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Recent history has shown us that the transfer portal is an important part of roster-building in college football, and UConn football has had plenty of action on that front. This offseason is important to the short-term success of new head coach Jim Mora’s tenure.
Here’s a rundown of the incoming transfers and players that are transferring out as well.
Arrivals
WR Nigel Fitzgerald (Old Dominion)
Fitzgerald is a wide receiver from Greensboro, North Carolina coming to UConn from Old Dominion. He stands 6-foot-5, 225lb, and caught 15 passes for 228 yards receiving in 2019.
OL Gamaliel “Tres” Barboza (UTEP)
Barboza is an offensive lineman from Castroville, Texas, currently attending UTEP. Barboza stands 6-foot-4, weighs 320lb, and features primarily at offensive tackle. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
OL Jake Guidone (Dartmouth)
Guidone is a 6-foot-4, 300lb offensive lineman from Dartmouth. Guidone is a graduate transfer and plays mostly at offensive tackle.
QB Ta’Quan Roberson (Penn State)
Roberson is a 5-foot-11, 195lb dual-threat quarterback from Orange, New Jersey, currently enrolled at Penn State. He’s a threat through the air and on the ground and was rated a four-star recruit in the class of 2019 per Rivals and ESPN.
QB Cale Millen (NAU)
Millen is a 6-foot-4, 210lb quarterback from Snoqualmie, Washington, transferring in from Northern Arizona. Millen was originally an Oregon recruit, but transferred after playing just three games in green, mostly on special teams.
DL Sokoya McDuffie (Old Dominion)
McDuffie was an everyday starter at Old Dominion as a defensive tackle, recording 28 tackles, four sacks, and 6.5 tackles for loss. Originally from Florence, South Carolina, McDuffie stands 6-foot-4 and 265 lbs, a formidable force in the middle of the defensive line.
LS Tommy Zozus (FIU)
Zozus was a four-year starter at Florida International and showed his readiness for a new challenge by committing to UConn over offers from North Texas and ECU.
Departures
TE Jayce Medlock (Alabama State)
Medlock came into 2021 as the backup to tight end Jay Rose, but found himself playing relatively regularly due to the latter’s injury issues. He found a new home at Alabama State.
QB Jack Zergiotis (Merrimack)
Zergiotis was named UConn’s starting quarterback by Randy Edsall ahead of the 2021 season, but didn’t hold on to the spot for long, getting overtaken first by Steven Krajewski, then by Tyler Phommachanh. He will be taking his talents to FCS Merrimack.
OL Sidney Walker (Buffalo)
Sidney Walker is another player who’s leaving UConn one season after arriving, transferring from Kilgore College in 2021 after appearing in eight games for the Huskies, mostly at center. He will continue his college career a Buffalo.
OL Femi Sakiri (Abilene Christian University)
Sakiri is departing Storrs as quickly as he left, only coming on campus as a recruit in the class of 2021. He will be moving back closer to home at Abilene Christian University, just 30 miles from his hometown of Roanoke, Texas.
DB Shamel Lazarus (Stony Brook)
Lazarus is transferring to Stony Brook after three years with the program, appearing in just three games in 2018.
RB Kevin Mensah
Kevin Mensah was the primary running back for the Huskies during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, reaching 1,000 yards rushing in both of them. The senior fell down the pecking order in 2020, getting just 104 carries compared to over 200 in the previous two seasons.
EDIT: Mensah has since withdrawn from the transfer portal, and plans on entering the 2022 NFL Draft.
DL Lwal Uguak
Uguak is one of the bigger names in the transfer portal for UConn, anchoring the defensive line as a starter for three years in the white and blue. Uguak amassed 69 tackles, nine of them for a loss, and four sacks during his career with the Huskies. Uguak seems to be attracting interest from a number of solid FBS programs and has a visit to TCU coming up.
EDIT: Apparently the TCU visit was a fruitful one, as Uguak has committed to the program for the 2022 season.
WR Cam Hairston
Once upon a time, Hairston was hailed as a potential No. 1 receiver for the Huskies, after a breakout season in 2018 where he caught eight passes for 168 yards. Now he’s announced that he’s in the portal.
WR Heron Maurisseau
Maurisseau is another receiver who showed flashes of impressive athleticism at UConn but will continue his career elsewhere. Maurisseau had 22 receptions for 272 yards during his 19-game UConn career.
LB Dillon Harris
Harris is another player who contributed heavily early in his career at UConn, but found himself less involved later on. He played in all 12 games in 2019 for the Huskies, but made no appearances in 2021. He has yet to find a transfer destination.
DB Jeremy Lucien
Lucien played in 24 games from 2018 to 2021 at cornerback, a rotation option in UConn’s defensive backfield for those three seasons. Lucien had 29 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended for the Huskies this season. He recently made a visit to Vanderbilt, and will continue his career there in the upcoming 2022 season.
DL Pierce DeVaughn
Redshirt sophomore DeVaughn was an important part of UConn’s defensive line in 2019, seeing action in all 12 games, and gathering nine QB pressures and 11 tackles.
DL Justin Moore
Similar to Sakiri, Moore will depart UConn soon after he arrived, playing in just one game during the 2019 season before redshirting and appearing in2 two games in 2021.
DB Jalon Ferrell
Redshirt sophomore Ferrell is leaving the program after appearing in 22 games over his three years with the Huskes, mostly on special teams. His best season as a Husky was his latest one, with 32 tackles and two passes defended in 2021.
DB Diamond Harrell
Harrell had a breakout season in 2019, with a pair of interceptions and 29 tackles to his name, but was rotated more heavily in 2021 and featured mostly on special teams.
DB Malik Banks
Banks made 17 appearances through three seasons with the Huskies, all on special teams.
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