UConn Pursuing QB Recruit With NFL Ties
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UConn football didn’t need another headline in a week overflowing with them. Yet, one arrived anyway. However, this time it is the good kind of headline involving the son of a New York Giants general manager and one of the most intriguing young quarterbacks in the Northeast.
Despite still dealing with the aftershocks of Jim Mora’s exit, the Huskies are focused on recruitment. In fact, they have decided to shoot their shot at the 2028 quarterback and Joe Schoen’s son, Carson Schoen.
Not so long ago, Carson took to X and wrote, “After a great conversation with
@CoachPTracy I am truly humbled and blessed to receive my 5th Division 1 offer from UConn! #Gohuskies #BOSCO.”
After a great conversation with @CoachPTracy I am truly humbled and blessed to receive my 5th division 1 offer from Uconn! #Gohuskies #BOSCO @Cody_High @CoAcHKeLZZz3 @QBC_NJ @edaniels77 @5StarScouting @On3Richie pic.twitter.com/EL7IXNQ4jr
— Carson Schoen (@carsonschoen7) December 4, 2025
While the chaos continues with 11 players planning to enter the transfer portal and eight players decommitting, interim head coach Gordon Sammis remains focused as ever. Perhaps it is also because Carson has recently led Don Bosco Prep to a 4–0 start and their first win over rival Bergen Catholic since 2022.
Another possible reason is his NFL pedigree. Carson is the son of Joe Schoen, the general manager of the New York Giants, who was previously the assistant general manager for the Buffalo Bills.
Carson is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound sophomore who is running one of the most pressure-filled offenses in the region. He has completed 19 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns while facing some of the best in the country.
Carson is athletic, composed, and carries the kind of upside that UConn needs. And while he’s still waiting on that first power-conference offer, his list is building with names like Coastal Carolina, UMass, Rhode Island, and now UConn. And the timing matters.
Jim Mora’s departure for Colorado State broke the roster overnight. The coach who rebuilt UConn into a nine-win program and gave it three bowl seasons left after stabilizing the ship for four years, leaving Sammis to captain a vessel suddenly missing half its crew.
Yet here they are, offering a quarterback whose father runs an NFL franchise. Additionally, signing day brought a glimmer of hope for the Huskies.
Despite 8 Decommits, UConn Silently Rebuilding 2026 Class
The losses have come fast. Since Mora’s exit, UConn has watched players, including, QB Carter Emanuel, RB Jayden Fox, WR Quayd Hendryx, EDGE Jacquey Ferguson Jr., LB Westen Ard, CB Cason Dash, CB Javion Romer, and S Kallen Martinez, decommit.
Then came the flip from TE Liam Fuller, Max Viver, and Luke Hatfield. For a moment, the 2026 class felt like it was on the brink of disappearing altogether. While the shake-ups continue, just as everything seemed to be collapsing, someone chose UConn.
That someone was Zikhere Leaks, the former Syracuse commit whose offers stretched from Big Ten to ACC to Group of Five contenders, who decided to go the Huskies' way. Leaks brings 573 yards, five touchdowns, and real separation ability. He also brings credibility to a class that was on the verge of falling apart.
And behind him, a few more players are holding firm. RB Damian Moore remains committed despite immediately receiving an offer from Colorado State the moment Mora arrived in Fort Collins. RB Malichi Greaves, a homegrown Connecticut talent, hasn’t budged either.
Then there’s EDGE Jayden Jones, who came in with offers from Miami, Maryland, Illinois, and more. He committed early and hasn’t entertained the noise. Neither has EDGE James Tilus, a three-star defender who reaffirmed his pledge post-Mora.
And in the secondary, safety Elijah Whitaker remains locked in. And now, with the pursuit of a 2028 quarterback tied to the New York Giants, UConn is making sure that Mora’s exit doesn’t break the momentum entirely.
-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.