With training camp less than two weeks away, UConn still hasn’t tipped its hand on who will take the first snap at quarterback. That uncertainty was front and center Thursday, when offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile met with the media and kept his answer simple: the Huskies want the quarterback who can move the ball and give them the best shot to win.
That’s the baseline as UConn works to replace record-setting quarterback Joe Fagnano. The competition includes transfer Jake Merklinger from Tennessee, who brings SEC experience and the kind of recruiting profile that naturally puts him on the radar.
Kalieb Osborne is also in the mix, and while he came in with less hype than Merklinger, he does have familiarity with new head coach Jason Candle from their time together at Toledo. Newcomer Bo Polston is another name on the roster with a chance to make an impact at the position.
Campanile didn’t dress it up much beyond that. The ideal quarterback, he said, would also be able to extend plays, but the priority remains the same: find the guy who gives UConn the best chance to win.
Thursday marked Campanile’s first Media Day with the program after arriving from Syracuse, where he spent three seasons working with quarterbacks and tight ends. He’s one of several new faces on Candle’s first staff at UConn.
At Syracuse, Campanile played a key role in a 10-win season in 2024 that ended with a Holiday Bowl appearance. He also helped quarterback Kyle McCord set a new ACC single-season passing record in his first year with the Orange. UConn isn’t expecting that kind of statistical explosion right away after Fagnano’s departure, but if Campanile can help shape the next true quarterback for the Huskies, that would be a major step in year one.
On the men’s basketball side, UConn also announced Thursday that Tom Moore is retiring. Moore, a longtime assistant under both Jim Calhoun and Dan Hurley, spent nearly 40 years in coaching and 21 years with the Huskies across both eras.
He was part of four national championship teams as an assistant coach - 1999, 2004, 2023 and 2024 - the most of any assistant in what UConn described as the “modern era” of college basketball. Moore also served as the head coach at Quinnipiac.
In Other News...
Former UConn QB Just Got A Real Break In Baltimore
A little more room opened up in Baltimores quarterback room, and it could matter for Joe Fagnano. The former UConn starter signed a multi-year deal with the Ravens earlier this offseason, and with the team trimming the competition around him, his path to sticking around looks a bit clearer as training camp competition continues to sort itself out.
Fagnano is still part of a crowded room that includes Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson, so nothing is settled yet. But for a quarterback who spent seven college seasons and came through UConn with a strong final year, every roster move around him is worth watching, especially when it nudges him a step closer to a real opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Karaban Is Already Bringing A UConn Edge To Sacramento
Alex Karaban is already sounding like a pro who knows exactly what kind of habits travel well from Storrs to the next level. After being drafted by the Sacramento Kings, the former UConn forward talked about the importance of accountability and the influence Dan Hurley had on his development, while also stressing what it takes to help build a winning culture in a new locker room.
Karaban also used Summer League as an early test run for that mindset, and the results were encouraging even as he worked through the usual rookie adjustment period. He averaged 10 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, showing steady improvement as the games went on and giving Sacramento a glimpse of a player who already sounds comfortable carrying a UConn edge into his next stop. [Read more 🡒]
Two New Huskies Just Gave Jason Candle's Rebuild A Real Boost
The East-West Shrine Bowls 2027 Preseason Watchlist offered an early sign that UConns transfer haul could pay off in a hurry, with linebacker KVon Sherman and running back Kenji Christian both earning spots on the list. Both arrived from Toledo and are expected to be central pieces for Jason Candles team as it tries to turn a revamped roster into something more competitive this fall.
Sherman brings the kind of defensive presence that can steady a unit, while Christian adds a new layer to a backfield that has been thinned out by departures. The watchlist nod does not decide anything, of course, but it does underline how much attention these two newcomers are already drawing, and how much of UConns next step may hinge on them settling in quickly. [Read more 🡒]