2026 UConn Huskies football team

2026 UConn Huskies football
Conference	Independent
Record	0–0
Head coach	Jason Candle (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Nunzio Campanile (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Veer and Shoot
Defensive coordinator	Ryan Manalac (1st season)
Home stadium	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
Seasons ←  2025 2027 →

2026 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Notre Dame			–						0	–	0
UConn			–						0	–	0
As of January 6, 2026 Rankings from AP poll

The 2026 UConn Huskies football team represents the University of Connecticut (UConn) as an independent during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team will be led by first year head coach Jason Candle, the Huskies play home games at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
September 5	Lafayette	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
September 12	Maryland	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
September 26	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH
October 3	Syracuse	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
October 10	at Temple	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA
October 24	UMass	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
October 31	at Air Force	Falcon Stadium USAF Academy, CO
November 7	North Carolina	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
November 14	James Madison	Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT
November 21	at Old Dominion	S.B. Ballard Stadium Norfolk, VA
November 28	at Wyoming	War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY
Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game Source: [1]

Personnel

Coaching staff additions

Name	Position	Old team	Old position
Jason Candle	Head Coach	Toledo	Head Coach
Nunzio Campanile	Offensive coordinator	Syracuse	Quarterbacks
Ryan Manalac	Defensive coordinator	Pittsburgh	Linebackers
John Morookian	Offensive Line	Michigan	Assistant Offensive Line
Pat Cashmore	Special teams coordinator	Washington State	Special teams coordinator
Marquel Blackwell	Co-offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks	South Carolina	Running backs
Kerry Dixon II	Wide Recievers	Kent State	Wide Recievers

Coaching staff departures

Name	Position	New Team	New position
Jim L. Mora	Head Coach	Colorado State	Head Coach
Gordon Sammis	Offensive coordinator	TCU	Offensive coordinator
Matt Brock	Defensive coordinator	Mississippi State	Defensive coordinator/Linebackers
Doug Shearer	Special teams coordinator	Virginia Tech	Special teams coordinator
Pryce Tracy	Quarterbacks/pass game coordinator	Colorado State	Offensive coordinator

Transfers out

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	New school
Mel Brown	RB	5’8	176	Senior	Stone Mountain, GA
Nick Evers	QB	6’3	195	Redshirt Junior	Flower Mound, TX
MJ Flowers	RB	6'1	220	Redshirt Junior	Cincinnati, OH
Shamar Porter	WR	6’2	205	Redshirt Sophmore	Nashville, TN
Victor Rosa	RB			Redshirt Junior	Bristol, CT
Javonte Vereen	TE	6'4	214	Redshirt Sophomore	Havelock, NC

Transfers in

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Old school
Esean Carter	DT	6-2	285	Senior	Detroit, MI	Toledo Rockets
Kenji Christian	RB	6-2	207	Senior	Birmingham, AL	Toledo Rockets
Raphael Greene-Nyarko	OT	6'5	360	Freshman	Cincinnati, OH	Toledo Rockets
Kalieb Osborne	QB	6'3	204	Redshirt Sophomore	Pontiac, MI	Toledo Rockets
Jayden Price	S	6'3	180	Redshirt Freshman	Cranberry, PA	Toledo Rockets
Isiah Switzer	OT	6'6	295	Redshirt Freshman	Cleveland, OH	Toledo Rockets
Jediyah Willoughby	WR	6'2	190	Redshirt Sophomore	East Point, GA	Toledo Rockets

NFL draft

Entered NFL draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Drafted by
Skyler Bell	WR
Joe Fagnano	QB

References

1. "2026 UConn Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 28 December 2025.