STORRS, Conn. — The 2024 UConn football roster is taking shape after Head Coach Jim Mora announced on Thursday that the program has officially added several transfer players, according to a release from the university’s athletic department.
UConn officially added three wide receivers, two offensive linemen, two defensive backs, a defensive lineman, a defensive end, a linebacker and a quarterback, the release said. The 11 new Huskies are expected to play this fall.
TJ Sheffield – Wide Receiver (Purdue)
The transfer from Purdue is one of the most exciting additions to the 2024 Huskies. Sheffield will have one year of eligibility after playing in West Lafayette from 2019-2023. He comes to UConn as a proven wide receiver who appeared in 46 games for the Boilermakers, making 118 catches for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Over the course of his career, Sheffield has averaged 10.2 yards per catch. He has 29 career kick returns, averaging 17.4 yards per return, and 32 career punt returns for 261 yards, the release said. Last season, Sheffield caught 32 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games, averaging 11.9 yards per catch. In 2022, he played in all 14 of Purdue’s games, with 840 receiving yards on 46 catches. He averaged 10.4 yards per reception with four touchdowns.
Against UConn in September 2021, Sheffield caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. Entering the season, Sheffield will be expected to be one of UConn’s top playmakers.
Ezeriah Anderson – Wide Receiver (Campbell)
Anderson comes to UConn with one year of eligibility remaining after playing two seasons at Campbell University and spending three years at Iowa State. In two seasons at Campbell, Anderson played 19 games, hauling in 64 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns. Last season, he caught 35 passes for 489 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games for an average of 13.97 yards per catch.
In 2022, Anderson caught 28 passes for 387 yards and three scores in eight games during a season in which he dealt with injuries. Anderson played in 20 games with Iowa State. He entered college rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN; 247Sports ranked him as the No. 106 wide receiver nationally, according to the release.
Shamar Porter – Wide Receiver (Kentucky)
In his one season in Lexington, Porter redshirted. He comes to UConn with four seasons of eligibility remaining. He chose Kentucky over Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss, according to the release, which said he was ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and On3.com. On3.com ranked him as the No. 29 wide receiver in the country and No. 5 wide receiver in Tennessee in his high school class. Porter was given U.S. Army Bowl All-America honors as a high school senior. As a Husky, he’ll have room to grow and develop.
Dean Engram – Wide Receiver/Defensive Back/Punt Returner (Wisconsin)
The versatile Engram comes to UConn with one year of eligibility after playing for the Badgers. For Wisconsin, he played defensive back, wide receiver and returned punts. In 2022, he played in 13 games, all at receiver and on special teams, catching 13 passes for 152 yards while returning 24 punts for 132 yards. He appeared in all 13 games in 2021 as a nickel corner, making 20 tackles, breaking up three passes and recording an interception. Coming out of high school, he was a three-star recruit, the release said; he was rated by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
Nick Evers – Quarterback (Wisconsin)
Nick Evers is another transfer coming from a big-name school who saw no action in 2023. Before spending one season at Wisconsin, Evers played in one game for the University of Oklahoma in 2022. Evers came out of high school as a four-star prospect and chose Oklahoma over schools such as Auburn and Florida, according to the release.
As a high school senior, Rivals named Evers the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in his class. ESPN ranked him as the No. 7 pocket passer, and he was ranked as the No. 77 player in the country by On3. The release said that over the course of his junior and senior seasons in high school, Evers threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 44 touchdowns while rushing for 18 touchdowns. He hopes to reignite that spark as a member of the Huskies.
Jayden Bass – Offensive Line (Syracuse)
A local product, Bass comes from Springfield, Mass. Despite appearing in multiple games, he used his redshirt season in 2023 at Syracuse and will have four years of eligibility as a Husky. Coming out of high school, Bass was rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and rated as the eighth-best Massachusetts prospect by On3, according to the release.
As a high school player, Bass helped Springfield Central win multiple state championships. He was an all-state selection and the conference’s offensive lineman of the year in addition to being named First Team All-Western Mass.
Ja’khi Green – Offensive Line (Charlotte)
Green comes to UConn with experience after playing in 10 games last year at Charlotte, where he made eight starts. Prior to that he played for Maryland from 2020-2022 and only appeared in two games for the Terps. As a high school senior, Green was ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and On3. He helped his high school team to a 44-3 record. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at UConn.
Jack Barton – Defensive End (Furman)
While Barton only has one year of eligibility remaining, he brings plenty of experience to the table. He played for Furman from 2019 to 2023 and appeared in 40 career games, making 63 career tackles. Thirteen were for a loss, the release said. He has also blocked six kicks during his college career.
Last season, Barton appeared in all 13 games and helped Furman win the Southern Conference championship. He was named second team all-conference for his performances. In 2022, he also appeared in all 13 games and helped the team earn a 10-3 record. The past two seasons, Barton has also been recognized for his outstanding performance in the classroom.
Jordan Wright – Defensive Back (Kansas State)
Wright will only have one season of eligibility as a Husky but did experience power conference football last season with Kansas State, where he appeared in 11 games. Wright also has experience playing in the Big 12 Championship and the Sugar Bowl, according to the release.
Jevon Banks – Defensive Line (Kansas State)
Banks will be able to play one season for the Huskies after spending 2023 with Kansas State. Last season, he finished with nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery in 13 games. In three seasons at Mississippi State, Banks appeared in 20 games making 26 tackles, the release said.
Jayden McDonald – Linebacker (Troy)
McDonald only has one season of eligibility remaining after playing at Troy from 2020 to 2023, where he played in 35 games over four seasons. With Troy, McDonald had 191 tackles, including 22 or a loss and 2.5 sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Last season, he played in all 13 games for Troy and had 75 total tackles. As a high schooler, the release said McDonald was named the Georgia High School Defensive Player of the Year by the Georgia High School Coaches Association.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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