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UConn's Jackson Mitchell (8) pursues a Central Connecticut ball carrier in the Huskies' 28-3 win on Sept. 3, 2022.
UConn linebacker Jackson Mitchell answers questions from reporters Tuesday. Mitchell, a freshman, will start Saturday against Houston.
STORRS — Amid all the turmoil and uncertainty within the UConn football team in the last two seasons, Jackson Mitchell has been the lifeblood as the program rebuilds.
The Ridgefield native has been a starting linebacker for the Huskies since his freshman year in 2019 and has seen his role transition into a leader by example. This season, he leads the team with 66 total tackles, 20 more than anyone else on the roster.
Mitchell has forced and recovered a fumble and has recorded four tackles for losses that resulted in 18 negative yards. Mitchell’s performance this season is made even more impressive by the fact that he has been dealing with a hand injury since the spring.
UConn coach Jim Mora said Tuesday that Mitchell had thumb surgery to repair a fracture in the spring and still has a screw in his thumb.
"I don’t know how many players in college football would play through that,” Mora said. "I don’t think anyone could have faulted Jackson if he decided to let it heal, but he didn’t. He decided to play, so he has been practicing and playing with a splint on."
The injury had not fully healed by the time the season began, so doctors were unable to remove the screw. Mitchell decided he was going to play anyway.
"He has a screw in there… they weren’t able to take it out because it hadn’t healed well enough by the time the season started," Mora said. "So, he said ‘Okay, put a brace on it and let’s go’. You have to respect that."
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Mitchell has paced the defense, which Mora says have been steadily improving for UConn at the midway point in the season.
"He takes every snap, he never comes out," Mora said. 'He is on punt, he is involved with special teams, and he's just has that warrior spirit. He is not going to be denied."
Mora said Mitchell hold him after the NC State game that he did not play with the same level of energy as he usually does. So UConn scaled back his practice and allowed him to recover before the Fresno State game.
Mitchell had an important sack in the final two minutes, preserving a 19-14 victory.
Mitchell was a New Haven Register/GameTimeCT All-State selection as a senior at Ridgefield High. He set a school record with 14.5 sacks as a senior. As junior, he had 80 receptions for 1,124 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As a freshman at UConn in 2019, Mitchell was third in the nation among true freshmen with 65 total tackles.He led UConn with 120 total tackles last season and was named to the preseason watch list for the 2022 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate linebacker.