All-American wide receiver Skyler Bell was the only UConn player taken in the 2026 NFL Draft over the weekend. Other players will begin their quest to catch on with an NFL team.
Skyler Bell isn’t the only former UConn player who connected with an NFL team this weekend.
The Buffalo Bills selected the Huskies’ All-American wide receiver with the No. 125 pick in the draft, the fifth round. And while Bell was the lone 2025 UConn player to be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, six former teammates earned invitations to NFL rookie mini-camps next month.
Drafted rookies, undrafted free-agent signees and those with team invitations all attend a rookie mini-camp. Those who work out at the mini-camps go there hoping to impress and earn a place on the team as a free agent.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen is an often-cited example of a rookie camp invitee who made it big in the NFL. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings on May 6, 2013, and played 12 years in the NFL, was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and tallied three 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
UConn players in rookie mini-camps
These are the six 2026 UConn players who accepted invitations to NFL rookie mini-camps.
Joe Fagnano
Analysts projected quarterback Joe Fagnano as an end-of-draft selection, if he were to be taken. There turned out to be a very small market for QBs in this go-round; only 10 were taken.
ESPN, on its list of best available quarterbacks who were not drafted, ranked Fagnano at No. 5. Of the top 10, nine of them were starters at power-conference schools. Fagnano was the exception.
Fagnano will be headed to Baltimore Ravens rookie mini-camp. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday afternoon that former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, also will be there. He was the runner-up to Fernando Mendoza for the Heisman Trophy, yet ranked below Fagnano in the ESPN list.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano throws during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Feb. 28, 2026. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIn the 2025 season, Fagnano led the Huskies to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Fenway Bowl. He was the first UConn quarterback to start 12 games in one season since 2018.
He was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist in 2025 and won the highest regional honors: the Gold Helmet awarded by the New England Football Writers Association and the Offensive Player of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston.
On the year, Fagnano was 285-for-413 passing for 3,448 yards, 28 TDs and one interception with a 161.03 passing efficiency rating. His interception total and QB rating set UConn program records. He was the only FBS quarterback in the nation with 200 passes or more to throw just one interception.
Donovan Branch
Donovan Branch played 46 games in his UConn career, 12 of them in 2025 when he had 30 tackles (five for loss) and a career-high 3.5 sacks. In his college career, he tallied 59 tackles and five sacks. The linebacker accepted an invitation from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Donovan Branch played in 46 games at UConn. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesChris Freeman
The place kicker spent two seasons in Storrs after transferring from Indiana. He played in 26 total games with UConn, and in 2025, he connected on 23-of-26 field goal attempts (88.46%) with a long of 50 yards. Freeman was successful on all 52 of his extra-point attempts. He will be in rookie camp with the Houston Texans.
Chris Freeman (28) attempts a field goal on Nov. 8, 2025, against Duke. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesLou Hansen
The Chiefs also will be getting a look at tight end Lou Hansen. He started every regular-season game in 2025 and caught 20 passes for 194 yards. He spent three seasons in Storrs after transferring from Michigan. In his junior season, he made 24 receptions for 236 yards and four touchdowns.
UConn tight end Lou Hansen attempts to reach the goal line against Delaware on Sept. 13, 2025. Credit: William Bretzger-Delaware News Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesDevin Pringle
A cornerback, Devin Pringle will spend rookie camp with the Chicago Bears. He played just one season in Storrs after four campaigns at Grand Valley State, a Division II power. In 12 games with the Huskies, Pringle recorded 45 tackles (four for loss), one sack, four passes defended and an interception.
UConn defensive back Devin Pringle (2 in blue) intercepts a pass intended for Duke wide receiver Sahmir Hagans (2 in white) in a UConn victory on Nov. 8, 2025. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesConnor Stutz
Connor Stutz is the third former Huskies player set to camp with the Chiefs. The starting punter in 2025, he averaged 44.9 yards on his 49 punts. His long traveled 67 yards, and 12 punts were at least 50 yards. He played in 13 games in the 2024 season, too, after transferring from Sacramento State. In his two seasons in Storrs, he averaged 44.2 yards on 111 punts.
UConn Huskies holder Connor Stutz (17) celebrates after kicker Chris Freeman (28) makes the field goal attempt against Air Force on Nov. 15, 2025. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Join the Conversation
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