Storrs, Connecticut – Head Coach Jim Mora The UConn football program announced the official addition of 10 transfer student-athletes who will join the Huskies for the upcoming 2024 season.
Ezelia Anderson, wide receiver
Seffner, FL / Armwood High School / Campbell
Transferred to the University of Connecticut with one year of eligibility remaining…Comes to Storrs after two seasons at Campbell University…Started his collegiate career at Iowa State University…Appeared in 19 games and caught 64 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons with the Camels…Caught 35 passes for 489 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games in 2023 for a career-high 13.97 yards per catch…Caught a career-high nine passes for 102 yards at North Carolina (4/23/11) and six catches for 84 yards against Delaware (11/11/23)…Scored two touchdowns against Hampton (7/23/10)…Caught 28 passes in eight games in 2022 Catched the ball for 387 yards and three scores…Appeared in seven games this season but had limited playing time the rest of the time due to injury…Recorded a season-high eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against Bryant (5/22/11)…Transferred to Campbell University after three seasons at Iowa State…Appeared in nine games on special teams in 2020…Appeared in 11 games in 2021, including a 22-yard catch against UNLV (9/18/21)…Picked the Cyclones over Missouri, Oregon, Syracuse and Boston College out of high school…Received a three-star rating by 247Sports and ESPN…Rated as the 106th best wide receiver in the nation by 247Sports composite rating.
Jevon Banks, defensive line
Olive Branch, Mississippi / Olive Branch High School / Kansas State University
Transferred to the University of Connecticut with one year of eligibility remaining…Comes to Storrs to spend time at Kansas State in 2023…Spent the past three seasons at Mississippi State…Appeared in 13 games for the Wildcats last fall, recording nine tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery…In three seasons at Michigan State, played in 20 games and recorded 26 total tackles…Appeared in 10 games in 2022, recording 17 total tackles, two for loss and a half-sack…Recorded a career-high six tackles against ETSU (11/19/22)…Appeared in six games in 2021, recording five tackles…One of nine Michigan State true freshmen to debut in 2020…Selected Michigan State out of Olive Branch High School, where he was rated as a three-star linebacker by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports…Top 20 recruits in the state of Mississippi according to ESPN (No. 19), Rivals (No. 14) and 247Sports (No. 17).
Jack Burton, defensive end
Alpharetta, Georgia / Centennial High School / Furman
Transferred to the University of Connecticut with one year of eligibility remaining…Played at Furman University from 2019-23 before transferring to Storrs University…Spent the spring of 2023 at Georgia Tech before entering the transfer portal again…Appeared in 40 career games for the Paladins, recording 63 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks…Also recorded six career kick blocks…Appeared in 13 games in 2023 and led the Paladins to the Southern Conference championship…Finished the season with 25 tackles (10 solo), 6.0 tackles for loss, three sacks, two kick blocks, three passes defensed and one fumble recovery and was named to the All-SoCon Second Team…Emerged as a mainstay on Furman's defense in 2022, playing in all 13 games and starting nine at defensive end…Led Furman to a 10-3 season and a seven-game winning streak. Earned the win and a wild-card berth into the FCS playoffs…Anchored Furman’s defense and led the FCS in forced turnovers (29) and his stellar special teams play also led the Paladins in blocked kicks (10)…Recorded 30 tackles on the season (seven for loss, 2.5 sacks)…Leaded the FCS with four blocked kicks…Named to the 2022 SoCon All-Academic Team and SoCon Academic Honor Roll for the 2022-23 school year…Appeared in eight games in 2021, totaling four tackles…Graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.
Jaden Bass, offensive line
Springfield, Massachusetts / Springfield Central High School / Syracuse
Transferred to UConn with four years of eligibility…Will attend Storrs after one season at Syracuse University…Used a redshirt season in 2023…Appeared in two games as a reserve offensive lineman for the Orange…Made his collegiate debut against Colgate University (9/2) and also played against Western Michigan University (9/9)…Committed to Syracuse University out of Springfield Central High School…Rated as a three-star in 247 Sports' composite rankings…Rated the eighth best prospect in Massachusetts by On3…Was an all-state selection and the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year…Named to the All-Western Massachusetts First Team…Leaded teams to multiple state championships.
Dean Engram, defensive back
Columbia, Maryland / Gonzaga University High School / Wisconsin
Transferred to UConn with one year of eligibility remaining…Played at Wisconsin before enrolling at Storrs…Entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season…Switched from defensive back to wide receiver prior to the 2022 season…Appeared in 13 games at receiver and special teams, totaling 13 catches for 152 yards and 24 punt returns for 132 yards…Played as a nickel corner during the 2021 season, appearing in all 13 games…Recorded 20 tackles, three interceptions and an interception…UW's leading punt returner, recording 15 punt returns for 76 yards, the longest of which was 20 yards…Recorded his first career interception in a win over Nebraska…Recorded a career-high five tackles in a win over Purdue…Played all 77 games in the COVID-shortened 2021 season Played in games…Recorded nine punt returns for 14 yards…Named an Academic All-Big Ten scholar-athlete in 2020…Was a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals out of high school…Led Gonzaga High School to a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship as a senior and was a three-time All-WCAC selection, earning first-team selections at cornerback as a sophomore and senior and second-team selection at wide receiver as a junior…Named first-team All-DC State Athletic Association at cornerback as a freshman.
Nick Evers, quarterback
Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound High School / Wisconsin
Transferred to UConn and has three years of eligibility…Comes to Storrs after spending the 2023 season at Wisconsin…Didn’t play in a game last fall…Started his collegiate career at Oklahoma…Appeared in one game in 2022, a loss to Texas, and finished 0-for-1 passing…Went a Sooner and chose OU over Auburn, Florida and others and is a consensus four-star prospect…Rated the fourth dual-threat quarterback in the class by Rivals, the seventh pocket passing quarterback by ESPN, the seventh QB by On3 and the eighth QB by 247Sports…Rated the 77th player in the country by On3…Rated the 17th best prospect in Texas by On3, 24th by 247, 28th by ESPN and 37th by Rivals in 2021…A 2021 Elite 11 Finals participant…Named a 2020 Texas District 6-6A First Team selection…Threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 44 touchdowns and rushed for 18 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons of high school…Rushed for 648 yards his senior year.
Jaki Green, offensive lineman
Palmer Park, Maryland / St. Francis Academy / Charlotte
Transferred to the University of Connecticut with two seasons of eligibility remaining…Spent one season at Charlotte and three years at Maryland before enrolling at Storrs…Appeared in 10 games and started eight at Charlotte in 2023…Started the first seven games and the season finale at South Florida…Played at Maryland from 2020-2022…Appeared in two games in three seasons…Graduated from St. Francis Academy High School and was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN.com, Rivals and On3 consensus…Ranked 41st overall at Maryland by 247Sports…Helped lead his school to a 44-3 record during his high school career…Chose Maryland over Kansas, Kent State and West Virginia.
Jaeden McDonald, linebacker
Suwanee, Georgia / North Gwinnett High School / Troy
Transferred to UConn with one year of eligibility remaining…Played at Troy from 2020-2023 before transferring to UConn…Spent the spring of 2023 at Indiana before re-entering the transfer portal…Appeared in 35 games over four seasons at Troy and finished his career with 191 total tackles and 22.0 for loss (including 2.5 sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble)…Appeared in 13 games this fall and led the defense in tackles, finishing with 75 total tackles and 9.5 for loss…His junior (2022) and sophomore (2021) seasons were shortened due to injury…In his debut season with the Trojans in 2020, he finished second on the team with 67 tackles in 11 games…Pro Football Ranked seventh in the nation in quarterback pressures with an 88.8 grade (min. 400 snaps) according to Focus…Recorded a season-high 16 tackles, including three behind the line, against Georgia State. The 16 tackles were the 29th-most in the nation in 2020…Went to the University of Iowa and redshirted during the 2018 season but didn't play until transferring to Troy University…Named Georgia High School Defensive Player of the Year at North Gwinnett High School by the Georgia High School Coaches Association…Named first-team All-State, All-Region and All-County as a senior…Named first-team All-State by the GHSA and the Atlanta Touchdown Club…Named Gwinnett Daily Post Defensive Player of the Year as a senior…After a three-point loss in the season opener, he helped North Gwinnett win 14 straight games to win its first state title as a senior.
Shamar Porter, wide receiver
Nashville, Tennessee / Ensworth High School / Kentucky
Transferred to UConn with four years of eligibility remaining…Comes to Storrs from the University of Kentucky…Used his redshirt season in 2023…Selected Kentucky over Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss…Was a four-star wide receiver by 247 Sports and On3.com…Ranked as the No. 29 wide receiver in the country and No. 5 in Tennessee according to On3 Consensus…Totaled 32 catches for 557 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior at Ensworth High School and was named First Team All-State…Earned US Army Bowl All-America honors…Named to the 2022 Division II-AAA West All-Region team.
TJ Sheffield, wide receiver
Thompson's Station, Tennessee / Independence High School / Purdue
Transferred to UConn with one year of eligibility remaining…Committed to Storrs after playing at Purdue from 2019-2023…Appeared in 46 career games for the Boilermarkers with 118 catches for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns…A career average of 10.2 yards per catch…As a special teams player, recorded 29 career kick returns for a 17.4-yard return average and 32 career punt returns for 261 yards. In 2023, caught 32 passes for 381 yards and two scores in 11 games for a career-best 11.9 yards per catch…In 2022, played in all 14 games and started 12, ranking third on the team with 46 catches for 840 yards receiving and averaging 10.4 yards per reception…had four touchdown catches on the season…scored two touchdowns against Nebraska (10/15/22)…had a season-high seven catches despite playing through pain against LSU (1/2/23)…In 2021, played in 12 games, caught 36 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns and also led the team in punt and kickoff return yards…averaging 9 yards per catch, 10.7 yards per kickoff and 7.8 yards per punt return. All-purpose with 42.1 yards per game…Caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown against Connecticut (Sept. 11, 2021)…Caught a career-best eight receptions for 48 yards and a score against Iowa (Oct. 16, 2021)…Appeared in six games during his freshman season…Named Academic All-BIG TEN…Named Purdue a four-star wide receiver by ESPN…Named a three-star wide receiver by 247Sports and Rivals…Was a finalist for Mr. Football for the Tennessee Titans as a senior.
Jordan Wrightdefensive back
Memphis, Tennessee / Collierville High School / Kansas State University
Transferred to the University of Connecticut with one year of eligibility remaining…Attended Storrs College after attending Kansas State and Fullerton…Appeared in 13 games at Kansas State, recording eight total tackles and two pass deflections…Appeared in 11 games at both reserve defensive back and special teams in 2023…Tied a career-high with two tackles against Baylor and two more against Kansas…Recorded pass breakups against TCU and Baylor…Academic All-Big in 2023 Named to the All-12 Student-Athlete First Team…Appeared in three games in 2022, including the Big 12 Championship game against TCU and the Sugar Bowl against Alabama…At Fullerton, he recorded 21 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and 10 pass deflections during the 2021 season, earning All-Region and All-Conference honors…Wright graduated from Kansas State College and Fullerton College and finished his high school career at Collierville High School in Tennessee. During his high school career, Wright recorded 41 tackles, two interceptions and 22 pass deflections.