UConn named redshirt sophomore Ta’Quan Roberson as its starting quarterback on Saturday, seven hours ahead of the Huskies’ season opener at Utah State.
Roberson transferred to UConn from Penn State in December 2021, shortly after head coach Jim Mora was hired. A dual-threat, Roberson attempted 29 passes over two seasons at Penn State (2019 and 2021), completing 11 for 85 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
The only quarterback on campus and healthy enough to practice in the spring, Roberson quickly impressed Mora and the new UConn staff. The decision for him to start, however, was one that Mora kept “close to the vest,” as he said Aug. 17.
To begin preseason camp, reps with the first-team offense were split almost evenly between Roberson and the other three rostered quarterbacks: true freshman Zion Turner, redshirt freshman Tyler Phommachanh and redshirt sophomore Cale Millen, who transferred from FCS Northern Arizona. As the team shifted to game-prep mode, Roberson emerged and received a majority of snaps with the starters.
“He would do some outstanding things because he’s very gifted. He really is, he’s one of the best throwers of the football just purely that I’ve been around,” offensive coordinator Nick Charlton said after the team’s scrimmage Aug. 13. “He is very serious about football. He loves football. He’s in the building every single day. He is continues to progress and progress and progress. He’s a guy who’s been in a program for a couple of years, but he’s still a young man who hasn’t played a lot of football.”
