Former Syracuse lineman returns as UConn’s center and with a chip on his shoulder: ‘They asked me to leave’

By Joe ArrudaHartford Courant
It was a harsh reality for Wes Hoeh when Syracuse fired football coach Dino Babers last year and brought in Fran Brown, a former Georgia assistant known for being an excellent recruiter, nine days later. Brown brought players with him and about two weeks after he was hired, Hoeh was asked to enter the transfer portal.
“It’s the way the game is now,” said Hoeh, a junior, on Tuesday as he looks forward to returning to the dome as UConn’s center this weekend. “You gotta produce or get out. They asked me to leave and I left. It is what it is.”
Hoeh was only in the portal for about a week before he decided on coming to Storrs, where UConn had an opening at his position after Yakiri Walker transferred to Colorado. He started UConn’s first eight games before his ankle was rolled up on, putting redshirt freshman Carsten Casady in the starting lineup for the last two.
Hoeh says he is healthy to play Saturday.
“Definitely gonna be a good game, it’s gonna be funny to be back in the dome. I’m excited,” Hoeh said. “Gotta treat it like it’s just another game after the bye week, but definitely it was in my mind for a little bit. … (Being asked to leave) struck me a little, but you can’t sit down, can’t lay down for too long. You’ve got to get back up, pick yourself up and get going, so that’s what I did.”
UConn’s offensive line, with Hoeh in the middle, is ranked 15th in the FBS allowing an average of just 1.1 sacks per game. The O-line is also a major factor in UConn’s 21st-ranked rushing attack, which averages 200.3 yards per game.
“I love it here,” Hoeh said. “Definitely blessed to be here. It was a great decision.”
He has stayed in contact and is excited to see some of his former teammates on the Syracuse offensive line. Jayden Bass, a Springfield, Massachusetts native, also came over to UConn in the offseason after spending his freshman year in Syracuse’s offensive line group.
Both teams enter Saturday’s matchup with a 7-3 record, and UConn wants to get to eight wins first.
“You always have to believe in yourself, but it’s just that little extra motivation to kind of get you going,” Hoeh said. “When someone tells you you’re not good enough, you’ve got to say, ‘All right, watch me.’ ”
There are a number of connections between the regional rivals in addition to former Orangemen Hoeh and Bass. Syracuse has three players from Connecticut: DB Justin Barron (Rocky Hill), DB Davien Kerr (Bloomfield), and WR Nick Armentano (Westport).
Michael Johnson, Syracuse’s co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, was on Jim Mora’s staff with the Atlanta Falcons coaching receivers and quarterbacks. UConn linebacker coach Siriki Diabate played at Syracuse and worked as a graduate assistant for the Orange from 2013-15. And Syracuse’s defensive backs coach Joe Shaefer was coaching at Iowa State at the same time as UConn defensive line coach Kenny McClendon. The two later coached together again at Youngstown State in 2020 and 2021.