UConn Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

UConn College Football Preview 2024

You’ll have to forgive UConn if it’s a little lost right now.

The men’s basketball side is coming off of dominant back-to-back national titles, but hoops doesn’t move the expansion needle.

Even so, UConn appeared to be on the verge of getting the knock on the door from the Big 12, and then the Pac-12 imploded with mind-numbing precision, the school got ghosted, and everything changed.

UMass is going off to the MAC next season, Notre Dame is an ACC program pretending not to be, and Oregon State and Washington State are Netflix and chilling with the Mountain West.

UConn basketball has ties with the Big East, of course, but the football team is - sort of - the only true independent now.

That's fine for the moment, especially because of a schedule that’s VERY favorable.

The program that hasn’t known a winning season since the Big East days of 2010 is bringing in some nice talents under Jim Mora.

The passing game should improve in a big way, the lines will be as strong as they’ve been in years, and everything is in place to go bowling for the second time in three seasons.

Mora has won nine games in two seasons. The program won ten games from 2016 to 2021. Despite a disappointing 2022, things are going in the right direction - even if UConn is staying put.

UConn Football Preview 2024: Offense

- Enough is enough. The offense has to be more explosive, and it needs more of a passing attack. The coaching staff is trying to fix the glitch through the transfer portal, and give it a little time and it’ll all shine.

UConn has tried over the years to get something positive out of quarterback transfers, and there have been mixed reviews. One thing is undeniable, though - UConn has a talented prospect in Nick Evers.

He couldn’t make it go at Oklahoma, and then didn’t see time at Wisconsin. Now he and senior Joe Fagnano should generate more production because …

- UConn has receivers now. Leading target Justin Joly is gone at tight end, but second-leading receiver Brett Buckman is back in the mix. However, the top parts are coming in through the transfer portal with TJ Sheffield (Purdue) and Skyler Bell (Wisconsin) two good producers.

- The offensive front was okay for the running game, great in pass protection, and hit-or-miss in tackles for loss allowed. It gets back a few big and decent veterans in Valentin Senn on one side and Chase Lundt on the other.

The interior gets Wes Hoeh from Syracuse for one guard spot, and veterans are in place for the other two gigs, but the depth needs to be developed.

Leading rusher Cam Edwards is back after averaging over five yards per carry with 618 yards and four scores, and the Huskies were busy in the transfer portal with Durell Robinson (Charlotte) and Mel Brown (Gardner-Webb) coming in to rotate with veteran Victor Rosa.

UConn Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The Huskies are filling the holes through the transfer portal, but the depth across the board is a bit questionable. The D allowed over 400 yards and 30 points per game with a non-existent pass rush and too many off days. However …

- The line should be okay. The veteran combination of Jelani Stafford on the inside and top pass rusher Pryce Yates on the end will be fine, and the 1-2 punch of Dal’Mont Gourdine and 328-pound Tulsa transfer Jayden Simon on the nose will matter. No pressure, but the defense needs Furman transfer Julien Simon to get behind the line.

The linebackers are effectively starting over, but they’re getting a terrific tackler in Troy transfer Jayden McDonald to take over. Julien Simon (USC) and Aaron Key (WKU) will play big roles right away.

- The safeties are set. Rante Jones is a strong hitter who finished second on the team with 72 stops, and Malik Dixon-Williams will be a statistical star after missing a chunk of last season hurt. Corner is more questionable, needing New Mexico State transfer Reggie Akles to lock down one side fast.

Key To The UConn Football Season

Get that passing game moving.
The running attack has been good enough, but the UConn offense has to be better on third downs, better at hitting deep shots, and better at completing passes.

The Huskies were 0-6 when failing to complete 57% of their passes, and were 118th in the nation in passing yards per completion. That’s where the transfer portal is kicking in with the new receivers along with …

UConn Key Player

Nick Evers, QB Soph.
The former superstar get for Oklahoma and big-time transfer for Wisconsin is now the potential leader of the UConn attack. All the skills, talent, and upside are there to make the offense his. Once he gets more time logged in, look out.

UConn Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: TJ Sheffield, WR Sr.
Others could be in this mix, but it’s the Purdue receiver who should be one of the team’s most important new stars. A five-year part of the Boilermakers, he caught 116 passes for 1,186 yards and 11 scores over the last three seasons.

Top Transfer Out: Justin Joly, TE Jr.
The team’s top receivers, Joly caught 56 passes for 578 yards and two scores as a midrange go-to guy. Now he’ll be a key part of the NC State attack.

UConn Key Game

at UAB, Nov. 9
UConn won’t win all of them, but it has a wonderful run of six straight home games and almost two whole months without having to leave home.

At this point it should have six wins and bowl eligibility all but locked down, but the last three games are on the road. It should be able to get by UMass in the regular season finale, but a likely good season could be a great one with a win over the Blazers.

10 Best UConn Football Players

1. Pryce Yates, DE Jr.
2. Jayden McDonald, LB Sr.
3. Malik Dixon-Williams, S Sr.
4. Rante Jones, S Sr.
5. Dal’Mont Gourdine, DT Sr.
6. Nick Evers, QB Soph.
7. Tui Faumuina-Brown, LB Sr.
8. TJ Sheffield, WR Sr.
9. Cam Edwards, RB Jr.
10. Valentin Senn, OT Sr.

UConn 2023 Fun Stats

- Sacks: UConn 16 for 124 yards, Opponents 12 for 93 yards

- 3rd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 110, UConn 31

- Interception Return Average: Opponents 32.29 yards, UConn 7.5 yards

UConn Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

The schedule will be a big, big help.

There are enough good pieces on both sides of the ball to be more 2022 - when the Huskies went 6-7 with a bowl appearance - than the 3-9 2023 version. Last year’s team lost at home to a bad FIU squad, but the other eight losses were to teams that went bowling.

This time around, UConn plays seven teams that didn’t go bowling. Best of all, after two of the first three games on the road, the team is at home from mid-September until November 9th - that’s when the wins will start to pile up.

There will be another FIU-like misfire somewhere, but with an improved passing game and just enough decent talent among the starting 11 on D to get to a second bowl game in three years.

Set The UConn Win Total At … 5.5

Likely Wins: Merrimack

50/50 Games: Buffalo, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Temple, Rice, at UAB, at UMass, Wake Forest

Likely Losses: at Duke, at Maryland, at Syracuse

2024 UConn Football Schedule

Aug 31 at Maryland
Sept 7 Merrimack
Sept 14 at Duke
Sept 21 Florida Atlantic
Sept 28 Buffalo
Oct 5 Temple
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 Wake Forest
Oct 26 Rice
Nov 2 Georgia State
Nov 9 at UAB
Nov 16 OPEN DATE
Nov 23 at Syracuse
Nov 30 at UMass