OK, SO HOW'D WE DO?
How do we rate this year's recruiting class? Well, in one respect, it's surprising. The class is all freshmen except for one transfer. No JUCO'S or fifth-year seniors. Whipple repeatedly said UMass was recruiting for the future. For UMass fans, that's a good thing. There's gotta be a back story to this. It appears UMass football has been given the assurance by the powers-that-be the program is on firm footing and UMass football is going to be in FBS for the foreseeable future. It will be nice to have the annual media circus over with.
OTOH, we do need to get into a conference. To do that we need to attain bowl eligibility in the not far future. There doesn't seem to be a lot of immediate impact players in the 2015, except maybe for kicker.
UMass had the worst kicking game in MAC last year. The Minutemen were next-to-last in punting also. Mike Caggiano appears to address that issue. If any of the 2015 recruits have a chance to be a four year starter it's him.
Ever since Michael Cox graduated, UMass has had issues at running back. Mainly, the lack of durability. Over the last two years it's been a couple of games and out for the featured running back. Sekai Lindsay is a true pro-set running back. If he could be a workhorse at tailback, Whipple's offense could hit another gear in effectiveness. It looks as if the coaches have worked to fix two long-running deficiencies.
The two defensive line recruits could see some action in 2015. Spencer Whipple inferred UMass would play the 3-4 again in 2015.
UMass did not have 25 scholarships to hand out this year. The 2015 class seems to be a solid MAC-level class. At the end of the press conference Whipple still said his goal was a MAC East championship and a bowl game. Apparently, we're going to go with what we have for that goal. Time will tell if this year's recruits will competitive in a independent schedule when they're juniors and seniors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Goodhue has been named interim Athletic Director. MassLive has a story about Goodhue being named interim director. Goodhue is a football guy too...
Matty Vautour also covers the story.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is cool. UMass has a behind-the-scenes video of signing day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Boston Herald looks at UMass and BC's recruiting classes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
UMass apparently passed on 6-6 420 pound Nyquel Alexander.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Minutemen's lone decommit Daisjon Robinson ended up at Delaware.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The UMass Football Performance Center gets an award for being "green"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The MAC conference website has the whole conference's signing classes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
J.J. Watts has a message for all 2015 recruits.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile everybody in the conference had a great recruiting class.
P,J. Fleck has an "elite' class.
Ball State adds 24 recruits.
Bowling Green has impressive recruits.
Akron had a big January.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------