UConn Lands Louisville OL Transfer
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Momentum has defined the early days of the transfer portal for the UConn Huskies. Under Jason Candle, UConn has wasted no time turning January visits into commitments. Since Jim Mora’s exit, there has been an exodus of players in Storrs. However, now things have changed.
Since the portal opened, Candle and his staff have hosted multiple transfers on campus, and the results have followed quickly. UConn has already secured at least 12 commitments in the opening stretch. One of the most recent additions came from Louisville.
Fred Johnson, an offensive guard who transferred from the Louisville Cardinals, has announced his commitment to the Huskies. Johnson is a former three-star prospect from Cleveland who played his high school football at Glenville under Ted Ginn Sr.
Welcome Fred! UConn Nation is happy to have you. #HuskiesOverEveryone pic.twitter.com/uNV2EFHq6g
— T'N'T College Football Podcast (@TNTCollegeFoot1) January 5, 2026
Johnson was one of the top players in Ohio and had a multitude of offers before committing to Louisville. He had offers from names like Kentucky, Pitt, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Marshall and others.
On the field, Johnson’s numbers are low. He made his debut this past season against Austin Peay, logging snaps at left guard. However, at Glenville, he started every game as a senior while helping lead the program to a Division IV state championship. He also earned first-team All-Ohio honors as a junior.
Johnson also joins a broader offensive line overhaul. With the Mora-era line now largely turned over, transfers Raphael Green-Nyarko and Isaiah Switzer are expected to compete early. The Huskies’ portal haul stretches well beyond the trenches, too.
Quarterback Kalieb Osborne, after opening Toledo’s bowl game, is entering the quarterback room. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Esean Carter adds proven production after an All-MAC season, anchoring the interior.
UConn Football’s Reset Extends Beyond the Roster
Candle has paired roster turnover with a full-scale staff build. To start, the Huskies have a new coordinator in offensive leader Nunzio Campanile, a Syracuse Orange football alum, and defensive architect Ryan Manalac from the Pitt Panthers.
Meanwhile, special teams are now led by Pat Cashmore, and long-time Candle lieutenant Robert Weiner has stepped in as assistant head coach. On offense, John Morookian takes over the line, and Marquel Blackwell helps guide the quarterbacks. Defensively, LaTroy Lewis and Rod Chance headline a unit built on front-to-back cohesion.
Max Wray steps in to coach the tight ends, Kerry Dixon takes over the wide receivers, Nate Cole handles the running backs, and Marquel Blackwell will coach the quarterbacks while serving as co-offensive coordinator.
Jasper “Junior” Collins rounds out the group as an assistant wide receivers coach. On defense, LaTroy Lewis will coach the defensive line with Daryl Ely added as assistant defensive backs coach, and Brooks Jenkins assisting on the defensive line.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "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.