University of Connecticut Athletics
Joe Fagnano Named 2025 Season Gold Helmet Award Winner
12/1/2025 11:49:00 AM | Football
STORRS, CT - UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano (Williamsport, PA) has been named recipient of the New England Football Writers (NEFW) University Division 2025 Season Gold Helmet award presented annually to the player of the year in Division I FBS and FCS. The award will be presented at the NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet on Thursday, December 11, at the Sheraton Framingham (Mass.) Hotel and Conference Center.
Fagnano, a 2025 Heisman Award candidate as well as a Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist, led the Huskies to a 9-3 record and bowl berth for the second-straight season. He was a two-time New England Gold Helmet Award winner this season as well as a three-time Manning Award Star of the Week. He started all 12 games for the Huskies this season, the first UConn QB to do so since the 2018 season.
On the year, he finished 285-for-413 for 3,448 yards, 28 TDs and one interception with a 161.03 passing efficiency rating. With the bowl game left on the schedule, he is three completions and 37 yards away from the UConn school records. His one interception is currently the fewest all-time at UConn while his quarterback rating is tops. He had six games this season throwing for 300 or more yards and capped the year with the best performance of his career, completing 33 passes for 446 yards in the win at Florida Atlantic. He had seven games with three or more TD throws this year.
After the regular season, he ranks sixth in the NCAA in passing yards, yards per game and touchdowns, eighth in completions per game (23.8), 12th in passing efficiency (161.0) and points responsible for (188) and 15th in completion percentage (.690).
During his UConn career, he has played in 24 games and completed 423-of-654 passes for 5,252 yards and 48 touchdowns against six interceptions. He ranks fourth all-time in touchdowns, fifth all-time in passing yards and completions. In his career between UConn and Maine, Fagnano has played 51 career games with 10,926 yards passing, 94 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
