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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
UConn coach Jim Mora plans to “pursue all avenues” against teams that tamper with Huskies players, warning such teams to “think hard before you tamper with our players.”
Mora’s posted on social media Monday hours before star defensive lineman Pryce Yates re-entered the transfer portal. Yates, a three-year starter with 29.5 career tackles for loss, initially entered the portal Dec. 13 before withdrawing Dec. 21 and posting a social media graphic indicating his return for the 2025 season.
Yates, a redshirt junior from San Antonio, Texas, earned defensive MVP honors Saturday in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, recording a sack and three tackles for loss in UConn’s 27-14 win against North Carolina. He then re-entered the portal Monday. Yates led UConn with 14 tackles for loss in 2023 and had 12.5 career sacks, including 3.5 this season despite being limited to seven games by injury.
“A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken @NCAAFootball rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours,” Mora wrote Monday on X. “We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable. We are excited that we’ve built a program where coaches have to cheat to beat us and we will protect that program. Think hard before you tamper with our players.”
Mora later responded to a post by writing that he doesn’t know how to fix the tampering issue in college football, but that, “we will expose any program and coach that violates” NCAA rules. He added: “I’m 100% against grown men cheating the rules and teaching players horrible life lessons.”
Mora led UConn to a 9-4 record this season, the team’s first winning season since 2010 and its most wins since 2007.