Huskies Report

UConn QB Chooses Three All-Star Bowls Over Fenway

After a historic season, the UConn Huskies quarterback skips a traditional bowl to chase opportunity in multiple scout-driven showcases.
Shivani Menon|
Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies quarterback Joe Fagnano (2) warms up before the start of the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies quarterback Joe Fagnano (2) warms up before the start of the game against the Duke Blue Devils at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

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Joe Fagnano’s season with UConn didn’t end quietly, and it isn’t ending traditionally either. After having one of the greatest quarterback seasons in program history, Fagnano has decided to opt out of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against Army. Instead of one final game in scarlet and white, the Fagnano has decided to play three different postseason bowl games.

After a season that saw Fagnano make 3,448 passing yards, he had accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine Bowl, the American Bowl, and the Hula Bowl. All three games are scheduled for January and are expected to be heavily attended by professional scouts from multiple leagues.

While bowl opt-outs often signal closure, this one signals momentum. After the coaching change and Mora’s departure, the team certainly fell apart, with multiple players entering the transfer portal. It is time for Fagnano to move from the Huskies and look at where he might end up when draft day arrives.

And no doubt, Fagnano earned that pivot. He finished the season with 28 touchdowns and a 69 percent completion rate, hitting the 70 percent mark in seven games. On a national scale, those numbers are the seventh-most passing yards and touchdowns in the FBS. And that production was no accident.

Fagnano started all 12 games, completing 285 of 413 passes while limiting mistakes at a rate rarely seen in the program’s history. He became the only UConn quarterback to throw more than 400 passes in a season while finishing with fewer than 10 interceptions. He is also a 2025 Heisman Trophy candidate and semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award.

Fagnano also had 131 rushing yards, three rushing scores, and explosive outings like 446 yards against Florida Atlantic and 362 yards with four touchdowns versus Boston College. However, what makes the Fenway Bowl decision even more layered is where Fagnano came from.

Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell and quarterback Joe Fagnano
Aug 30, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1) reacts with quarterback Joe Fagnano (2) after his touchdown against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in the first half at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UConn quarterback came in as a headline transfer. After four seasons at Maine, he entered the portal largely because of his relationship with former head coach Jim Mora. At one point last offseason, Fagnano even considered retirement. Instead, he returned with the help of Mora and played one of the most efficient quarterback seasons the program has ever seen.

For Fagnano, the three all-star bowls offer something Fenway can’t. These events are as much about interviews and install sessions as they are about snaps. Scouts evaluate how quarterbacks absorb playbooks, communicate in new systems, and carry themselves in unfamiliar locker rooms. By accepting three invitations, Fagnano is increasing his chances of leaving a lasting impression beyond January.

Joe Fagnano Joins UConn WR in Skipping Fenway Bowl

Fagnano won’t be the only UConn star missing from Fenway. Wide receiver Skyler Bell has also opted out. Like Fagnano, Bell transferred from Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 season and became central to UConn’s offense. Bell led the Huskies in receiving in both 2024 and 2025, but this season was historic.

Bell finished with a program-record 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning finalist status for the Biletnikoff Award. He delivered week after week, from 158 yards against Rice to three-touchdown explosions versus UAB, while consistently serving as Fagnano’s security blanket and strike partner.

Both players are now officially out of eligibility and are transitioning to professional mode. While Bell has already begun appearing in mock drafts, Fagnano’s path is still forming. That uncertainty is exactly why January is so important.

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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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