The news that Jim Mora Jr. has accepted the Head Coaching job with Colorado State was met with optimism from CSU fans. Still, it was also met with a wave of uncertainty among UConn players about what the future holds in Connecticut.
Several players have opted to take the matter into their own hands, entering the transfer portal, choosing to control their next move. At this point in college football, it should not be met with surprise when this happens; in fact, it would not be surprising if several players followed Mora Jr. to Colorado.
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CSU is All-In on Jim Mora Jr.
One thing is for certain: Mora’s hiring, in general, points to an All-In mentality in 2026. Looking at the compensation package he was offered, it becomes even clearer how much CSU wants to win and win immediately. CSU is prepared to pay out $500,000 in win bonuses for a 12-win season and a conference championship. That is nearly a 25% bonus for wins alone. This package was broken down in a great article by Kevin Lytle of The Coloradan. Matt Stephens took the time to compare Mora’s contract to previous head coaches to show just how much of an increase in spending that CSU has committed to.
One thing to take note of is his doubled coaching staff budget. At UConn Mora reportedly had $2.5 million to assemble a staff each season, with CSU he will be given $5 million per season. Mora had a large staff with UConn, and we could see a similar setup for CSU in 2026. Perhaps this means some of his staff from UConn follows due to the promise of a pay increase or a better title.
He also broke down the hiring process, the motivation to hire Mora, and much more.
Looking past the hire and towards the rebuild, let’s look at the list of players who have announced they were entering the portal since the news broke of Mora’s departure from UConn. We will look at how each player fits CSU’s needs, which players CSU has already locked in on during recruiting, and which players may leave CSU looking for more stable ground.
Many of these players play defense, and several play defensive back. The position Jim Mora Jr. once played in college, and he spent over a decade coaching in the NFL. CSU has plenty of needs on defense, and more specifically in the secondary. Some of these announcements could be calculated gambles by the players that their former coach will bring them to his new team.
These comments by Mora may come back to haunt him eventually…
Oumar Diomande
Linebacker
6’1 230 lbs
Diomande started slowly after arriving at UConn, but 2025 proved he is a star in the making. After playing in 18 games and producing just 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked kick, he exploded in 2025. Playing in all 12 games, he collected 111 tackles, 8 for a loss, 5 sacks, and 1 pass deflection. He will be highly coveted in the portal, and it should surprise no one if he has many offers to choose from.
An Entire Secondary Worth of Defensive Backs have hit the portal for 2026. Including one of the best young DBs UConn had to offer.
Diandre Harris
Defensive Back
5’11 170 lbs
Harris spent just one season with UConn and did not make much of an impact during his time with the program. However, he is a talented safety with one year of eligibility left who could be a building block for another program looking to rebuild their secondary a la Colorado State. Before UConn, he played in 24 games over 3 seasons with Georgetown, producing 35 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 pass deflections.
Cam Chadwick
Defensive Back
6’0 185 lbs
Chadwick is another player who will likely be highly sought after. A two-year contributor for UConn, he has played in 24 games, producing 110 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, 1 sack, 6 interceptions, and 16 pas deflections. He also returned a couple of kicks in 2025. Grading out at a 69.1 overall with a 65.1 coverage grade. On paper, he was more productive in 2025, but he actually graded out worse. Given his experience, performance, and age, he should have multiple enticing offers.
Kaleb Anthony
Defensive Back
5’11 172 lbs
Anthony is an interesting player who classifies as a boom or bust type transfer. Playing in 12 games for UConn between 2021 and 2022, an injury in 2023 changed the trajectory of his career. He went from playing more in each game he suited up for to not playing at all for the bulk of three seasons. With one year of eligibility left, he is hoping to find a place where he can actually see the field.
Chris Hudson
Defensive Back
5’10 175 lbs
Yet another defensive back is entering the portal. Chris Hudson joined UConn in 2023 as a true freshman, making his mark on special teams and trying to carve out a role on defense as well. He is looking to find a school where he can start and build his draft stock over the next season.
Kolubah Pewee
Defensive Back
5’11 170 lbs
Another former Georgetown defender, Pewee, actually began his college career at the University of Maine, where he redshirted. He transferred to Georgetown, where he sat out the 2022 season. In 2023, he finally saw the field playing in 9 games, logging 25 tackles, 2 for a loss, 7 pass breakups, and 1 interception. He returned to a prominent role in 2024, putting up nearly identical numbers with 26 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception.
Osiris Gilbert
Defensive Back
5’9 175 lbs
Rated as a 3-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Gilbert is yet another cornerback opting to leave UConn for greener pastures. Before committing to UConn, Gilbert had over ten other offers to choose from, including Michigan State, Georgia, UCF, USF, FSU, Appalachian State, ASU, Kentucky, Tulane, and many others.
During the 2025 season, Gilbert played in just 10 games, amassing 21 tackles, 7 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble. He was highly sought after just 10 months ago. I expect him to find a healthy number of teams vying for his services; don’t be surprised when CSU is on that list.
A few offensive players have decided to hit the portal as well this includes two running backs, and an up and coming wide receiver.
Victor Rosa
Running Back
5’11 210 lbs
Rosa is a Connecticut native. I would imagine the decision to transfer did not come easily for him. Rosa’s use has waned, but his effectiveness never has. Averaging 4.5 yards per carry as a freshman, he rushed for over 630 yards and scored 11 times. Since then, he has not topped 112 carries, 550 rushing yards, or 3 rushing touchdowns.
Despite his usage, his average yards per carry has only gotten better. In 156 carries over the last 3 seasons, he has produced 769 yards and 6 touchdowns, on 156 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Rosa could be the type of player who could have a breakout season in a new location.
Mj Flowers
Running Back
6’1 210 lbs
Flowers transferred to UConn in 2025, only to play two games under Mora and turn around and go right back in the portal. His very small sample size in Connecticut amounted to 8 touches for 43 yards and 1 touchdown. When he transferred to UConn, he was coming off back-to-back 850 rushing yard seasons and 15 rushing touchdowns. Adding 80 receptions for 539 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is another player primed for a breakout season in a new offense.
John Neider
Wide Receiver
6’2 205 lbs
Neider is one of those players who has carved out a role with UConn on special teams after redshirting in 2023. Logging 12 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and a 20-yard return on a blocked punt. In 2025, he took on a larger role on offense and didn’t play as much on special teams.
His first season playing offense showed he was more than just a gunner. He caught 24 passes for 395 yards and 2 touchdowns; he also threw 2 passes, completing 1 for 15 yards and 1 touchdown. CSU had just four receivers log 24 or more receptions, and none had more than 35 receptions. Only tight end Rocky Beers managed more than 2 touchdowns.
Tay Lanier led the team with 35 receptions, and he is a redshirt senior. On a team like this, Neider could be a WR1.
Update:
Another starter from UConn has entered the portal.
Ben Murawski
Offensive Line
6’7 335 lbs
Murawski is a big loss for UConn. Having served as the starting left tackle in 2025, and with experience playing left guard as well he is a very valuable player up front. I would venture a guess due to his size, experience, and eventual goal of playing in the NFL, CSU will not be high on his list of options. Things could change but the NFL doesn’t come looking at CSU as often as the Rams staff would like. That could weigh heavily on his decision.
Another interesting facet will be which players, if any, who are currently at CSU decide to enter the portal after this move.
Dominoes Have Already Begun to Fall
These aren’t’t the only players CSU will lose from it’s 2025 roster either:
Mora is Wasting No Time Recruiting
If you look at the problems for the Rams, it would certainly appear as if the players who have entered the portal since Mora’s departure fit holes CSU has. Their secondary is a mess, they are lacking playmakers at running back, and they could certainly stand to have upgrades at linebacker and wideout.
Here is some more insight into how Mora has used the portal in the past, and how he could approach it again this season.
There are several players on the list of UConn players in the portal that fit that mold, and could fit the new image Mora would like to build in Colorado. Chances are if he liked these players enough to offer them with UConn most if not all would still be on his radar as players to bring to his new program. This should prove to be a very interesting recruiting class for CSU and it’s fans.
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