Huskies Wrap Spring with Football Fan Fest

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn football team put the finishing touches on their 2024 spring workouts on Sunday afternoon hosting their Spring Fan Fest at the Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at Rizza Performance Center.

The day kicked-off with fan tailgating and a UConn Athletics surplus sale and was capped with the Huskies holding an open practice followed by a meet and greet with the players for the fans.

UConn head coach Jim Mora, entering his third season at the helm, ran his team through the allowed 15 practices this spring with some new names on the roster as well as two new coordinators in place.

Sunday fun at today's @UConnFootball Spring Fan Fest ???? pic.twitter.com/gu1vKt1aec

— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) April 21, 2024

On the defensive side, the Huskies welcomed new coordinator Matt Brock to the staff as he came to Storrs this spring from Mississippi State.  Brock will have a strong set of returners in the middle of the UConn defense back to lead the way in his new system.  Up front, three starters will return to the defensive line in senior tackles Dal'Mont Gourdine (North Charleston, S.C.) and Jelani Stafford (Brownsville, Pa.) and r-junior end Pryce Yates (San Antonio, Texas).

Yates led all defensive linemen with 42 tackles, 25 solo, last season and was the team's top-pass rusher with 4.5 sacks.  He also live in opponents backfields, leading the defense with 14.0 tackles for a loss.  Stafford had 40 tackles, 28 solo, with two fumble recoveries while Gourdine had 28 stops, 5.5 for a loss and 3.0 sacks.

Senior linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown (Pittsburgh, Pa.) returns as a starter at linebacker after posting 61 tackles last fall and a pair of senior safeties will also help anchor the unit in Rante Jones (Atlanta, Ga.) and Malik Dixon-Williams (Orlando, Fla.).  Jones, a three-year starter, was second on the team with 72 tackles, 44 solo stops.  Dixon-Williams, also a three-year starter, made 43 tackles in eight games while forcing a pair of fumbles and grabbing an interception last fall.

On the offensive side of the football UConn looked within their own ranks for the new offensive coordinator, elevating offensive line coach Gordon Sammis to the role this spring.  Sammis has been the driving force behind an offensive line that in his first season in 2022 ranked 33^rd in the nation in rushing offense (191.0 ypg) and last season, ranked ninth in sacks allowed, giving up just 12 (1.00 pg) on the season.

Sammis will have his two starting tackles back this fall in seniors Chase Lundt (Arlington, Texas) and Valentin Senn (Volder, Austria).  The duo have started every game the last two seasons and will anchor the front five.  He will also have a stable of backs to work with led by the return of the team's top-two rushers from a year ago in juniors Victor Rosa (Bristol, Conn.) and Cam Edwards (Norwalk, Conn.) as well as incoming transfers, junior Mel Brown (Stone Mountain, Ga.) from Gardner-Webb, and r-freshman Durell Robinson (Seat Pleasant, Md.) from Charlotte.

.@1JaydenBrown had a day ?????#CTFootball pic.twitter.com/PCdRbd9tSU

— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) April 21, 2024

Edwards finished as the team's top-rusher on the year, gaining 618 yards over nine games, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and scoring four touchdowns.  Rosa finished with 550 yards and five touchdowns over five games last fall.  The duo also caught the ball well out of the backfield with Edwards hauling in 15 passes and Rosa 12.

Four quarterbacks were in spring camp led by last year's starters, senior Ta'Quan Roberson (Orange, N.J.) and senior Joe Fagnano (Williamsport, Pa.).  R-Freshman Tucker McDonald (Holden, Mass.) had his second spring in Storrs and incoming freshman signal caller Cole Welliver (Flower Mound, Texas) got to Storrs early and had the chance to get his first taste of college football.

Following last summer's training camp, Fagnano was named the Huskies starter but saw his season cut short in just game two after suffering a shoulder injury.  After surgery last fall, Fagnano was a full participant this spring.  Roberson, who saw his season end in game one of the 2022 season after earning the starting role, stepped in and started the final 10 games of last season.  Roberson threw for 2,075 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall.

The UConn receiving corps is looking for a boost as a mix of young talent and incoming transfers got a look this spring.  Grad student Brett Buckman (Park Ridge, N.J.) is the Huskies' top-returning wideout after pulling in 46 balls for 488 yards and two scores last fall.  R-Sophomore Kylish Hicks (Pikesville, Md.) got his first touchdown catch last fall in six games played.  UConn went to the transfer portal to add r-junior Jasaiah Gathings (Statesville, N.C.) from Akron and r-junior Skyler Bell (Bronx, N.Y.) from Wisconsin to the mix.

The Huskies will now finish out the semester in the classroom and get ready for summer training camp come the end of July.  The 2024 season will kick-off on August 31 with a trip to Maryland.  UConn will play seven home games this season, including six-straight at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.  Season tickets are on sale now at UConnTickets.com.