Huskies Report

Jim Mora’s Exit Throws UConn Into Portal Free Fall

UConn Huskies football unravels as key players eye transfer portal amid Jim Mora’s sudden move to Colorado State.
Shivani Menon|
Nov 23, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Jim Mora reacts to a call in the third quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Jim Mora reacts to a call in the third quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Connecticut Huskies

The UConn Huskies thought they had finally built momentum steady enough to withstand the turbulence of modern college football. That is, until Jim Mora decided to pack his bags for Colorado State. And now, as the storm hits Storrs, the turbulence is hitting faster than anyone could brace for.

The head coach who delivered back-to-back nine-win seasons and rebuilt a dormant program into a bowl regular is now headed west. He will lead the CSU team entering a shaky Pac-12, hoping to replicate the success he had in Storrs. And as expected, the roster movement has begun.

The first piece of the domino, according to Pete Nakos of On3, is star linebacker Oumar Diomande. “UConn star LB Oumar Diomande plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal,” reported Nakos. He has been crucial to UConn’s defense this season with 111 tackles and three sacks.

Diomande's exit alone stings, but the turmoil doesn’t end there. Hours later, Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported that wide receiver John Neider will also test the portal. This season, Neider recorded 24 receptions, 395 yards, and three touchdowns.

Suddenly, UConn’s momentum, nine wins, no regulation losses and a clear identity, feels as fragile as ever. These departures land even heavier in context. Mora is joining the Colorado State program that has churned through coaches, struggled to produce bowl appearances, and is stepping into a Pac-12 that is rebuilding itself in real time.

CSU has a 2–9 overall record with 1–6 in conference play, and a five-game losing streak makes that painfully clear. The Rams have spent more than $200 million on a stadium, talk like a program ready for the big stage, and yet haven’t played like one.

Mora’s experience might stabilize them, especially considering that he took over UConn when they were coming off a 1-11 season. However, the cost of his move is unfolding in Storrs, player by player.

And with UConn primed for a breakthrough season under interim coach Gordon Sammis, the timing hits like a gut punch. Diomande’s loss alone alters UConn’s defensive identity. He had six games with double-digit tackles, huge stops against Duke and Air Force, and sacks in several close wins.

Losing that kind of production is tough, especially when the postseason could've been simply iconic for the Huskies. And then losing Neider, who had explosive outings against FIU and Boston College, is painful.

In the emerging chaos, UConn must convince the rest of the locker room that stability still exists. And that’s where the real challenge begins.

UConn Loses Key RB and Senior Football Executive

As the portal movement gains momentum, another player's portal move hit the news early. Running back Victor Rosa, one of UConn’s most versatile offensive pieces, will also no longer wear the Huskies jersey.

Rosa, as a junior, made 147 rushing yards on 28 carries, plus 147 receiving yards, including a 65-yard touchdown vs FIU. While those numbers seem bleak, his freshman season saw him make 636 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he added 550 yards at 4.9 yards per carry with three more scores.

Rosa has been durable, explosive, and one of the Huskies’ weapons. Now, he’s gone too, another ripple in the post-Mora tide. To make things worse, it is not just players leaving. Colorado State will likely also be adding Justin Cummings-Morrow, UConn’s Executive Director of Football.

Cummings-Morrow is a primary behind-the-scenes architect who has handled everything from the annual budget to travel operations, housing logistics, hiring committees, and media coordination. He has been the connective tissue between athletics administration, football operations, and the coaching staff.

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Shivani Menon
SHIVANI MENON

Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.

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