Huskies Report

UConn Extends Offers to Two Toledo Decommits

Jason Candle begins reshaping the UConn Huskies by extending offers to two tight ends from his former program as the post-transition rebuild starts.
Shivani Menon|
Sep 2, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Toledo Rockets head coach Jason Candle directs his players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Toledo Rockets head coach Jason Candle directs his players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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UConn Huskies

When former UConn Huskies head coach Jim Mora accepted the Colorado State job after carrying the Huskies to back-to-back nine-win seasons, three bowl appearances in four years and a complete rebuild that restored national relevance, the aftershocks were instantaneous. Multiple players have decided to enter the transfer portal, and the 2026 class, which once looked formidable, has thinned overnight.

For UConn, though, the departure meant starting over. That reset officially began with the hiring of Jason Candle, the winningest coach in Toledo history. Candle arrives in Storrs with 81 career wins, two MAC titles, seven bowl trips, and a reputation for stability. More importantly, he arrives with relationships that are already shaping UConn’s recruiting rebound.

Two former Toledo commits have announced their decommitment from the Rockets. Jackson Mangham, less than 24 hours ago, took to X and wrote, “Due to the head coaching change at Toledo, I’ve made the difficult decision to reopen my recruitment. I greatly appreciate the opportunity and support received from Toledo.”

Gavin Gregory, another Toledo commit, also did the same, writing, “Thanks to the University of Toledo for the opportunity. After long conversations and consideration, I have decided to reopen my recruitment.”

Just a day after Gregory and Mangham decommitted, they received offers from the UConn Huskies. Each announced the news publicly, thanking Candle and his staff. If both of them sign with the Huskies, the 2026 class suddenly starts to look stronger than ever.

Mangham brings consistency as a pass catcher. Across 15 varsity games, he has 35 receptions for 473 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per catch. His senior season saw an improvement in Mangham’s stats, with 32 receptions, 412 yards, and four touchdowns in just 11 games. For a rebuilding offense, that reliability matters.

Meanwhile, Gregory, over three varsity seasons, has 81 receptions for 1,409 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 17.4 yards per catch. His senior year alone saw him rack up 714 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Gregory also logged 91 total tackles, seven sacks, and nine tackles for loss across his career, showing two-way physicality that jumps off the page.

The question now is whether Gregory and Mangham will sign with the Huskies and Coach Candle? If they do, Candle would have managed to flip four commitments.

If Both Tight Ends Commit, Jason Candle Pulls Off Fourth Flip

Candle’s first major recruiting win already hinted at what was coming. After UConn lost quarterback Carter Emanuel, who decommitted and later signed with Colorado State, the Huskies were suddenly staring at a hole in what was supposed to be the foundation of their 2026 class.

The timing was horrible; however, instead of falling apart, Candle went back to what he knew. Bo Polston, a three-star quarterback from Decatur Central in Indianapolis, flipped his commitment from Toledo to UConn and made it official.

Polston is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound player. He is a two-time state champion who has thrown for more than 6,400 yards, rushed for over 1,500 more, and accounted for 66 total touchdowns. He once held offers from Miami, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Minnesota and Ball State.

At Toledo, Polston was Candle’s future. At UConn, he’s become something more of an immediate statement. Then came, Tyrique Harris. The Florida linebacker had options across multiple conferences, but familiarity won out.

Harris had 84 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 13.5 tackles for loss. He followed it up with 79 tackles, eight sacks, and six tackles for loss in his junior season. In his senior season, Harris, much like Gregory made a jump and went on to make 113 tackles, three sacks and nine tackles.

Harris and Polston filled a critical void, and he stabilized a class that had been wobbling. If Mangham and Gregory follow the same path, Candle will have the momentum the Huskies lost when Mora left.

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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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