Aug. 20—STORRS — Veteran wide receiver TJ Sheffield is on the receiving end of some hard hits on the football field.
Since arriving in Storrs, Sheffield has taken some good-natured verbal shots from two of his new UConn teammates, Skyler Bell and Nick Evers.
While at his previous stop Purdue, Sheffield played against Bell and Evers, who were both at Wisconsin.
Sheffield’s memory of the last meeting in 2022 isn’t a fond one.
“I remember that (Skyler) scored on us, actually,” Sheffield said. “Purdue, our record against Wisconsin isn’t too good. Skyler and Nick Evers definitely make sure I know that.”
Two years ago, Bell caught a 29-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring in Wisconsin’s 35-24 victory over Purdue and finished with a team-high four catches for 87 yards. Sheffield had three receptions for 21 yards in the loss.
Now the two transfer receivers, along with Evers who is contending for the starting quarterback job, will be trying to inject some life into the UConn offense this season.
They are part of a major roster overhaul and talent upgrade. Coach Jim Mora and his staff brought in 50 new players, including 27 transfers.
The receivers room is loaded with transfers, including Bell, Sheffield, redshirt junior Jasaiah Gathings (Akron), redshirt freshman Shamar Porter (Kentucky) and redshirt senior Ezeriah Anderson (Campbell University). Porter sat out last season as a redshirt.
“We’ve got a lot of talent,” Bell said. “I think we’ve got a bunch of guys that can go out and play.”
While graduate student Brett Buckman, who ranked second on the team last season with 46 catches for 488 yards and two touchdowns, is the top returning receiver, Sheffield is the most experienced.
A graduate student, Sheffield will be playing his sixth and final season of college football this fall. He previously played at Purdue from 2019 to 2023, appearing in 46 games overall with 118 catches for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns.
A chance to play for coach Jim Mora, who has an NFL coaching background, helped Sheffield decide to come to UConn.
“I came up here on a visit and just spoke to coach Mora,” Sheffield said. “I just like the way they do things around here. He’s a big players’ coach guy and a big, big personal relationship guy, so I’m loving that.”
Sheffield added: “I believe I can help the team win and also have more opportunities here, so that’s the plan.”
Bell, a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining, put up some solid numbers during his two seasons at Wisconsin. Last season, he finished second on the team with 39 catches for 296 yards and one touchdown. He started 12 games as a redshirt freshman, with 30 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns.
A desire to play closer to home factored in his decision to transfer to UConn. He’s from the Bronx, so family and friends can come see him play more.
UConn didn’t offer him a scholarship when he attended The Taft School in Watertown.
“I’m glad I’m here now,” said Bell, who’s also a running threat as well as a downfield receiving threat.
Bell and Sheffield are still going through an adjustment period that comes with transferring into a new program, learning a new system and meshing with their new teammates and coaching staff.
Sheffield, who’s from Thompson’s Station, Tenn., misses that southern hospitality that he’s accustomed to back home.
“The East Coast is definitely a little bit of a different environment for me, but I’m adjusting,” Sheffield said.
They’re both happy that Evers will be throwing to them this fall.
“Nick is my guy,” Bell said. “Rep wise, I probably didn’t get as many reps with him. Off the field, Nick is a brother to me. We’re super close. I recruited him hard to try to get him to come here, so I’m glad he’s here. We’re making a lot of plays together.
“… The kid is legit. He’s fast, he can run. He’s got a cannon of an arm. He makes the right decisions. He’s got that swagger that you want in a quarterback. So I’m glad he’s on our team.”
The three Big Ten transfers will start out their UConn football careers by playing a familiar opponent.
UConn opens the 2024 season with a road game at Maryland on Aug. 31.
“It is a little funny,” Bell said. “We played Maryland back in 2022. We beat them at our place. I’m excited to hopefully go 2-0 against those guys.”
