UConn Huskies News Page 2 - College Football

Ky Wilson - DNP for Week 1 Wilson (undisclosed) did not play during Saturday's 56-7 win over Lafayette.

Impact Wilson was unable to make his season debut Saturday as he is seemingly dealing with an undisclosed issue. When healthy, he figures to have a role in UConn's passing attack after recording 64 receptions for 652 yards and six touchdowns with Youngstown State in 2025. His next opportunity to take the field comes against Maryland in Week 2.

SEPTEMBER 6 • ROTOWIRE

New-look UConn routs FCS-member Lafayette 56-7 to begin Jason Candle era

Kalieb Osborne threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to lead Connecticut to a 56-7 season-opening victory over FCS-member Lafayette on Saturday under first-year head coa...

SEPTEMBER 5 • Associated Press

How to watch Bryant vs Army: Live Stream College Football, NCAA, TV Channel The Army Black Knights open the 2026 campaign at home on Saturday when they host the FCS Bryant Bulldogs (1-0) at Michie Stadium in West Poi...

SEPTEMBER 5 • THEBIGLEAD.COM

Jake Merklinger - Doesn't dress Saturday Merklinger (undisclosed) did not dress for Saturday's game against Lafayette, Joe Arruda of the Hartford Courant reports.

Impact Merklinger lost the starting quarterback gig ahead of the season opener, and he now didn't suit up altogether. The reasoning for the junior's inactive status remains unknown. Tucker McDonald is now slotted in as the QB2 for the matchup.

SEPTEMBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Kenji Christian - Listed as starter for opener Christian is listed as the starting running back ahead of Saturday's game versus Lafayette, Joe Arruda of the Hartford Courant reports.

Impact Christian, who transferred in from Toledo this offseason, is listed as the Huskies' sole starter in the backfield. He rushed for 508 yards and five touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 193 yards and another score last season with the Rockets, and now looks to have an even larger role heading into the 2026 season with UConn.

SEPTEMBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Xavier Watson - Listed as starting TE Watson is listed as UConn's starting tight end for Saturday's game against Lafayette, Joe Arruda of the Hartford Courant reports.

Impact Even though Watson is without any counting stats in his FBS career, he looks like he will be UConn's first-choice TE going into Week 1. The tight end, at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, did not play the 2025 season, so his role has taken the biggest boost it possibily can.

SEPTEMBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Jake Merklinger - Loses QB1 race Merklinger lost the starting quarterback race to Kalieb Osborne, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Merklinger was in a neck-and-neck race with Osborne, but the former Toledo transfer seems to have won the race for the gig, meaning Merklinger will open the season as the QB2. Merklinger has experience as a backup; he made five appearances for Tennessee between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

SEPTEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE

Kalieb Osborne - Named starting quarterback Osborne earned the starting quarterback role and will get the nod in Week 1 against Lafayette on Saturday.

Impact Osborne is a transfer from Toledo who has thrown for 427 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He'll be first-year coach Jason Candle's first starter at UConn, and he won the QB1 race over Jake Merklinger. Osborne has thrown more than 20 passes just once in his career, so it remains to be seen how he'll handle a starter-level workload on a regular basis.

SEPTEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE

How to watch UAB vs Illinois: Live stream College Football, NCAA, TV channel The new-look Illinois Fighting Illini come off the most successful two-year stretch in program history with an almost entirely new cast as t...

SEPTEMBER 4 • THEBIGLEAD.COM

'Best home schedule we've had' awaits UConn as a new coach takes over in 2026

UConn's football schedule has transformed since leaving the American Athletic Conference

SEPTEMBER 1 • Associated Press

Jake Merklinger - Competing to start Merklinger is competing to start for UConn against Lafayette on Sept. 5, Pete Nakos of On3.com reports.

Impact As expected, Merklinger has enrolled at UConn for his 2026 season, but he will not be immediately given starting duties with the Huskies. They also brought in Kalieb Osborne, and he is another candidate who can lead them under center. Though limited in experience, Merklinger brings such from a Power Conference, having spent two seasons with Tennessee before making his way to UConn.

AUGUST 31 • ROTOWIRE

Kalieb Osborne - In contention to start Osborne is in contention to start UConn's regular-season opener Saturday against Lafayette, Pete Nakos of On3.com reports.

Impact In the 2026 offseason, UConn signed two transferred quarterbacks in Osborne and Jake Merklinger, both competing to be the team's new QB1. What the former has an advantage in is more recent success, as he finished his 2025 season with a promising log against Louisville during Toledo's bowl game.

AUGUST 31 • ROTOWIRE

While college football rivalries across the country take a hit, an earlier Apple Cup is on deck

Nearly 50 Division I football programs have changed conference affiliation in the past two years alone, leaving behind rivalries and dealing a blow to the familiar stability most a...

AUGUST 27 • Associated Press

The playbook for college sports revenue is expanding from logos and fees to entertainment districts

Universities are getting creative to keep up with the expensive world of college athletics

AUGUST 20 • Associated Press

Jim Mora takes on another rebuild as Colorado State joins the revamped Pac-12 Conference

Jim Mora is tackling a new challenge as he takes over as head coach at Colorado State

AUGUST 12 • Associated Press

Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 66 Brady Wayburn Welcome to UCF Knights on SI's countdown to kickoff! In this series, we are going to introduce you to every single player on the 2026 UCF fo...

JUNE 29 • SI.COM

2025-26 Men's March Madness Odds: How Tourney Favorites Saw Title Odds Shift

Check out how the favorites have seen their odds shift over the course of the season, with the NCAA Tournament set to begin.

MARCH 16 • FOX SPORTS

2025-26 Men's March Madness Odds: How Tourney Favorites Saw Title Odds Shift

Elimination of April Transfer Window Causing Return of Spring Football Games?

The disappearance of the spring transfer portal window offers the opportunity for a reappearance of spring football games across the country...

MARCH 5 • FOX SPORTS

Elimination of April Transfer Window Causing Return of Spring Football Games?

Kenji Christian - Transfers to UConn Christian will transfer to UConn, per Storrs Central.

Impact Christian is coming off a very solid year with Toledo in 2025, his first season of FBS football. He ran for 528 yards and four touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry, also reeling in 17 catches for 193 yards and one score. He'll have one final season of eligibility remaining with the Huskies.

FEBRUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE

Jediyah Willoughby - Finds new squad Willoughby is transferring to UConn, he announced via X.

Impact Willoughby will link up with the Huskies after hitting the portal in early January. The sophomore wide receiver logged two catches for 26 yards across four games in two seasons with Toledo.

JANUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Dashun Reeder - Joining Huskies Reeder is transferring to UConn for the 2026 season.

Impact Reeder will join the Huskies for his redshirt-sophomore campaign after a two-year stint at Northwestern. The 6-foot running back appeared in seven games for the Wildcats in 2025, rushing for 222 yards and a touchdown. He'll retain three years of eligibility with UConn.

JANUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Jake Merklinger - Committed to Huskies Merklinger has committed to play for UConn for the 2026 season, per On3.com.

Impact Merklinger will join the Huskies following two seasons with Tennessee. The 6-foot-3 quarterback appeared in four games in 2025, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns in that time. He will retain three years of eligibility with UConn moving forward.

JANUARY 15 • ROTOWIRE

Washington coach Jedd Fisch downplays fallout over QB Demond Williams Jr.'s return to Huskies

Washington coach Jedd Fisch defended Demond Williams Jr. on Wednesday and downplayed concerns about any fallout from the quarterback’s decision to return to the school

JANUARY 15 • Associated Press

Jaden Hart - Transfers to UConn Hart will transfer to UConn, per Chris Carlson of The Syracuse Post-Standard.

Impact Hart was a reserve tailback across two seasons at Syracuse, totaling 18 carries for 71 yards as well as five catches for nine yards. With two years of eligibility remaining, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound tailback will head to Storrs, where he'll look to factor into the backfield immediately.

JANUARY 14 • ROTOWIRE

Ryder Treadway - Joining Huskies Treadway has committed to UConn, he announced.

Impact Treadway had a strong freshman season at Toledo, reeling in 13 passes for 176 yards and three scores. He'll join a UConn program that just produced a first-team All-American WR (Skyler Bell). However, the Huskies will be under the direction of a new head coach in 2026.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

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New-look UConn routs FCS-member Lafayette 56-7 to begin Jason Candle era

'Best home schedule we've had' awaits UConn as a new coach takes over in 2026

While college football rivalries across the country take a hit, an earlier Apple Cup is on deck

The playbook for college sports revenue is expanding from logos and fees to entertainment districts

Jim Mora takes on another rebuild as Colorado State joins the revamped Pac-12 Conference

2025-26 Men's March Madness Odds: How Tourney Favorites Saw Title Odds Shift

Elimination of April Transfer Window Causing Return of Spring Football Games?

Washington coach Jedd Fisch downplays fallout over QB Demond Williams Jr.'s return to Huskies