The UConn Huskies just made a major move at the most important position in football - and it could be a game-changer for the program heading into the Jason Candle era.
Quarterback Jake Merklinger, a former four-star recruit and Tennessee Volunteer, has officially committed to UConn, announcing the news on social media. It's a significant pickup for Candle, who’s been aggressive in reshaping the roster through the transfer portal in his first offseason at the helm - and this may be his biggest win yet.
Merklinger arrives in Storrs with three years of eligibility remaining, bringing both pedigree and potential to a quarterback room that’s undergone a complete overhaul. With veteran starter Joe Fagnano exhausting his eligibility, the Huskies were in the market for a signal-caller who could step in and lead the offense. Merklinger checks a lot of boxes.
Last season at Tennessee, the Georgia native served as the backup quarterback during his redshirt freshman year. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns without throwing a pick - solid numbers in limited action.
The year before, as a true freshman, he saw even less time, going 6-for-9 for 48 yards while serving as the third-string behind Nico Iamaleava. The Volunteers were careful with his usage to preserve his redshirt status, but even in a crowded QB room, Merklinger was good enough to compete for the starting job last fall alongside Joey Aguilar.
What makes this addition even more intriguing is Merklinger’s high school résumé. At Calvary Day School in Georgia, he was nothing short of dominant.
A consensus four-star prospect, he was ranked among the top 25 quarterbacks in the 2024 class and cracked the top 300 overall recruits across multiple services - including a No. 6 QB ranking by Rivals.
The numbers back up the hype: 145 total touchdowns (113 passing, 32 rushing), a 42-10 record as a starter, and nearly 10,000 career passing yards (9,745 to be exact). His senior season alone saw him throw for over 3,000 yards and 38 touchdowns with just two interceptions, while also adding 450 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground.
It’s no wonder he had 28 Division I offers coming out of high school, including interest from eight SEC schools. Ultimately, he chose Tennessee - but now, he’s headed north to lead a Huskies team in transition.
Candle’s quarterback situation has been fluid since the end of the 2025 season. Fagnano, who wrapped up a long college career with a strong final season (3,448 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just one interception), left a big hole to fill.
Initially, UConn had three potential successors in Nick Evers, Tucker McDonald, and Ksaan Farrar - but all three entered the transfer portal. Evers is reportedly headed to Missouri, Farrar is following former head coach Jim Mora to Colorado State, and McDonald has since withdrawn from the portal and is returning to UConn.
In the meantime, Candle landed a commitment from Bo Polston, a three-star quarterback from Indiana who had previously committed to Candle at Toledo. That gave the Huskies a developmental option, but Merklinger adds something different - a proven talent with Power 4 experience and the upside to start right away.
Candle hasn’t just been targeting familiar faces from his Toledo days, either. While he did initially focus on bringing in players and recruits he had relationships with, the early returns from the transfer portal show he’s more than capable of pulling talent from major programs. Along with Merklinger, UConn has reportedly added transfers from Michigan State, Duke, Texas, NC State, Syracuse, Wisconsin, USC, Rutgers, Boston College, Oregon State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State.
It’s clear that Candle is building with intent - and he’s not shying away from the challenge. The addition of Jake Merklinger gives UConn a quarterback with SEC experience, elite high school production, and multiple years of eligibility.
That’s the kind of foundation you can build an offense around. The Huskies still have work to do, but with Merklinger now in the fold, they’ve taken a big step forward in shaping their identity for 2026 and beyond.