for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns and just one interception. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens.
Receiver Skyler Bell caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was a fourth-round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills.
Standout left tackle Ben Murawski transferred to Michigan State. He earned second-team Group of Five All-American honors.
Linebacker Bryun Parham, who led the Huskies with 116 tackles and 10.5 sacks, used up his eligibility.
Among other players who used up their eligibility were kicker Chris Freeman, who made 23 of 26 field goal attempts, linebacker Donovan Branch (30 tackles), cornerback Devin Pringle (45 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups), tight end Lou Hansen (20 receptions for 194 yards) and punter Connor Stutz (44.9 yards per punt).
The Quarterback Situation
This still appears to be an open competition.
Jake Merklinger is a transfer from Tennessee who attempted just 24 passes in four games last year for the Vols. He spent two years at Tennessee.
Kalieb Osborne appeared in seven games last year for Toledo, throwing for 427 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 282 yards and two touchdowns.
Tucker McDonald is in his fourth season with the program, but he attempted just two passes last year.
These appear to be the three contenders, and this competition may not get solved until close to opening day.
Key Returning Players
Ty Chan appeared in 13 games and made nine starts at both guard positions. He also has the ability to play tackle.
Offensive lineman Tamarus Walker appeared in eight games and made a start in the Huskies’ Fenway Bowl loss to Army.
Receiver Shamar Porter had 18 receptions for 234 yards and one touchdown.
Defensive lineman Matt Hoffman recorded 22 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive back Kylish Hicks was a special teams standout who appeared in all 13 games and made nine tackles.
Key Newcomers
Linebacker K’Von Sherman led Toledo with 94 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive tackle Esean Carter had 36 tackles and three sacks at Toledo.
Defensive end Joshua Mickens appeared in seven games with three tackles last season for Ohio State.
Linebacker John Lista had 78 tackles and was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection last year at Penn.
Receiver Ky “Flash” Wilson caught 64 passes for 652 yards and six touchdowns for Youngstown State. Fellow receiver Cam Abshire had 10 receptions for 92 yards at Oklahoma State.
Marshall transfer Christian Richter is expected to vie for a starting offensive tackle spot. Hannes Hammer is a transfer from Virginia Tech who is also vying for time on the offensive line.
Kenji Christian rushed for 528 yards and four touchdowns last year for Toledo.
Another person in the running back mix should be Cyncir Bowers, who rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns last year for West Virginia.
Matt Ragan, who saw limited playing time during his career at Boston College, will vie for playing time at tight end.
UConn’s 2026 Schedule
- 9/5 vs. Lafayette
- 9/12 vs. Maryland
- 9/19 at Southern Miss
- 9/26 at Miami (Ohio)
- 10/3 vs. Syracuse
- 10/10 at Temple
- 10/24 vs. UMass
- 10/31 at Air Force
- 11/7 vs. North Carolina
- 11/14 vs. James Madison
- 11/21 vs. Old Dominion
- 11/28 at Wyoming
UConn’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- UConn’s win total Over/Under is 5.5
- The Under is at -125
- The Over is at -105
UConn Season Prediction
I like the Huskies to go over 5.5 wins.
UConn plays three Power Four schools (Maryland, Syracuse and North Carolina) all at home, and those games could go either way. In addition, the schedule consists of some really strong G6 teams such as Miami (Ohio) and James Madison. A game that could be more competitive than it appears is on the road against an improved Temple team.
There are very few layups on the schedule, possibly just the opener against Lafayette and a mid-season home game against UMass, although the Minutemen may provide more resistance than expected.
The bottom line is that there are very few givens with the schedule. Candle is a proven winner, and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can make his mark on this program. There are many talented players on the roster, but getting them to mesh quickly will be the key. So will solving the quarterback situation.
That said, there is certainly the ability to earn a third-straight bowl berth, although matching last year’s win total could be difficult.
