Needing an entire rebuild, new HC Jason Candle and his staff put together a transfer portal class of 58 new players, alongside 15 HS additions for the Class of 2026. This is FBS football, there’s no rest for the weary, and not only are the Huskies kicking off spring practice to get all those new players acclimated, the recruiting staff is beginning to schedule official visits for the Class of 2027. Candle had been signing approximately 20-25 or so HS players each year, a stark difference from Jim Mora, who typically added around 12-13 HS players each class. Take a look below at who has confirmed their visits.
QB Ben Rolapp - Darien, CT (Brunswick School) 5/29-5/31
HC Jason Candle and staff wasted no time getting to work in the most fertile recruiting area Connecticut has to offer, offering the former Darien QB. Now at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Rolapp was announced as one of the 2026 team captains, and is a high-academic recruit, with a 3.9 GPA and 31 ACT score. Rolapp’s brother, Will, played at Michigan after prepping at Suffield Academy, catching one pass for 26 yards in 2021.
On the field, Rolapp has offers from Stony Brook, Monmouth, Colgate, Penn, Dartmouth, Liberty, Tulane, and New Haven, all coming after he transferred to Brunswick. Typically one of the best prep teams in the state, Brunswick took a step back this season, “only" going 6-4, losing games to Avon Old Farms, Williston-Northampton, Cheshire Academy, and Milton Academy. Rolapp performed admirably in relief of 2024’s starting QB, Ben Herbert, who now is at Notre Dame. Rolapp has all the indicators of a diamond in the rough, and should see his stock rise during camp season.
RB Caleb Mattison - Jacksonville Beach, FL (Bishop Kenny) 6/12-6/14
The FL back had a monster junior season, rushing for 1,733 yards, had 262 receiving yards and 31 total touchdowns. Mattison has one more official visit scheduled to Michigan State May 29th through the 31st. Mattison has fielded offers from P4 teams Pitt, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech, in addition to many G5 offers such as Charlotte, UMass, Western Kentucky, Toledo, Arkansas State, and Jacksonville State.
Mattison rushed for 144 ypg for his 10-3 Bishop Kenny squad, and rushed for over 100 yards seven times. He amassed 369 rushing yards in a playoff matchup against Godby, but traditionally solid Jacksonville program, Raines, bottled him up in the round of 16, holding Mattison to just 80 yards on 18 carries. Raines would go on to beat Miami Northwestern for the 3A title.
ATH Hezikiah Kelley - Cincinnati, OH (Northwest) 5/29-5/31
The Cincinnati native was offered by Candle at Toledo, but ultimately committed to the hometown Bearcats last summer. Subsequently, he decommitted this past December, just six months after committing, re-opening his recruitment. After de-committing, Kelley received offers from Ohio, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Central Michigan, adding an official visit to Kentucky. But UConn will have the first crack at impressing Kelley.
For his Northwest squad last year, Kelley totaled 61 tackles, five PBUs, three TFLs, an INT, and a forced/recovered fumble at safety, earning 1st team All-District. Throughout his career, he’s earned 1st team All-Conference three times, 2nd team SW Ohio twice, 1st team All-District, two-time 2nd team All-District, and an All-State Honorable Mention.
WR Jamir Dean - Alcoa, TN (Alcoa) 5/29-5/31
Dean’s recruitment has skyrocketed after leading his Alcoa squad to a Tennessee state title. After receiving an offer from the Huskies, Dean earned offers from Arkansas, Penn State, Michigan State, and Virginia Tech. Former Husky WR coach Kashif Moore is leading the recruitment for PSU, and invited Dean for an official visit to Happy Valley on June 19th. He also has a visit to Mississippi State set up. First, Dean will head to Storrs.
Dean caught 34 passes for 590 yards and 11 TDs this season, leading Alcoa to a 14-1 record en route to defeating Pearl-Cohn for the state title, Alcoa’s 11th consecutive title. Dean had four catches for 120 yards and a TD in that contest, earning 1st team All-State honors. Dean also plays for Alcoa’s basketball team, scoring his 1,000th career point in January, and dropping 30 in a win just one week after the championship. With his athleticism and producing for one a school on a historic run, it’s clear why Dean’s recruitment has taken off.
DB Larry Morgan - Tamarac, FL (West Boca Raton) 5/29-5/31
Another state champion, Morgan was part of a stout defense for a West Boca Raton team that beat West Broward 31-0 in the Florida 6A championship game for the second consecutive year. The Bulls went 13-2, losing to New Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic, and Florida power Cardinal Newman, in overtime. For his part, Morgan had 21 tackles, and INT, and three pass breakups this season.
Heading into this year, Morgan held offers from Louisville, Toledo, Purdue, UCF, FIU, Pitt, USF, and Western Michigan. After the state championship, he added offers from BC, NC State, Ole Miss, West Virginia, Georgia State, East Carolina, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Tulane, Northwestern, and Kentucky. Morgan currently has officials set up for Tulane (6/11), BC (6/5), and Michigan State (6/19).
DB Carl Jones Jr - Tampa, FL (Tampa Catholic) 6/12-6/14
Jones was offered by Mora’s staff, and even has been offered by Mora’s new staff at Colorado State. Jones has offers from a slew of P4 schools, including UCF, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, Iowa, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, and Wake Forest, in addition to several G5 offers. UConn was the first to schedule an official visit, but since then, Jones has locked in visits to Wake Forest (6/5), and USF (5/29).
Despite Jones’ recruiting taking off, his Tampa Catholic squad had a forgettable 2025, going 1-9. Jones led the team in INTs with three, and recorded 32 tackles, and 16 PBUs. He was also used as a returner, returning five kickoffs for 241 yards, an average of 48.2 yards per return, and returned five punts for 72 yards and a TD. Jones has off-the-charts athleticism, and UConn will look to lock him down.
S Damari Jerry - West Palm Beach, FL (West Boca Raton) 5/29-5/31
Jerry will have a familiar face with him on his visit, as he’ll be joining his West Boca teammate, Morgan. Jerry’s recruitment started early, earning offers from Florida State, FAU, USF, Syracuse, Kentucky, Western Michigan, Miami, Penn State, UCF, and Auburn all after his freshman season. Since then, Jerry has added offers from FIU, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Texas A&M, Indiana, Liberty, Pitt, Louisville, West Virginia, ECU, Tulane, and Mississippi State. Thus far, UConn is his only confirmed visit.
Jerry was highly productive for West Boca, totaling 79 tackles, 11 for loss, three sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles and recoveries. One of those fumbles was returned for a TD. Jerry is a two-sport athlete, also participating in track and field. Are you beginning to sense a trend?
LB Olrick Johnson III - Kennesaw, GA (Harrison) 5/29-5/31
Since announcing his official visit less than a week ago, Johnson has since picked up offers from Iowa State, Memphis, and Florida State, so it’s a good thing UConn is getting him on campus as early as possible. The All-Stater has offers from JMU, Liberty, Kennesaw State, UNLV, Tulane, Jacksonville State, Charlotte, USF, Jackson State, Georgia Southern, Troy, Ohio, Coastal Carolina, Cal, Cincinnati, App State, in addition to the three mentioned above.
The LB had a monster season for his Harrison HS team, recording 118 tackles and 14 sacks in 11 games. He was the region Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson was invited by old friend Matt Brock, now back at Mississippi State, for their Junior Day. Johnson’s recruitment is picking up fast, with certainly more offers to come. Can UConn seal the deal?
