West Virginia Transfer RB Announces Commitment to UConn
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The UConn Huskies added five transfer portal commitments on January 10. Jason Candle and Co. came all guns blazing this weekend to bolster a 2026 class that depleted following the departure of Jim Mora to Michigan State.
Running back Trey Cornist has committed to UConn football from the transfer portal following an official visit to Storrs on January 5, 2026. The 6-foot, 215-pound back, a Cincinnati native, becomes the second running back addition for Jason Candle's Huskies following Cyncir Bowers’ commitment from West Virginia. On3’s Steve Wiltfong broke the news via X.
Central Michigan RB Trey Cornist has committed to UConn: https://t.co/3hgtImDG2l https://t.co/JTuYtO0VbB
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) January 10, 2026
Cornist is headed to his third school in three years. The running back initially signed with Tulane out of high school following a decommitment from Georgia Tech, joining the Green Wave's 2023 recruiting class. However, his college career at Tulane was limited, as he redshirted his first year in 2023 and saw minimal carries during the 2024 season, accumulating just 149 rushing yards.
Seeking greater opportunity and a fresh start, Cornist entered the transfer portal in December 2024 and committed to Central Michigan. Across nine games in 2025, Cornist recorded 105 carries for 470 yards and one touchdown, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. His most productive outing came against San Jose State, where he recorded 99 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Trey Cornist’s High School Career
Cornist donned the Winton Woods High School colors in Cincinnati, Ohio, before stepping into college football. He rushed for 1,650 yards on 180 carries with 27 touchdowns during his senior season, averaging 9.0 yards per carry and recording multiple games with over 100 rushing yards.
Cornist's senior season performance was exceptionally impressive, including a game where he rushed for 343 yards on 18 carries and six touchdowns in a single contest, tying a Winton Woods program record.
What Cornist Brings to UConn?
The young running back brings the Huskies a proven high school pedigree and multiple years of college football experience across various conference levels. Cornist possesses a compact, powerful frame built for decisive one-cut running and interior line collisions. His ability to operate in both power and spread run schemes allows Candle to feature him in multiple packages.
Cornist’s production at Central Michigan shows he can handle a heavy workload. For UConn, Cornist could develop into a three-down back capable of handling power runs, pass protection, and receiving opportunities. UConn’s RB room now features Kenji Christian, Cyncir Bowers, and Trey Cornist.
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.