With many Connecticut residents choosing to stay close to home and continue their academic careers at the University of Connecticut, it only makes sense that many of the state’s best athletes would choose a similar path. Here are a few players on UConn’s fall sports teams that Connecticut natives may already be familiar with.
Cam Edwards (Football), Norwalk
Despite serving as the starting running back on varsity for three years at Norwalk High School, Cam Edwards first came to UConn in 2022 as a defensive back. That did not last long, as he switched back to his natural position midway through his true freshman season. He received only one carry in 2022 but burst onto the scene in 2023 as a red shirt freshman. He led the Huskies in rushing with 618 yards, averaging a strong 5 yards per carry on 123 attempts. 2024 saw him become part of a three headed monster formed by himself and fellow running backs Mel Brown and Durrell Robinson. The trio rushed for a combined 2,234 yards, with Edwards again leading the team in rushing with 873 of those yards. With Robinson departing through the transfer portal for Auburn University, Edwards is in line to receive an even larger share of the carries in 2025. After being named to the 2024 Doak Walker Award preseason watchlist, an award given out each season to the most outstanding running back in college football, Edwards was once again named to the list for 2025. The redshirt junior will look to capitalize on that potential to help UConn become bowl eligible for the second straight season.
Anna Carson (Soccer), Enfield
After attending Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts, where she earned all-league honors, Anna Carson left New England altogether to begin her collegiate career. The defender attended Penn State for her freshman year, where she saw sparce playing time, but was a member of two All-Big Ten academic teams. Transferring to Bryant for her sophomore season, Carson started 14 of her 15 games played and recorded both her first goal and assist. After one season with Bryant, Carson transferred for a third and final time to UConn and sat out the 2023 season. Carson returned to the field for her senior season in 2024 and has seemingly found a home at UConn. The Enfield native started all of UConn’s 29 games at center back in her return to Connecticut. Durability was a key part of Carson’s game, as she led the team with 2,059 minutes played and played every minute of UConn’s last 15 games of the season. That ability to remain on the field seems to have been a key part of the team’s on-field leadership, as the graduate student has been named a captain for the 2025 season after just one season with the Huskies.
Maggie Carley (Volleyball), Trumbull
Maggie Carley, who attended Trumbull High School, is the sole member of the UConn volleyball team to hail from Connecticut. A four-year member of varsity, Carley served as a varsity captain twice. The setter and defensive specialist finished her high school career with 1,307 career assists. 802 of those assists came in her senior year, a season in which she was an all-state first-team honoree. Since arriving at UConn, Carley has served as a role player for a program that has completely turned around its fortunes during her time on the team. After going 8-22 in 2023, the team posted a dominant 26-8 record in 2024 and secured victories in four out of the five games that Carley played in last season. The rising junior ended her sophomore season with a quality .857 reception percentage and will look to carry that performance into her third season at UConn.
Give it up for our hometown athletes!!