New Coach, New Roster: Candle Begins the UConn Rebuild in Storrs
Connecticut is coming off a 9-4 season, its second straight nine-win campaign as an independent, but the offseason blew up almost everything that produced it. Jim Mora is gone, and in comes Jason Candle, who never posted a losing record across 10 years at Toledo and arrives with a career mark of 81-44. Candle inherited very little continuity and rebuilt through the portal, bringing in dozens of new faces, many of them former Rockets who already know his system.
The 2025 team made program history with its first ever 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher in the same year, and all three of those headliners are gone. So is most of the roster around them. The question in Storrs is how quickly a heavily transplanted group can play as one.
Offense
The most important newcomer is Tennessee transfer Jake Merklinger, who is positioned to take over the job after the departure of the school's first 3,000-yard passer. Merklinger was a four-star recruit who saw only mop-up duty with the Volunteers, completing 13 of 24 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. The talent is there, but he is unproven as a starter, and returning quarterback Kalieb Osborne, another Toledo product who followed Candle east, is in the mix as well. How fast Merklinger grows within the season will go a long way toward setting the ceiling for this offense.
With a 1,000-yard receiver to replace, the group leans on Shamar Porter, one of the few holdovers and a big 6-3 target who stretches the field. Porter caught 18 passes for 234 yards and a score last season and profiles as a reliable downfield option, exactly the kind of shot-play threat Candle has said he wants. Around him is a room stocked with transfers: Ky "Flash" Wilson arrives from Youngstown State after a 64-catch, 652-yard, six-touchdown year, Cam Abshire comes over from Oklahoma State, and former Rockets Ryder Treadway (13 catches, 176 yards, three scores) and Jediyah Willoughby add to the rotation. Matt Ragan returns at tight end.
Kenji Christian is another Toledo transplant who followed Candle, and he ran for 528 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. He headlines a backfield that also brings in Trey Cornist from Central Michigan and Cyncir Bowers from West Virginia, a deep and experienced group tasked with replacing last year's 1,000-yard back.
The offensive line is the clearest continuity concern on a roster this new, since building cohesion up front usually takes years. The anchor is veteran Ty Chan, one of the few genuine holdovers with real experience. Much of the rest of the group helped Toledo tie for 17th nationally in sacks allowed last season, so the pieces are familiar even if their time together in Storrs is short. Tamarus Walker is set for a bigger role on the interior, and Marshall transfer Christian Richter pushes for a starting tackle spot.
Defense
Esean Carter headlines the front in his senior season. A former Rocket and a third-team all-conference pick, he posted 36 tackles with three sacks last year and gives new coordinator Ryan Manalac a proven anchor. He is joined by fellow Toledo transfer Avery Dunn and Ohio State transfer Joshua Mickens, with Oregon State transfer Tahjae Mullix and returner Matt Hoffman adding depth to a line rebuilt largely through the portal.
Linebacker looks like the strength of the defense, fitting for a coordinator who spent the previous five seasons coaching the position at Pitt. K'Von Sherman is the headliner after leading Toledo with 94 tackles and adding 4.5 sacks. The group around him is deep and experienced, with FCS Penn transfer John Lista, Coastal Carolina transfer Luke Murphy, Oregon State transfer Zakaih Saez and NC State transfer Terris Dudley all in the fold.
The secondary is the least settled unit, with several players chasing their first full-time college roles. Nickel Kylish Hicks provides a valuable veteran presence after choosing to stay rather than leave through the portal. Safety Braedyn Moore and Fresno State transfer Jayden Davis, who piled up 88 tackles over his last two seasons, bring some experience, while Iowa transfer freshman corner CJ Bell Jr. is a name to watch after his old program tried to keep him.
Place-kicking goes to Mike Baker, a transfer from Ole Miss who was used sparingly there but made all four of his extra-point tries. The punting job is expected to fall to Tommy Warner, who averaged 40.1 yards on 47 punts at Northwest Missouri State, with Memphis transfer Spencer Sullins also in the competition. Julian Allen, a former Toledo receiver, took the bulk of the return reps in the spring, though that role is still unsettled.
Overview and Prediction
The independent schedule mixes in a few power-conference tests, with Maryland and North Carolina visiting and a run of regional and Group of Five matchups filling out the slate. The preseason consensus slots UConn in the low triple digits nationally, reflecting the enormous roster turnover more than any doubt about the coaching hire.
The optimism is real: Candle has a long track record of winning and imported a core of players who already fit his program. The caution is just as real, because almost every starter is new and the offensive line has the least time together of any unit. A third consecutive bowl is a reasonable goal, and reaching it likely comes down to how fast Merklinger settles in and whether the rebuilt line can gel. This may not be another nine-win year, but the foundation is in place for the Huskies to stay competitive.