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| Twitter image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
This website has Smith as one of Florida's most underrated recruits.
This article features Smith.
Smith holds 15 offers including Pitt and Temple from the Northeast.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
UMass recruiting 2018--Teshaun Smith
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
This website has Smith as one of Florida's most underrated recruits.
This article features Smith.
Smith holds 15 offers including Pitt and Temple from the Northeast.
Wednesday--May 31st, 2017
Underdog Dynasty looks at the receiving corps of Sunbelt teams including UMass opponents Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
The same site ranks the 2017 Sun Belt offensive lines.
Seven Mountaineer players were named to Athlon's first team preseason All-Sun Belt team.
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Six Old Dominion players were named to Athlon's preseason All-Conference USA team.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews Georgia Southern. This game at McGuirk could be pivotal for the Minutemen's 2017 schedule. Old foe Georgia Southern has been picked as a middle-of-the pack team in the Sun Belt Conference. UMass has yet to get an upset or beat anything other than bottom ten FBS teams. Beating the Eagles would show UMass is making progress. Georgia Southern should be a solid, but mid-level Group of five team. This would be a good win for us.
Note New Hampshire plays at Georgia Southern on September 9th.
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The same site ranks the 2017 Sun Belt offensive lines.
Seven Mountaineer players were named to Athlon's first team preseason All-Sun Belt team.
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Six Old Dominion players were named to Athlon's preseason All-Conference USA team.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews Georgia Southern. This game at McGuirk could be pivotal for the Minutemen's 2017 schedule. Old foe Georgia Southern has been picked as a middle-of-the pack team in the Sun Belt Conference. UMass has yet to get an upset or beat anything other than bottom ten FBS teams. Beating the Eagles would show UMass is making progress. Georgia Southern should be a solid, but mid-level Group of five team. This would be a good win for us.
Note New Hampshire plays at Georgia Southern on September 9th.
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Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Gatlin Grisso
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| Hudl.com image |
I didn't get a chance to post Gatlin Grisso, a 6-1 185 pound Athlete from Aubrey, TX has Tweeted he's received an offer from UMass.
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps reports he averaged 10.9 yards/carry.
Also ran track.
Partial quote from Scout.com bio:
"2016: Grisso started both ways as a junior, when he gained 1,803 yards from scrimmage and scored 28 touchdowns. Grisso ran for 1,392 yards and 21 TD's on 9.7 yards per carry, while catching 16 passes for 411 yards and seven scores on 25.7 yards per grab. On defense, Grisso recorded 106 tackles, three interceptions (one TD), and three blocked kicks."
Besides UMass, Grisso has offers from Southern Mississippi, Washington State and Louisiana-Monroe.
Tuesday--May 30th, 2017
The Athens Post.com previews Ohio's non-conference schedule.
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South Carolina has a Jake Bentley hype video that has a couple of plays against the Minutemen.
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CBS New York says Victor Cruz's career seems to be heading for a sad end.
The Bears Wire reports Cruz says Chicago's receivers will benefit from him being on the roster.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews the Northern Illinois Huskies. If you missed it, Vegas Insider has Northern Illinois a 2 point favorite over Boston College on September 1st.
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Guardian Caps has a website. These are the anti-concussion caps UMass wears during practice.
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South Carolina has a Jake Bentley hype video that has a couple of plays against the Minutemen.
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CBS New York says Victor Cruz's career seems to be heading for a sad end.
The Bears Wire reports Cruz says Chicago's receivers will benefit from him being on the roster.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews the Northern Illinois Huskies. If you missed it, Vegas Insider has Northern Illinois a 2 point favorite over Boston College on September 1st.
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Guardian Caps has a website. These are the anti-concussion caps UMass wears during practice.
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Monday, May 29, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Justin Bruno
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| Kevin O'Brien image |
247Sports page here.
MaxPreps has stats.
Hudl.com has video.
First team All-Region.
Bruno has 17 offers including all three of the Service schools and several Sun Belt teams. UMass is the only FBS offer from the Northeast.
Recruiting 2018--Malik Besseck
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| ASA College image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
Originally signed with Georgia State in 2016.
Partial quote from a 03/04/17 Scout.com article by Dave Lomonico:
"Beyond his current offers, Besseck is receiving interest from several other Big Ten, SEC and ACC programs. Not that he’s honing in on a particular conference.
“Conference doesn’t really matter to me. It’s where I feel best. I want to go to a program with great coaches where they all want to win, and find a school with a great education so I can get a good degree,” Besseck said."
Besseck has 20 FBS offers including numerous Power Five schools. UMass is his only offer from the Northeast.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jo-El Shaw II
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| Hudl.com image |
Shaw had an offer from UMass back in 2015.
Hudl.com has video from Lackawana.
At 6-1 235 Shaw is the kind of power running back that the Minutemen have been lacking since the move to FBS.
Saturday--May 27th, 2017
More news on Liberty's scheduling. I've said several times that the Flames are serious about their football. in 2019, Liberty opens their schedule against Syracuse -----at home.
A Syracuse blog discusses the Orange signing a three game series with Liberty.
Liberty's athletic dept has a post on the Flames future schedules including a 2019 contest with UMass at a date "TBA".
A home game against Syracuse in their second FBS season is pretty impressive...
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Despite cutbacks, satellite camps remain an attractive destination at ODU. Wonder if UMass will attend.
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The Orlando Sentinel ranks Hawaii #96 in their preseason review.
The Sentinel ranks Ohio as #101.
And Temple as #111.
I think the Sentinel's rankings for Ohio and Temple somewhat puzzling. Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats have been one the MAC's most consistent teams. Ohio tied for the MAC East title and Solich is one of college football's best coaches. Temple finished 10-4 in 2016 and had the #3 rated defense in the country. The Owls may not be as good in 2017, but a #111 ranking seems much too pessimistic.
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A Syracuse blog discusses the Orange signing a three game series with Liberty.
Liberty's athletic dept has a post on the Flames future schedules including a 2019 contest with UMass at a date "TBA".
A home game against Syracuse in their second FBS season is pretty impressive...
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Despite cutbacks, satellite camps remain an attractive destination at ODU. Wonder if UMass will attend.
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The Orlando Sentinel ranks Hawaii #96 in their preseason review.
The Sentinel ranks Ohio as #101.
And Temple as #111.
I think the Sentinel's rankings for Ohio and Temple somewhat puzzling. Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats have been one the MAC's most consistent teams. Ohio tied for the MAC East title and Solich is one of college football's best coaches. Temple finished 10-4 in 2016 and had the #3 rated defense in the country. The Owls may not be as good in 2017, but a #111 ranking seems much too pessimistic.
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Friday, May 26, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Christian Young
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| 247Sports image |
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on UMass' recruitment of Young.
247Sports three-star recruit.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
Partial quote from a Scout.com article on top sleeper recruits at UA Houston by Greg Powers and dated 03/12/17.
"A defensive back with plus size who has the ability to hang tight with receivers in one-on-one coverage. He could provide some versatility in a defensive backfield, because he has the size of many safeties and the ball skills of a corner. He currently has offers from Arizona, Louisiana-Monroe, and Nevada."
Young has 20 offers including several Power Five teams from the PAC-12.
Friday--May 26th, 2017
Vegas sports book South Point Sports has Hawaii a 1 point favorite over UMass on august 26th.
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Mike Traini in his "Fight Massachusetts" site Tweets UMass 2017 recruit Chinedu Ogbonna is fully qualified and won't have to take a academic redshirt year.
I've blogged about Ogbonna several times before. He is a three-star recruit and had 15 offers including several Power-Five teams. 247Sports had Ogbonna the highest rated of the Minutemen's 2017 recruits.
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Five Coastal Carolina players have been named to the Athlon Sports pre-season All-Sun Belt team.
Appalachian State leads the Athlon Sports preseason Sun Belt team with 16 selections.
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Victor Cruz agrees to a one year deal with the Chicago Bears.
NFL.com reports Cruz said during an interview that the Giants made it clear they didn't want me.
North Jersey.com also covers Cruz's signing with the Bears.
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Mike Traini in his "Fight Massachusetts" site Tweets UMass 2017 recruit Chinedu Ogbonna is fully qualified and won't have to take a academic redshirt year.
I've blogged about Ogbonna several times before. He is a three-star recruit and had 15 offers including several Power-Five teams. 247Sports had Ogbonna the highest rated of the Minutemen's 2017 recruits.
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Five Coastal Carolina players have been named to the Athlon Sports pre-season All-Sun Belt team.
Appalachian State leads the Athlon Sports preseason Sun Belt team with 16 selections.
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Victor Cruz agrees to a one year deal with the Chicago Bears.
NFL.com reports Cruz said during an interview that the Giants made it clear they didn't want me.
North Jersey.com also covers Cruz's signing with the Bears.
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Thursday, May 25, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Micah McFadden
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| Hudl.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
This article from November of 2016 features McFadden.
2nd Team All-State in 2016.
McFadden has five FBS offers including Boston College from the Northeast.
Thursday--May 25th, 2017
The Athens.com looks at Ohio's non-conference opponents including UMass. The Bobcats have a OOC schedule that's the envy of the nation. Ohio plays an FCS team and Purdue, Kansas and UMass had a combined 7-29 record in 2016. The Bobcats could be undefeated by the time they arrive at McGuirk on 09/30.
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PennLive.com recaps the HS awards banquet. Adam Breneman was the keynote speaker.
The Land-of-Ten site says Breneman's football career is on the uptick.
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Athlon Sports has Tennessee as #19 in their 2017 preseason Top-25.
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Athlon also has USF as #24 in the same prediction.
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PennLive.com recaps the HS awards banquet. Adam Breneman was the keynote speaker.
The Land-of-Ten site says Breneman's football career is on the uptick.
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Athlon Sports has Tennessee as #19 in their 2017 preseason Top-25.
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Athlon also has USF as #24 in the same prediction.
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Caleb Sutherland
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| Charlie Kaijo image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
Rivals two-star player.
MaxPreps has stats.
Sutherland has seven offers including Navy and Air Force.
Recruiting 2018--Lavel Dumont II
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| Scout.com image |
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on Dumont and includes some interview quotes from Dumont about his being recruited by the Minutemen.
Dumont is now up to 11 offers, with UMass as the only offer from the Northeast.
Wednesday--May 24th, 2017
UMass' Adam Breneman talks about leadership at the Penn Live HS awards. More images and video on the UMass Football Twitter feed.
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Al.com looks at the over-and-under predictions for the SEC including the two teams UMass plays this year: Tennessee and Mississippi State.
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The Sun Belt Conference will split into two divisions and have a championship game starting in 2018.
UMass' 2017 opponents Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State will be all in the Sun Belt East Division in 2018. The Sun Belt's 4-2 bowl record last year gave it the best willing percentage of all the Group-of-Five leagues.
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Cougar Center asks "What's on your college football bucket list?". One of the games mentioned is watching Army at Michie Stadium. As I said before, if you haven't made the trip, do so during the next couple of years as UMass plays its series with the Cadets.
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Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Mychale Salahuddin
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| ESPN 890 image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
Rivals four-star player.
SB Nation reports Salahuddin sees himself as a complete running back.
Recently offered by Michigan.
Salahuddin would thrive in Whipple's pro-set offense, but he has 36 offers (!) including BC, Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple from the Northeast.
Tuesday--May 23rd, 2017
NJ.com reports Rutgers will pay UMass a record (for Rutgers) $1.3 million for the Minutemen's 2019 visit to High Point Stadium. Not a record receipt for UMass, though. $1.3 is about average for Group-of-Five teams playing Power Five schools.
The Scarlet Knights will have a 2019 OOC schedule of UMass, Boston College and Liberty.
After a 2-10 season in 2016, Athlon Sports picks Rutgers last in Big 10's East Division. Northwestern is picked third in the West. It's a long way to 2019, but Rutgers probably will still be near the bottom of the Big's 10 power rankings.
The Big Ten Network looks at Rutgers' 2017 season.
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Can Mississippi State's QB Nick Fitzgerald develop into a first round draft pick?
Fitzgerald threw for 25-38 299 yards 3 TD's against the Minutemen last year.
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The Scarlet Knights will have a 2019 OOC schedule of UMass, Boston College and Liberty.
After a 2-10 season in 2016, Athlon Sports picks Rutgers last in Big 10's East Division. Northwestern is picked third in the West. It's a long way to 2019, but Rutgers probably will still be near the bottom of the Big's 10 power rankings.
The Big Ten Network looks at Rutgers' 2017 season.
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Can Mississippi State's QB Nick Fitzgerald develop into a first round draft pick?
Fitzgerald threw for 25-38 299 yards 3 TD's against the Minutemen last year.
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Monday, May 22, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Willie Canty
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| Hudl.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
Threw shot and discus for Glade Central's track team.
Canty currently has five FBS offers with UMass as the only team from the Northeast.
Monday--May 22nd, 2017
From the UMass Football Twitter feed: recruits and veterans are in for Summer sessions.
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Football Schedules has a .pdf helmet schedule for 2017's Independent teams.
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Scarlet Nation says it's learned that Rutgers may play at UMass sometime in the future. The Minutemen are currently scheduled to play at Rutgers in 2019.
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Sporting News has the Top-25 college football running backs for 2017. UMass fans will get to see two of them play at McGuirk: Jalin Moore, Appalachian State, Ray Lawry Old Dominion. In addition, UMass will face Honorable Mention Ryquel Armstead at Temple.
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Speaking of Appalachian State, HC Scott Satterfield just was awarded a new five-year contract.
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Football Schedules has a .pdf helmet schedule for 2017's Independent teams.
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Scarlet Nation says it's learned that Rutgers may play at UMass sometime in the future. The Minutemen are currently scheduled to play at Rutgers in 2019.
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Sporting News has the Top-25 college football running backs for 2017. UMass fans will get to see two of them play at McGuirk: Jalin Moore, Appalachian State, Ray Lawry Old Dominion. In addition, UMass will face Honorable Mention Ryquel Armstead at Temple.
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Speaking of Appalachian State, HC Scott Satterfield just was awarded a new five-year contract.
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Saturday, May 20, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Ricky Williams, Jr
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| Hudl.com image |
247Sports three-star player.
MaxPreps has stats.
Hudl.com has video.
Prep Sports scouting has an interview with Williams.
Rivals three-star recruit.
Williams has 21 offers with many Group-of-Five schools represented. Rutgers and Syracuse have offered from the Northeast.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jake Syptak
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| College promoters image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
This article from Scout.com dated 02/24/17 features Syptak.
Teammate of UMass commit Zachary Loane.
Rivals.com three-stars.
College Promoters USA has a profile of Syptak.
Syptak has 17 offers including Army from Northeast. Most of the Ivy's have also offered.
Friday--May 19th, 2017
NBC Sports reports UMass adds games against Big 10 opponents.
FBS Schedules reports on Liberty and Troy adding a series. It also confirms Troy @ UMass on 09/19/2020.
The future schedules should be more fun for UMass fans. UConn returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020. A win over the Huskies will make Minutemen fans good about any season. In addition, UMass starts a four-game series with Army. If you didn't go the previous game in 2005, playing the Cadets is really a fun experience. The away games at West Point are an easy drive from New England and the game atmosphere is wonderful. You know the black power cannons UMass fires when we score? Army has a real cannon (BOOOOM!) UMass football is going to something to look forward to again.
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The Boston Herald has a story about after being away from football, Adam Breneman is back on the NFL's radar.
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CBS Sports has 100 things to get you excited about the 2017 season.
NFL.com has 100 things to look forward to in college football in 2017.
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Hero Sports has UMass ranked #115, up 9 slots in 2017.
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FBS Schedules reports on Liberty and Troy adding a series. It also confirms Troy @ UMass on 09/19/2020.
The future schedules should be more fun for UMass fans. UConn returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020. A win over the Huskies will make Minutemen fans good about any season. In addition, UMass starts a four-game series with Army. If you didn't go the previous game in 2005, playing the Cadets is really a fun experience. The away games at West Point are an easy drive from New England and the game atmosphere is wonderful. You know the black power cannons UMass fires when we score? Army has a real cannon (BOOOOM!) UMass football is going to something to look forward to again.
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The Boston Herald has a story about after being away from football, Adam Breneman is back on the NFL's radar.
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CBS Sports has 100 things to get you excited about the 2017 season.
NFL.com has 100 things to look forward to in college football in 2017.
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Hero Sports has UMass ranked #115, up 9 slots in 2017.
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Thursday, May 18, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Nasir Greer
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| Recruit Georgia image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
NCSA.com has a recruiting profile.
MaxPreps has stats.
Recruit Georgia.com has a profile of Greer.
Also ran track.
Greer has 12 offers mostly from MAC and Sun Belt teams. Army is the only other team besides UMass from the Northeast.
Thursday--May 18th, 2017
UMass adds Duquesne to the 2018 schedule and schedules away games with Rutgers and Northwestern in 2019.
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts' has a post on the additions to the schedule.
Matty Vautour covers the schedule changes.
FBS Schedules has a story about the Minutemen's 2018 and 2019 schedules.
NJ.com has a story about Rutgers adding UMass for 2019.
The Rutgers blog "On the Banks" comments on addition of UMass to the Scarlet Knights schedule.
Inside NU has a post on Northwestern's unusual late season non-conference game.
This is more shrewd scheduling by A.D. Bamford. The 2018 schedule preserves a mid-season off week. It swaps Liberty for potential Sun Belt champion Troy. While UMass should be solid underdogs to Big 10 Rutgers and Northwestern, they're not Wisconsin and Michigan either. There is at least a potential of an upset for Minutemen fans.
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Penn Live.com has a story about Adam Breneman's renewed NFL aspirations.
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Three reason why the last eleven months have the most epic in Coastal Carolina's sports history.
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Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Recruiting 2018-Abraham Beauplan
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| Twitter image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
A Pitt site has a post on his offer from the Panthers.
Beauplan has offers from UMass, Pitt and Indiana.
Wednesday--May 17th, 2017
On October 14th of 2017 the USF Bulls will visit McGuirk. FBS Schedules has USF as one of their Top-10 schools with the winning combination of a large number of returning starters and an easy schedule.
ESPN has USF ranked #20 in their 2017 preseason poll.
A CBS writer has the Bulls as #12 preseason.
The Comeback blog thinks USF could start the season 9-0.
All this got me thinking: USF will probably be the highest-ever ranked UMass opponent to play at McGuirk.
Does anyone remember if Boston College was ever nationally ranked back in the 70's when they played in Amherst? I'm pretty sure Flutie played in McGuirk one year. Even so, USF should be the best visiting team to play at UMass.
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Kevin Bourgoin, long time assistant coach at Maine and four year letter winner at UMass has been hired as running backs coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bourgoin lettered for the Minutemen in 1992, '93,'94 and '95.
Bourgoin's UMaine bio.
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Bill Belichick thinks college football staffs have grown too large.
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Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Demetrius West
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| West #3/ Juss Playin image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
Ran a 11.49 in 100 meters.
UMass is the first offer for West.
Tuesday--May 16th, 2017
NESN report the Fenway Park Football Series tickets go on sale Monday.
Fox 61 reports on the Boston College-UConn Fenway park game.
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Phil Steele has the complete 2017 Bowl schedule here.
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Georgia Southern Football Coach Tyson Summers is looking forward to his second season with the Eagles.
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The Mississippi State football team wants to return to a power running game.
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The Maine Black Bears hold a scrimmage in Portland.
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BYU schedules a home-and-home with Liberty. BYU's November of 2019 slate features @Utah State, Liberty, Idaho State, @ UMass and @ San Diego State.
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Monday, May 15, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Anthony Nelson
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| Jesuit HS image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
Partial quote from a 05/10/17 Scout.com article by Cory Bender:
"Nelson, who piled up 16 sacks during his junior campaign at Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit, is a recipient of nearly a dozen scholarship offers, including one from hometown South Florida,
"Honestly, I don't really have a top school right now. I'm open to all schools," Nelson said. "Army, Navy and USF, they are probably recruiting me the hardest."
This article from the Tampa Bay Times in November of 2016 features Nelson.
Besides UMass, Nelson has nine FBS offers with Army and Navy from the Northeast.
Monday--May 15th, 2017
Phil Steele has a post on who plays 2017's toughest schedule. Right now the answer is UMass.
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More on Liberty's future scheduling. The Flames have scheduled multi-year contracts with Army, New Mexico State and Virginia. So far, only one year with UMass. Army and Liberty are the closest independents to Amherst. New Mexico State is right in our wheelhouse football-wise, but they're a long way away.
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The Irish blog "One Foot Down" has a profile of Brandon Wimbush. Includes a highlight reel of Notre Dame's big day against the UMass defense.
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This year's Hawaii Bowl with go head-to-head with the NFL.
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Coastal Carolina's cheerleading squad will be reinstated before UMass visits on September 2nd.
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New Temple head coach Geoff Collins bring a "swag" culture to the surging Owls.
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More on Liberty's future scheduling. The Flames have scheduled multi-year contracts with Army, New Mexico State and Virginia. So far, only one year with UMass. Army and Liberty are the closest independents to Amherst. New Mexico State is right in our wheelhouse football-wise, but they're a long way away.
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The Irish blog "One Foot Down" has a profile of Brandon Wimbush. Includes a highlight reel of Notre Dame's big day against the UMass defense.
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This year's Hawaii Bowl with go head-to-head with the NFL.
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Coastal Carolina's cheerleading squad will be reinstated before UMass visits on September 2nd.
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New Temple head coach Geoff Collins bring a "swag" culture to the surging Owls.
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Saturday, May 13, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Stevie Scott
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| Scout.com image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
Partial quote from a Scout.com article dated 04/23/17 by Luke Robbins:
"The Albany, N.Y. native credits this ability to the combination of his speed and power. The running back stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 225 pounds which it makes him that much harder to take down by himself.
Just like every player, Scott expressed his desire to work on his game and noted areas he is working on improving. Scott said he wants to work on his overall finesse with the football with things such as his cutbacks, quickness and overall moves. If Scott is able to combine his physical gifts with sound technique, he could be a great asset to any team."
MaxPreps has stats.
This article from August 2016 features Scott.
Scott is rated as the top RB in NY, as such he has 12 offers with most Northeast FBS teams included. BC, Rutgers, UConn, Syracuse and Army have all offered.
Saturday--May 13th, 2017
UPDATE: News Advance reports Liberty will play UMass on November 3rd 2018. The previously announced Minuteman schedule (see below) has Troy @ McGuirk on that date.
Troy HC Neal Brown is a former UMass player and assistant coach, so they may be OK with moving to 11/24. I'm sure the UMass brain trust would like to preserve 10/13 as an off date. Liberty's announcement has Troy playing the Flames on 10/13, so it would take a three-way swap to force a UMass-Troy game on that date. So that's a good thing.
The UMass Football Blog has always been a fan of Brown and his coaching. The history of Minutemen football would have been considerably different if the previous regime had hired Brown back in 2012...
UPDATE II: Mike Traini has another post (different from that below) on the Liberty game.
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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on the report UMass will play Liberty in 2018.
The current 2018 Minutemen schedule is:
Troy HC Neal Brown is a former UMass player and assistant coach, so they may be OK with moving to 11/24. I'm sure the UMass brain trust would like to preserve 10/13 as an off date. Liberty's announcement has Troy playing the Flames on 10/13, so it would take a three-way swap to force a UMass-Troy game on that date. So that's a good thing.
The UMass Football Blog has always been a fan of Brown and his coaching. The history of Minutemen football would have been considerably different if the previous regime had hired Brown back in 2012...
UPDATE II: Mike Traini has another post (different from that below) on the Liberty game.
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Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on the report UMass will play Liberty in 2018.
The current 2018 Minutemen schedule is:
09/1/18 @ Boston College
09/08/18 @ Georgia Southern
09/15/18 @ Florida International
09/22/18 Charlotte
09/29/18 @ Ohio
10/06/18 UCF
10/13/16 TBA
10/20/18 Coastal Carolina
10/27/18 @ UConn
11/03/18 Troy
11/10/18 BYU @ Gillette (like Notre Dame, BYU has a national following. UMass is hoping for a decent crowd at Gillette).
11/17/18 @ Georgia
11/24/18 TBA
That's a pretty tough schedule. Three Power Five teams plus potential AAC Champ UCF and potential Sun Belt Champ Troy. The Minutemen need a winnable game. Liberty fits the bill, although that would mean UMass would not have a FCS game in 2018. Note that the Flames are serious about their football, so they could get good quickly.
As mentioned UMass A.D. Ryan Bamford would like to preserve the mid-schedule bye week, but I doubt many of the Sun Belt teams will be enthusiastic about playing in New England in late November. We'll see how persuasive Bamford can be 😁
I'm usually doing the blog between 6:30 and 7:30 am, which is before the daily sports news cycle. If Liberty posts any news, I'll update the blog.
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The next frontier in college football player development: nutrition.
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Friday, May 12, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Zach Mathis
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| Scout.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
Partial quote from a 03/27/17 Scout.com article by Corey Bender:
"Possessing a skill set similar to his brother's (Jacob Mathis) at Mississippi, 6-foot-5 receiver Zach Mathis is now relishing his time in the spotlight with two offers to show for it.
Mathis, a 2018 prospect at Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep who hauled in 22 catches for 371 yards and five touchdowns in 2016, enters the spring with offers from Boston College and South Dakota."
This article from May of 2016 mentions Mathis.
His brother, Jacob Mathis, was a four-star WR recruit who signed with Old Miss.
Mathis' other FBS offer comes from Boston College.
Recruiting 2017--Tyris Lebeau II
Back on April 27th, I blogged about late 2017 recruiting addition Tyris Lebeau.
Vanier College has a video about him signing with the Minutemen.
UMass needs all the defensive backfield help we can get, Eh?
Vanier College has a video about him signing with the Minutemen.
UMass needs all the defensive backfield help we can get, Eh?
Friday--May 12th, 2017
Two more articles about Tajae Sharpe with little new information: the Globe and the NY Post.
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Back on February 27th, I blogged about Ryan Betro, a 6-4 280 pound OL/DL from Lawrence Acacemy.
He verbaled to Boston College.
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Former UMass WR Victor Cruz has been linked with both the Jaguars and Ravens.
The NY Post says Tom Coughlin could rescue Cruz's career.
The Fourth-and-goal blog adds the Bears to teams interested in Cruz.
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UConn signs a QB from Lackawanna College. The player, David Pindell, was behind Andrew Ford during his freshman year at the same school.
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OT, but the Colorado Buffs women's Lax team will be well-rested for today's game against the Minutemen.
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Back on February 27th, I blogged about Ryan Betro, a 6-4 280 pound OL/DL from Lawrence Acacemy.
He verbaled to Boston College.
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Former UMass WR Victor Cruz has been linked with both the Jaguars and Ravens.
The NY Post says Tom Coughlin could rescue Cruz's career.
The Fourth-and-goal blog adds the Bears to teams interested in Cruz.
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UConn signs a QB from Lackawanna College. The player, David Pindell, was behind Andrew Ford during his freshman year at the same school.
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OT, but the Colorado Buffs women's Lax team will be well-rested for today's game against the Minutemen.
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Thursday, May 11, 2017
Recruiting 2018--EJ Turner
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| 247Sports image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
This article from January of 2017 by Rivals.com features Turner.
Turner has sixteen FBS offers including Syracuse and Rutgers from the Northeast.
Thursday--May 11th, 2017
Former UMass star WR has been accused of assault.
The UMass Daily Collegian has a post on the story.
The Tennessean has the original story.
Memo to players everywhere: stay out of bars. Alcohol and your job or scholarship is a bad mix.
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The One Foot Down blog has a profile of C.J. Sanders. UMass fans will remember him as the guy who returned a Minutemen punt with about five minutes to go in the first half of the Notre Dame. Sanders TD opened the floodgates.
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ESPN has a story on how the AAC became a launching pad for Power Five coaches.
Athlon Sports ranks the coaches in the AAC including Randy Edsall of UConn and 2017 opponents Geoff Collins (Temple) and Scott Frost (UCF).
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A Bleacher Report writer has college football realignment moves that need to happen. One of his theories is Cincinnati to the Big 12 thereby creating a hole in the AAC that UMass could bid on. Overall, the article is not very plausible as I doubt Notre Dame will ever give up Independent status.
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The UMass Daily Collegian has a post on the story.
The Tennessean has the original story.
Memo to players everywhere: stay out of bars. Alcohol and your job or scholarship is a bad mix.
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The One Foot Down blog has a profile of C.J. Sanders. UMass fans will remember him as the guy who returned a Minutemen punt with about five minutes to go in the first half of the Notre Dame. Sanders TD opened the floodgates.
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ESPN has a story on how the AAC became a launching pad for Power Five coaches.
Athlon Sports ranks the coaches in the AAC including Randy Edsall of UConn and 2017 opponents Geoff Collins (Temple) and Scott Frost (UCF).
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A Bleacher Report writer has college football realignment moves that need to happen. One of his theories is Cincinnati to the Big 12 thereby creating a hole in the AAC that UMass could bid on. Overall, the article is not very plausible as I doubt Notre Dame will ever give up Independent status.
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Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Kenneth Dicks III
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| Twitter image |
Hudl.com has video.
NCSA has some stats. Includes Dicks doing a 50" box jump.
MaxPreps has football stats.
Dicks has eight FBS offers including Army, Air Force, Buffalo, Colorado State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy and Tulane.
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jordan Mosley
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| Charles Fox image |
Also caught 52 passes for 956 yards and 11 touchdowns.
247 Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
PennLive.com mentions his UMass offer.
First Team All-Main Line.
Mosley also has offers from Army and Bowling Green.
Tuesday--May 9th, 2017
SB Nation previews the 2017 BYU Cougars and predicts a 8-5 season with a 87% chance of a win over the Minutemen. Hopefully, UMass won't play a half like the second half of the 2016 game for a long time to come.
BYU and Boise State to the PAC-12?
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247Sports takes a look at the 2017 Tennessee Volunteers. Former UMass assistant coach Bob Shoop is defensive coordinator. Shoop's Vols bio.
The volunteers offensive strength in 2017 will be the run game.
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Old Dominion has a kicker and the #3 QB transfer out.
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Frost here in Jaffrey on May 9th...
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BYU and Boise State to the PAC-12?
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247Sports takes a look at the 2017 Tennessee Volunteers. Former UMass assistant coach Bob Shoop is defensive coordinator. Shoop's Vols bio.
The volunteers offensive strength in 2017 will be the run game.
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Old Dominion has a kicker and the #3 QB transfer out.
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Frost here in Jaffrey on May 9th...
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Monday, May 08, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jawhar Jordan Jr.
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| Pistolsfiring.com image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
Partial quote from a Scout.com article dated 02/27/17 by Blair Angulo:
"The three-star running back from Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton has quickness, burst and catches the ball out in front, allowing him to immediately make moves up field. He's a nuisance for defenders in open space and, though he might be smaller than many opponents, plays at a different space that allows him to wiggle through traffic."
MaxPreps has stats.
This article features Jordan and reports he has speed to burn.
Jordan holds eleven offers including UMass and Rutgers from the Northeast.
Monday--May 8th, 2017
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on the recruits who visited Amherst during the Spring game.
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Old Dominion has announced many of its games (and other Conference USA Teams) will be streamed live on Twitter this season. Maybe that's what UMass A.D. Ryan Bamford was referring to when he answered a question about UMass football TV post-American Sports Network.
More on Twitter's jump into Sports Broadcasting.
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After Spring practice, the Tennessee Volunteers still have a QB battle.
The SEC Network says Tennessee is building a "bully" of an offensive line.
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A Florida judge chews out UCF coach Charlie Strong after a string of arrests of Bulls football players.
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An Appalachian State LB has been hospitalized after being stabbed during an off-campus fight.
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Old Dominion has announced many of its games (and other Conference USA Teams) will be streamed live on Twitter this season. Maybe that's what UMass A.D. Ryan Bamford was referring to when he answered a question about UMass football TV post-American Sports Network.
More on Twitter's jump into Sports Broadcasting.
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After Spring practice, the Tennessee Volunteers still have a QB battle.
The SEC Network says Tennessee is building a "bully" of an offensive line.
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A Florida judge chews out UCF coach Charlie Strong after a string of arrests of Bulls football players.
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An Appalachian State LB has been hospitalized after being stabbed during an off-campus fight.
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Saturday, May 06, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Dwayne White
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| White making the tackle/Hudl.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
Recruit Georgia has a profile of White.
White has offers from UMass and Kansas State.
Saturday--May 6th, 2017
SB Nation previews the 2017 UMass season.
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A.D. Ryan Bamford Tweets UMass is working on a TV package for the McGuirk games.
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Thecomeback.com predicts Coastal Carolina will make a successful transition to FBS football.
"There are more three-star players on this roster than several of the teams you’ll see around the bottom of the Sun Belt and Conference USA (and probably UMass too)."
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The Orlando Sentinel says Temple will remain one of the Group-of-Five's toughest defensive teams.
SB Nation previews Temple, predicts 7 or 8 wins and an 82% chance of a win over the Minutemen.
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USA Today looks at the 2017 conference races and predicts UConn last in the AAC.
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A.D. Ryan Bamford Tweets UMass is working on a TV package for the McGuirk games.
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Thecomeback.com predicts Coastal Carolina will make a successful transition to FBS football.
"There are more three-star players on this roster than several of the teams you’ll see around the bottom of the Sun Belt and Conference USA (and probably UMass too)."
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The Orlando Sentinel says Temple will remain one of the Group-of-Five's toughest defensive teams.
SB Nation previews Temple, predicts 7 or 8 wins and an 82% chance of a win over the Minutemen.
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USA Today looks at the 2017 conference races and predicts UConn last in the AAC.
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Friday, May 05, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jaxon Player
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| TX Recruiting Scoop.com image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
Partial quote from a Scout.com article dated 01/16/17 by Greg Powers reporting on "Next Level Athletic Showcase" in Dallas, TX
"The Waco (Texas) Midway defender is the second prospect from the school to nab MVP honors. He also earned Honorable Mentin All-State honors in 2016. Listed at 6-foot-0, 270 pound"
MaxPreps has stats. Player had 92 UT in two years.
Player has six FBS offers with UMass as the only school from the Northeast.
Friday--May 5th, 2017
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has an article and list of attendees at UMass' second junior day back on April 8th. A couple of the players have UMass family roots.
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Fun video from the Minutemen's Spring game.
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ESPN has how grad transfers became college football's free agents.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews the 2017 Coastal Carolina team. Since UMass will be the first ever game for the Chants in FBS, the results: win or lose will be forever.
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Fun video from the Minutemen's Spring game.
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ESPN has how grad transfers became college football's free agents.
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The Orlando Sentinel previews the 2017 Coastal Carolina team. Since UMass will be the first ever game for the Chants in FBS, the results: win or lose will be forever.
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Thursday, May 04, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Jalen Scott
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| Scott #55/Andrew Mills image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats.
This article from May of 2016 features Scott.
UMass is the first FBS offer for Scott.
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
Recruiting 2018--Dominic Watt
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| Hudl.com image |
247Sports three-star player.
Hudl.com has video.
This article picks Watt as one of the top five attendees at a Miami camp.
Rival.com four-star player.
Watt has 20 FBS offers with Temple, Pitt and Rutgers joining UMass from the Northeast.
Wednesday--May 3rd, 2017
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has some thoughtful commentary on A.D. Ryan Bamford's Facebook appearance.
With no conference affiliation in the near future, UMass will not be able to make any large-scale improvements to McGuirk. The best thing UMass can do is win some games. That's the "fan experience" 95% of the fans want. It will also position the program to move if a conference opening does happen.
The previous administration peed on all our shoes by leaving us with that 2016 schedule. I like the fact Bamford and Whipple are planing future schedules that will give us a chance to win. In the real world, finances require we play at least two money games, probably three. I think Bamford has done an excellent job with his hires and will continue to make a positive impact on UMass football.
Whipple has done a good job adding to our recruiting stream with transfers: Frohnapfel, Breneman, Ford and Syracuse transfer Jordan Fredericks. Next stop is six wins and a bowl game...
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Adam Breneman is the top TE in the 2018 NFL draft according to a Bleacher Report article.
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Victor Cruz is anxious to play with another NFL team.
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With no conference affiliation in the near future, UMass will not be able to make any large-scale improvements to McGuirk. The best thing UMass can do is win some games. That's the "fan experience" 95% of the fans want. It will also position the program to move if a conference opening does happen.
The previous administration peed on all our shoes by leaving us with that 2016 schedule. I like the fact Bamford and Whipple are planing future schedules that will give us a chance to win. In the real world, finances require we play at least two money games, probably three. I think Bamford has done an excellent job with his hires and will continue to make a positive impact on UMass football.
Whipple has done a good job adding to our recruiting stream with transfers: Frohnapfel, Breneman, Ford and Syracuse transfer Jordan Fredericks. Next stop is six wins and a bowl game...
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Adam Breneman is the top TE in the 2018 NFL draft according to a Bleacher Report article.
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Victor Cruz is anxious to play with another NFL team.
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