Skyler Bell is about to step onto one of the NFL’s biggest stages.
The former UConn standout is expected to get the call for the Buffalo Bills on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams on “Monday Night Football,” giving him his first action at the pro level. It’s a spotlight game by any measure, and the matchup has already drawn plenty of attention with Buffalo sitting at 3-1 and leading the AFC East while the Rams are 2-2.
Bell arrives there after a huge final run in Storrs. Last season, he was named an All-American and became the first Associated Press First-Team All-American in UConn program history. He also finished as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top pass catcher.
His numbers at UConn were eye-catching even in a crowded national field. Bell caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, helping the Huskies finish 9-4 in 2025 under then-head coach Jim Mora.
He was one of only two players in the country with at least 100 receptions and one of only three with 1,200 receiving yards or more. His touchdown total ranked second nationally.
He also out-produced receivers like Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, who is widely viewed as the best current receiver in the country.
The Bills took Bell in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and his path to this moment has included a brief injury hiccup. He missed the first two preseason games with a groin injury, then showed what he could do in the third and final preseason contest with seven catches for 49 yards, plus 28 rushing yards and a touchdown. That performance was enough to leave a mark, and now he’ll finally get his regular-season shot.
Bell won’t be the only UConn alum getting a look this week. Because of an injury to quarterback Lamar Jackson, Joe Fagnano is also expected to be active for his first NFL game on Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens face the Atlanta Falcons.
Back in Storrs, the Huskies are coming off a 34-20 win over Temple in Philadelphia. That victory moved UConn to 3-3, and the team heads into a bye week before meeting UMass.
In Other News...
UConn Finally Found The Formula Fans Have Been Waiting For
UConns road win at Temple had the feel of the kind of game the program has been trying to find all season, one where the Huskies played with control, took advantage of momentum swings and left with a 34-20 victory. A late first-half touchdown and field goal helped change the tone before the break, and the offense got steady work from quarterback Kalieb Osborne along with running backs Trey Cornist and Cyncir Bowers, while the defense forced two fumbles to keep Temple from settling in.
The result pushed UConn to 3-3 under head coach Jason Candle and gave the Huskies something more valuable than a single conference road win: a sense that the pieces can fit when they play cleanly on both sides of the ball. Now comes a bye week before UMass, which gives Candle and his staff a chance to build on what worked in Philadelphia and sort out whether this was a one-game spark or the start of a more reliable formula. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Showed It Can Control A Game On The Road
UConns trip to Lincoln Financial Field turned into a steady road win, the kind that can tell a team plenty about itself in October. The Huskies handled Temple 34-20 and stayed in control from start to finish, getting balanced production on offense while the defense kept the Owls from ever fully flipping the games momentum.
Kalieb Osborne threw for 257 yards and added a rushing touchdown, while Trey Cornist kept the ground game moving and found the end zone as UConn built and protected its lead. By the time the Huskies closed it out, the performance looked less like a lucky escape and more like a team learning how to dictate terms away from home. [Read more 🡒]
Former UConn QB Is Suddenly One Snap From His NFL Debut
Joe Fagnanos NFL journey has taken a quick turn, and now the former UConn quarterback is on the verge of his first regular-season game-day role. Baltimore is getting ready to face the Atlanta Falcons with Lamar Jackson sidelined by an ankle injury, which moves Tyler Huntley into the starting job and puts Fagnano in line for backup duties.
For a player who came into the league as an undrafted free agent, the opportunity is a meaningful one, especially after he turned heads in the preseason following his signing with the Ravens. He has already done enough to put himself on the radar, and now he is one snap away from his NFL debut if Baltimore needs him against Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]