After the first weekend of the transfer portal brought ten new players, a busy week of visits gave UConn football fourteen new commits. Several aren’t even from Toledo, where eight of the first ten commits hailed. New HC Jason Candle had a reputation at Toledo as a very good recruiter, and thus far he has lived up to that in Storrs.
LB Rickey Williams (Toledo) R-So
- 247Sports Rating: 84
- On3 Rating: 86
- EA Sports CFB26: 67
Another transfer, Williams committed to West Virginia out of HS, with ESPN rating him as the 40th best LB nationally, and 247Sports as the 52nd best. He played in just games for West Virginia, without accumulating stats. For Toledo, he played in all 13 games with 14 tackles, one for loss, and a batted pass. He was prolific in HS, with 134 tackles, 10 sacks, and 26 TFLs as a junior, following that up with 83 tackles, five sacks, and 14 TFLs as a senior. He’s rated as a three star transfer recruit, the 142nd best LB in the portal.
OL Dominic Rivera (Toledo) Jr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 84
- EA Sports CFB26: N/A (not in this year’s version of the game. Was 70 in 2025)
Yet another transfer, Rivera committed to Rutgers out of HS before spending 2025 in Toledo. He chose Rutgers over other offers from P4 schools BC, Iowa State, and Syracuse. Rivera was the 88th best OL nationally, and the 36th best player in Ohio per 247Sports. He did not participate in any games for either Rutgers or Toledo, but with the attrition UConn has suffered, should be in line to compete for a job in 2026 or 2027.
LB K’von Sherman (Toledo) Sr
- 247Sports Rating: 86
- On3 Rating: 88
- EA Sports CFB26: 80
Arguably the best transfer yet, Sherman was a tackling machine for Toledo, totaling 94 tackles in 2025, with 14.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. He played for Toledo in 2024 and 2025, after spending one season at Hutchinson CC (KS), where he was first team All-Conference with 77 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks for the number one JUCO team. He is a three star rated transfer LB, the 29th best in the portal, per 247Sports. Out of Hutch, he was the sixth best JUCO LB, and 70th best player overall.
WR Javon Brown (Toledo) R-So
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 86
- EA Sports CFB26: N/A (not in this year’s version of the game)
A developmental player, Brown signed with Toledo in 2024 out of Williston, FL as a low three star recruit per 247Sports. At 6’4” it’s no secret why he might be intriguing for Candle and company. He added more than ten pounds to his frame while at Toledo, and got his way into the lineup last year as a redshirt freshman, catching eight passes for 156 yards and a TD. He had a season/career-high against Morgan State, catching five passes for 94 yards with a long of 46.
WR Kamren Flowers (Toledo) R-Fr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as. of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 87
- EA Sports CFB26: 64
Flowers was one of the most decorated HS recruits in Toledo history, a high three star prospect that chose the Rockets over offers from Arizona State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Miami, Michigan State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Wisconsin, plus many G5 offers. The West Bloomfield MI native also ran track in HS, running a sub-100 100-meter dash and a 21.72 time in the 200 meter dash. Per ESPN, he was a four star recruit and the second best WR in the state of Michigan. 247Sports “only” had him as the 15th best player in the state. His nickname is “Ferrari” so safe to say he will be coming to Storrs to be fast, and would be the highest rated WR HS prospect to come to Storrs since Dwayne Difton in 2008 (89).
DL Melvin Hills (Texas) R-So
- 247Sports Rating: 85
- On3 Rating: 86
- EA Sports CFB26: 68
It’s always cool to get an SEC transfer to Storrs, and the Huskies have another in Hills. A Lafayette, LA native, Hills is a young prospect who did not see time as a true freshman, but played in four games last season for the Longhorns. He had just one tackle against San Jose State, and saw time in other contests against UTEP and Sam Houston State, as well as one SEC game against Arkansas. Hills was “only” a mid three star recruit per 247Sports, which can make getting time a tall task in Austin, but not in Storrs. In HS, he was first team All-State, totaling 80 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 23.5 TFLs and 41 pressures as a senior.
DL Desmond Aladuge (Duke) R-Jr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 84
- EA Sports CFB26: 71
It’s abundantly clear that Aladuge was so impressed with the near capacity crowd at Rentschler Field in Duke’s 37-34 loss this season, so he simply had to join the Huskies. In all seriousness, Aladuge played in four games this season, against Elon, Syracuse, Cal, and UVA. He had just 15 snaps, but did get a tackle against the Orange. He played in seven games in 2024, recording seven tackles and 1.5 TFLs. He was a mid three star coming out of HS, and the best prospect in Delaware per 247Sports. He chose Duke over offers from BC, Air Force, Army, Bowling Green, Kent State, Navy, Toledo, UMass, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, plus several FCS offers.
LB John Lista (Penn) Gr
- 247Sports Rating: 80
- On3 Rating: 83
- EA Sports CFB26: N/A (FCS not in the game)
Lista was a hugely productive LB over his Penn career, recording 183 tackles over three seasons, with 14.5 TFLs, seven sacks, an INT, and two forced fumbles and recoveries. He did not play in more than nine games in a season, however. In 2025, he had over ten tackles four times, against Stonehill, Dartmouth, Yale, and Cornell, notching a career-high 15 tackles against the Big Green. The grad transfer from Fair Haven, NJ is an ideal transfer, someone who is productive while also being experienced and providing veteran leadership.
WR Cam Abshire (Oklahoma State) R-Sr
- 247Sports Rating: 84
- On3 Rating: 86
- EA Sports CFB26: 72
Abshire was a solid add for the Cowboys last season from DII Emory & Henry. He caught 51 passes for 1,057 yards and 13 TDs for E&H in 2024, landing with Oklahoma State. It was a rough season for the Pokes, with HC Mike Gundy fired just a few games into the season and some defections after that. Abshire caught just ten passes for 92 yards and no TDs. He will look to recpature some of the 2024 magic this year for the Huskies.
WR Kylon “Flash” Wilson (Youngstown State) Sr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 86
- EA Sports CFB26: N/A (FCS not in the game)
Wilson began his career at DII Slippery Rock, where he recorded 1,524 all-purpose yards in 2024, catching 57 passes for 637 yards, and returning 32 kickoffs for 842 yards for a SRU team that reached the DII semifinals. In 2023, he had 793 kickoff return yards. For the Penguins, he had 19 carries for 101 yards and a TD, and caught 64 passes for 652 yards and six TDs. On kickoffs, he returned 31 for 883 yards and a 100 yard TD return. At 5’9” 180, he has serious speed and can step in to return kicks for the Huskies, as well as provide contrast with some of the big 6’4” receivers.
RB Cyncir Bowers (West Virginia) Jr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 85
- EA Sports CFB26: 75
Bowers was a nice get for Rich Rod and the Mountaineers as a JUCO RB for Iowa Central, where he rushed 155 times for 1,008 yards and 12 TDs, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He also hauled in 24 catches for 363 yards and two TDs. For WVU, he carried the ball 63 times for 249 and two TDs, while catching eight passes for 134 yards including a 90 yard TD catch against Arizona State. He graduated HS from Harrisburg power Bishop McDevitt, where he had offers from Bowling Green, Old Dominion, Monmouth, Richmond, and LIU.
RB Trey Cornist (Central Michigan) R-Jr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: 83
- EA Sports CFB26: 76
Cornist was a highly-touted RB coming out of HS, committing to Tulane while earning a “Power 4 starter” rating from 247Sports. He spent two seasons in New Orleans, where he played in six games in 2024, rushing for 149 yards and a TD on 22 carries. He had a high of 48 yards against Temple. For the Chippewas, he rushed for 470 yards on 105 carries and a TD, with a seaon-long rush of 29 against Wagner. He had a season and career-high 99 yards in his debut for CMU against San Jose State, plus 70 yards against UMass. As a senior in HS, he rushed for 1,629 yards and 27 TDs.
LB Terris Dudley (NC State) R-Fr
- 247Sports Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- On3 Rating: N/A (no transfer rating as of 1/10/26)
- EA Sports CFB26: N/A (not in this year’s version of the game)
Dudley was a class of 2025 commit for the Wolfpack, and was the 93rd best LB in the nation by 247Sports. On3 was high on him, giving him a four star rating of 92, and the 25th best LB nationally. The Hilliard, OH native initially committed to Toledo before flipping to NC State. In his HS career, he totaled 176 tackles, three INTs, four sacks, and 15 passes defended.
OL Nathan Pahanich (Wake Forest) R-Fr
- 247Sports Rating: 85
- On3 Rating: 85
- EA Sports CFB26: 67
Pahanich was also a member of the class of 2025, with the Hun School (NJ) OL choosing the Demon Deacons over offers from BC, Duke, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Tennessee, West Virginia, Temple, Buffalo, James Madison, Minnesota, and some FCS offers. He was first team All-New Jersey Prep, and first team All-MAPL in his senior season. He is from Canada, and transferred to the Hun School in his junior season.
Stay tuned to our official transfer portal tracker thread for the latest updates!
