The first week of the NFL preseason gave UConn fans a little bit of everything: a quarterback showing out, a kicker getting on the board, and another former Husky getting a shot to stick with a pro team.
Joe Fagnano made the biggest splash. In the Baltimore Ravens’ 24-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Tyler Huntley got the start before Fagnano entered late in the first quarter.
The former UConn quarterback then stayed in until there were just over five minutes left in the game. His best moment came with 9:25 left in the first half, when he hit rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane for a 16-yard touchdown.
Fagnano finished 22 of 28 for a touchdown and an interception. He also helped Baltimore put together three scoring drives in two and a half quarters, and his 224 passing yards led all NFL quarterbacks.
“I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunities that I’m given,” Fagnano said.
Chris Freeman also got his first NFL action on the other side of the country, appearing in the Houston Texans’ 27-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Freeman handled an extra point on Houston’s opening drive, helping the Texans grab a 7-3 lead.
After that game, Houston added another former UConn player to the mix, signing tight end Louis Hansen on Sunday. Hansen, like Freeman, had been invited to work out at the team’s two-day minicamp. The Massachusetts native spent three seasons at Connecticut, where he caught 46 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
In Other News...
Dan Hurley Added A Veteran UConn Fans Will Appreciate Fast
Dan Hurley has added another experienced piece to the UConn roster in Isaiah Shaw, a veteran addition that fits the kind of culture the Huskies have built under their coach. Shaw has been around multiple college programs and comes from a notable basketball family, giving him a background that should help him settle quickly into a program that values toughness, adaptability and doing the little things the right way.
For UConn, the appeal goes beyond simply adding another body. Hurley sees Shaw as a player whose work ethic and versatility can help in practice and in the locker room, while his perimeter shooting gives him a clear way to contribute when he gets on the floor. Just as important, Shaw understands that part of his job is to help push younger players along, which is the kind of veteran presence UConn fans tend to appreciate right away. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Is Chasing A 5-Star Guard With A Complicated Fit
NaVorro Bowman Jr., one of the top 2027 guard prospects, is beginning to sort through a recruiting picture that already has five major programs involved, and UConn is in that mix. For a staff that has continued to target high-end perimeter talent, that alone makes Bowman worth watching, especially as the Huskies think ahead to how their backcourt could look in the seasons to come.
The fit question is where things get tricky. UConns appeal would likely hinge on how the roster settles over the next year, with the staff having to project what happens around Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr., plus the possibility that at least one of Colben Landrew or Junior County eventually moves on. In other words, this is the kind of recruitment that could make a lot more sense later than it does right now, which is why the visits matter even before the picture is fully clear. [Read more 🡒]