As new HC Jason Candle starts assembling his coaching staff, he’s also working on assembling his first UConn recruiting class. After starting things off with flipping his QB, Bo Polston, he’s since added three more former Rockets signees in LB/EDGE Tyrique Harris, WR Logan Barnes, DL Makijah Latiker, and as this article was being written, TE Jackson Mangham. The latter two signed on the 22nd, and with Toledo’s bowl game coming up on the 23rd and as new coaching staff members are solidified, the expectation is more will join the Huskies.
The 6’1” 205 lb Harris, the second Husky commit, comes to Storrs from Clearwater, FL. Rated a three star recruit by 247Sports, On3, and ESPN, he initially chose the Rockets over offers from App State, Arkansas State, Buffalo, FAU, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Liberty, and P4 offers from Iowa State and Wake Forest. “I trust Coach Candle to bring in a great staff and players that will put me and the team in the best position to contribute and win football games,” Harris told Storrs Central.
Harris had a highly productive senior season for Clearwater Catholic, totaling 113 tackles, nine for a loss, three sacks, an interception, and seven passes defended. Throughout his career, he has 276 tackles, 23.5 sacks, including 12.5 as a sophomore, 13 passes defended, three fumbles recovered, and and three fumbles caused.
Barnes is a tremendous athlete, standing at 6’4” 180 lbs. Hailing from Marion, IN, Barnes chose Toledo over offers from Bowling Green, Kent State, Temple, Western Illinois, and Eastern Michigan. He played WR and QB for Marion HS, platooning with another QB on an offense that was run-heavy. His squad struggled, going just 2-8, but Barnes had the best QB rating on the team. He threw for 216 yards, a TD, and three INTs in four games this season, while carrying the ball 36 times for 269 yards. He caught 16 passes for 216 yards, accounting for nearly half of the main QB’s passing yards.
Barnes had high praise for Candle. “Coach Candle is one of the best developers in the country. Winning is more than an expectation for him, and those guys (Toledo players) would have run through a brick wall for him. He (strives) to serve the boys he brings in, helping them with their development into men. It’s hard to turn down a guy who cares about development in every aspect of life.”
Latiker, the latest commitment, is a 6’6” 250 lb TE/DE from Fayetteville, NC. He committed to Toledo midseason over offers from Delaware, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina A&T. Per his MaxPreps page, Latiker totaled 37 tackles, 16 TFLs, three sacks, and an interception for his Trinity Christian team that finished with an 8-3 record. He played just one season for Trinity Chrtistian, after transferring in from Westover HS. Latiker is expecting to compete for playing time right away, and may get it, as the Huskies will be turning over the entire DL for the second straight season. “I chose UConn because I felt like it was gonna be a better opportunity for me to play as a freshman,” Latiker told Storrs Central.
Another great athlete, Mangham has something you can’t teach; height. Lots of it, in fact, as he stands at 6’8”. Fans would be right to assume he’s one of Dan Hurley’s guys, but he will follow Coach Candle to Storrs. Mangham held offers from Robert Morris, Western Michigan, and UTSA before picking the Rockets. His offers all came after June 2025, with teams no doubt enamored with his size. Mangham was the highest rated commit for Toledo at 87 by 247Sports, rating him the 39th best TE in the class of 2026.
In his senior season, Mangham caught 32 passes for 412 yards and four TDs, helping lead his Olentangy HS squad to an 8-3 record, while earning himself 2nd team All-Ohio Capital Conference honors. And yes, he does play basketball, averaging 9.2 ppg last season, and 5.5 rebounds per game, in case Coach Hurley needs some help.
