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UConn football lands highest rated recruit under Jim Mora
The UConn football program landed its highest-rated recruit in the Jim Mora era on Thursday when Cole Welliver, a 6-foot-6 quarterback from Texas announced his decision to join the Huskies for 2024.
Welliver is the No. 293 recruit in the ESPN 300 rankings for the Class of 2024 and the No. 12 quarterback in his class. Given four stars by ESPN and three on 247Sports, where he is ranked No. 60 at his position, Welliver chose UConn over offers from Colorado, Arizona State, Colorado State, Washington State and others.
Flying in to begin his Storrs visit Tuesday night, Welliver fell in love with the area. By the time he left on Thursday he knew he was a Husky.
“It was just so nice up there,” Welliver told The Courant on Friday. “The facilities are so nice, everything about the school is just super nice. Everyone is nice there. The offense at my school right now is literally the exact same thing that UConn runs, so I feel like that would be a good fit for me.”
Welliver did say that the idea of UConn moving to the Big 12 conference, a rumor that has resurfaced in recent weeks, was brought up on his visit. “They were talking about the Big 12 and moving to the Big 12; saying how, if it does go through, how such a big deal that would be for all of the players and the school.”
Welliver clarified that the Power Five possibility served as merely a “cherry on top” for his decision making; he was coming to Storrs regardless.
“Going to a school, I feel like it’s mostly about the coaches. Being with the right kind of coach and a coach that will fit my style.”
After passing for 2,263 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions in his first season as a varsity starter at Flower Mound Marcus last fall, Welliver transferred to Argyle Liberty Christian, where he’ll play for former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Welliver said most of his conversations with Mora typically happened with a plate of food in front of him, at lunch or dinner, and culture was the main topic.
“He was just talking about how the culture here is, like, out of this world and how all of the players are here to work, here to win, and they’re just building this program back up,” Welliver said.
UConn’s quarterback room, led in 2022 by true freshman Zion Turner, also includes Taquan Roberson, a rising redshirt-junior who earned the starting job last season before suffering a season-ending injury in the opener against Utah State, and Brayden Zermeno, who joined the program during the 2022 season. The Huskies added freshman Tucker McDonald from Holden, Mass, and transfer Joe Fagnano, from the University of Maine to the 2023 roster.
A pocket passer, Welliver is the fourth commitment UConn has earned in the Class of 2024. Tight end Clemens Richter, 6-6, 230 pounds from Germany, also announced his commitment on Thursday. Richter plays for the Dresden Monarchs of the first-tier German Football League and, according to his profile on Europe’s Elite, was offensive MVP and captain of Team Germany in 2022. His evaluation report on the site was put simply: “Great size and can run.”
Linebacker Kaleb Stewart, a three-star recruit from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Florida, was the first UConn commit for ’24 when he announced his decision in March. Cooper Ackerman, a three-star defensive lineman from Shrewsbury, Mass., chose the Huskies on May 25 over offers from Rutgers, Army, Boston College and UMass, among others.
The UConn football program continues to gain attention on a national level as Mora readies for his second season as head coach. The Huskies went 6-6 in the 2022 regular season to earn a bowl bid, eventually losing to Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. It was the program’s first bowl appearance since 2015 and first season with more than two wins since 2017.
