UConn LB Declares for 2026 NFL Draft
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The UConn Huskies have another star heading to the biggest stage of them all. Linebacker Bryun Parham has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft after a 9-3 regular season. After a couple of transfers, he capped off his career with a breakout final season in Storrs.
The 5-foot-11, 223-pound inside linebacker from Long Beach, California, finished his UConn campaign as one of the nation's most productive defensive players. Parham announced his decision on New Year’s eve via X.
“Dear College Football, I appreciate you more than you know. Thank you San José State and UConn for embracing me for who I am and giving me the opportunity to continue doing what I love. Thank you as well to UW for the experience and everything I learned during my time there.” Parham wrote.
“To UConn Nation, I’m forever a Husky. The love I received here is something I will always remember. From day one, you embraced me with open arms, and that support means everything to me.”
“To my family, thank you for believing in me and shaping me into the person I am today. Thank you to my grandma and my dad for always supporting me through every step of this journey. A special thank you to my big brother, my mentor. I love you and appreciate you more than you know. This is for us. I’m going to do it.”
“Thank you to Long Beach Poly and the City of Long Beach for always standing with me, and thank you to all of my coaches since I first started playing for allowing me to be myself, believing in me, and guiding me every step of the way. With that being said, I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.”
#thankyoujesus🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/ryXV75xNpn
— The 🥇 (@bryun7) January 2, 2026
Bryun Parham’s College Career
Parham's college journey began at San Jose State in 2021, where he appeared in seven games as a true freshman and recorded 19 tackles with one tackle for loss. Over the next two seasons with the Spartans, Parham established himself as a consistent and productive defender in Mountain West Conference play.
During the 2022 season, he posted 93 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, and three sacks while forcing two fumbles, earning All-Mountain West honorable mention recognition.
The following year proved to be his breakthrough campaign at San Jose State. He led the Spartans with 106 tackles to go with 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception, completing an impressive three-year run that included 199 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Parham joined the University of Washington for the 2024 season. However, the move to the Pac-12 didn't unfold as planned. After appearing in just four games and recording 12 tackles with a forced fumble and pass deflection, Parham opted out of the remainder of the season and redshirted, preserving his final year of eligibility.
The 2025 season at UConn proved to be a career-defining year for Parham. The redshirt senior emerged as one of the most productive linebackers in college football, accumulating 114 tackles and 10.5 sacks while recording an interception. His stellar performance earned him recognition as a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. Parham joins Ben Smiley as the fellow UConn talents to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.