One by one, dayby day, colleges have started announcing their starting quarterbacks for the2026 season.
That means newsshould come from UConn any time now, right?
First-year UConncoach Jason Candle hasn’t given fans a timeline, but the clock is tickingtoward UConn’s opener against Lafayette on Sept. 5, however. Just 10 daysremain until Candle will lead the Huskies onto the field at Rentschler Field in East Hartford for what the UConnfaithful hope will be a season that exceeds the 9-4 record reached the past twoseasons.
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But who willtake that first snap?
UConn has fivequarterbacks on the roster:
Tucker McDonald,senior
6-foot-2, 210 pounds
Hometown: Holden,Mass.
Last school:Wachusett Regional High School
About: McDonaldis in his fourth season with the Huskies and has played sparingly. He hasappeared in five total games, completing four passes for 65 yards.
Tucker McDonald was the quarterback at Wachusett Regional High School in Massachusetts before coming to UConn. Alan Arsenault / USA TODAY NETWORK
Jake Merklinger,junior
6-3, 215
Hometown:Savannah, Ga.
Last school:Tennessee
About: The247Sports composite ranked Merklinger as a four-star prospect and the No. 11quarterback in the 2024 class nationally. He chose Tennessee, and in twoseasons at the Southeastern Conference school, Merklinger appeared in sixgames, completing 19 of 33 passes for 221 yards and two scores.
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Kalieb Osborne,junior
6-4, 218
Hometown:Pontiac, Mich.
Last school:Toledo
About: Osborne followedhead coach Jason Candle to UConn from Toledo. In 2025, his second season atToledo, he appeared in seven games, finishing 32-of-52 passing for 427 yardsand three touchdowns.
Toledo quarterback Kalieb Osborne (7) looks to pass against Louisville in the first quarter oif the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 23, 2025. Jeff Romance-Imagn Images
Bo Polston,freshman
6-1, 208
Hometown:Indianapolis
Last school:Decatur Central High School
About: The 247Sportscomposite listed Polston as a three-star quarterback in the 2026 class. Heinitially signed with Toledo but later joined Candle in Storrs.
Decatur Central High School senior Bo Polston (12) warms up on the field before the start of an IHSAA regional championship football game against Brownsburg High School on Nov. 14, 2025. Doug McSchooler-USA TODAY via Imagn Images
Tyler Smith, sophomore
6 feet, 196 pounds
Hometown:Shelton, Conn.
Last school:Fairfield Prep
About: Appearedin one game as a freshman, playing briefly in the season-ending Fenway Bowl.
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The contestappears to be down to the three older quarterbacks – Osborne, Merklinger andMcDonald.
Each brings anadvantage. For Osborne, it’s knowledge of the Candle offense. For Merklinger,it’s experience in the tough SEC. And for McDonald, it’s learning from UConn’srecord-setting quarterback, Joe Fagnano, whom he backed up.
Candle hasn’t givenreporters insight into his thinking yet.
“All three guyshave done a great job competing very well, doing what they need to do, operatingthe offense at a high level,” Candle said. “You know, and I think in fairness to all of thoseguys, and that was always the plan back in January to say, ‘Hey, look, likewe’re gonna run this thing out as long as we possibly can to make sure that allthree of them feel like they had an authentic opportunity to go win the job.
“And that was mycommitment to them. So they’ve embraced that, they’ve owned that, and we’regonna hold true to that and we’re gonna let them, you know, finish it up.”
