STORRS, Conn. - UConn senior quarterback Joe Fagnano (Williamsport, Pa.) has been named to the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list annoounced on Wednesday.  The College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization, released their watch list consisting of 89 college football student-athletes from 67 different schools currently under consideration for this year's award.

Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness, or other circumstances.  At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Faganano transferred to UConn ahead of the 2023 season and won the starting quarterback job out of summer camp.  Fagnano started the first two games of the season before an injury in game two at Georgia State cost him the season.  For the season, he completed 18-of-35 passes for 173 yards and a interception before being suffering the injury. In the season opener against NC State, he completed 14-of-26 for 113 yards and an interception and ran it seven times for 18 yards while at Georgia State he was 4-of-9 for 60 yards while running nine times for 14 yards before suffering a shoulder injury before halftime. Faganano was a full participant in spring practice and is competing for the starting job during summer camp.