UConn football is heading into the Jason Candle era with a clear message from the outside: prove it.
After two straight nine-win seasons under Jim Mora, the Huskies are being treated like a team that has to start from scratch. They’ve lost Mora, record-setting quarterback Joe Fagnano and All-American wide receiver Skyler Bell, who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the NFL Draft. Add in a tough schedule that includes Syracuse and North Carolina from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Maryland from the Big Ten and James Madison, a College Football Playoff participant from 2025, and there’s not much room for error.
The latest slight comes from an unusual place. College Football '27 has already taken a dim view of UConn’s quarterback room, ranking five running backs ahead of the Huskies’ top quarterback option.
Yahoo! Sports piled on in its own way on Monday, unveiling a Top 300 for fantasy football in college football and leaving UConn completely off the list.
Not a single Huskies player made the cut.
That doesn’t automatically mean UConn can’t be good. But it does underline the challenge in front of Candle’s group.
A year ago, Fagnano and Bell would have been in that conversation. This season, the Huskies don’t have anyone Yahoo!
sees as one of the sport’s top 300 fantasy options, which leaves the program with plenty to answer for across the roster.
Meanwhile, Connecticut did get some draft news on Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected left-handed pitcher Charlie West, a junior, in the seventh round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
West was one of the Big East’s best strikeout arms in 2026, leading the conference with 111 punchouts and earning first-team All-Big East honors. He made 16 starts, posted eight quality starts and finished 6-6 with a 4.12 ERA over 87 1/3 innings.
His biggest strikeout day came against Butler on April 10, when he fanned 14 batters over 6 2/3 shutout innings. West left that game with UConn ahead 4-0, but Butler rallied late, scoring twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth to pull out a 5-4 win.
In Other News...
Several Former Huskies Are Suddenly Forcing NBA Teams To Notice
Former Huskies made a noticeable imprint in Las Vegas during the 2026 NBA Summer League, with Liam McNeeley, Tarris Reed and Tristen Newton all giving pro teams something to think about. McNeeley led the way for Charlotte in a win over Orlando, while Reed kept stacking productive games in the paint and Newton brought energy on both ends for Houston.
For UConn, the bigger picture is starting to come into focus: these are not just alumni getting run in July, they are players trying to carve out real NBA roles. McNeeleys scoring burst, Reeds work on the glass and Newtons two-way impact all pointed in that direction, and the next question is how much more each can turn that summer momentum into when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Fans Should Stay Patient With Alex Karaban's Quiet NBA Start
Alex Karabans first taste of NBA Summer League has been a little quieter than UConn fans probably expected, but there is a simple explanation for it. The Sacramento Kings took him 29th overall in the 2026 draft, and his early work has come in limited minutes as he gets his footing and starts learning a new system after spending five years in Dan Hurleys program.
The bigger picture here is still the one that matters for UConn followers: this is a ramp-up, not a verdict. Karaban has only been in two games so far, and the Kings have every reason to be cautious as he continues to adjust to the pro game, especially with his early availability shaped by a brief practice absence and a measured approach to his workload. [Read more 🡒]