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Staruch won two letters for the Wolverines. He was also a two-time All-Big 10 academic honoree. He should provide depth at WR and I hope he has a rewarding career with the Minutemen.
UMass adds a second FCS game to their 2024 schedule. This was necessary after Army dropped their game with UMass. The available FBS teams were sparse. The Minutemen would not want another Power Five team (they already play three in 2024), so another FCS game was the only option.
UMass can only use one FCS game towards bowl eligibility, but if they go 6-6 they could receive consideration if no other team had a better record.
FBS Schedules.com has a post on UMass adding Central Conn State.
As a side note, the Blue Devils added UMass transfer QB Brady Olsen. Brady's a class act and we hope he does well at CCSU.
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I've blogged about the Feb 21st meeting before, but Boston area UMass fans should give serious thought about attending. It'll be a chance to talk with Coach Brown and staff as well as the athletic dept brain trust.
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Tayvon Smith (good name), a 6-6 215 pound athlete from Taft HS in Ohio has a UMass offer.
Has an offer from Power Five Kentucky.
Smith has the frame to grow into a TE or DE. Besides UMass, he has offers from Marshall and Kentucky. There is lots of playing time available in Amherst and he could find a home with the Minutemen.
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| Duquesne athletic dept image |
In 2023 Brown was the Dukes leading receiver. He went 12 GP 37-667 7 TD's 89 LONG. In addition, he went 19-412 42 LONG in kick returns.
Brown should be an excellent addition to the UMass WR room and I look forward to watching him play.
College of the Canyons bio here.
Athlete-of-the-week for 11/29/23.
Staples was 2nd on the team in receptions in 2023. He went 15-187 12.5 yards/catch 2 TD's.
Staples is a good athlete and should be a big addition UMass' TE room.
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| Clemson athletic dept image |
This article from 2021 has background material on Reuben.
Reuben was a very highly ranked recruit out of HS. Injuries have slowed his career. If healthy, he could make an impact in the UMass DL. Looking forward to seeing him play for Coach Brown.
"TG" Randall played in 16 games for the Eagles and recorded 15 UT 21 AT 36 TT 4.0 TFL 2.5 SACKS and 1 INT.
Randall should be a fine addition to the UMass DL and he should see a lot of playing time for the Minutemen.
Former UMass assistant coach Shane Waldron was appointed OC for the Chicago Bears.
Waldron coached TE's and OL for the Minutemen 2013-2015.
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As a Vietnam-era Navy vet I have to say "Bravo Zulu" to former UMass swimmer Chris Chambers. I wish him a fair wind and a following sea on his journey.
US navy loses two navy seals in the Arabian Sea.
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UMass football will have a signing day event at the UMass Club in Boston on February 21st. Coach Brown and the entire staff will be there as well as AD Ryan Bamford.
Link to the Midnight Ride Collective (UMass' NIL organization) here.
Link to UMass' Gridiron club here.
Start 2024 right by joining one of the groups supporting UMass football! Any amount will help.
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New Mexico State QB Diego Pavia transfers to Vanderbilt, joining Jerry Kill in the SEC.
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Jax State adds UConn transfer QB Zion Turner.
James Madison adds UConn transfer WR Cam Ross.
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Meanwhile the iconic magazine Sports Illustrated may fold.
The website may survive, but the magazine may have seen its last days. Some really idiotic managerial decisions and the publishing of AI-generated content under fictitious names may have doomed one of the great names in sports journalism..
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In 2023 for Ohio Cox went 12 GP 21 UT 15 AT 36 TT 2.0 TFL 1.5 SACKS 1 INT 2 BU's.
Cox had seven offers out of HS including FIU, Ohio, Coastal Carolina and Kent State from FBS. Coach Brown loves DB's and Cox could find playing time and a home in Amherst.
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In two seasons for the Gamecocks Galban went 24 GP 39-559 4 TD's 73 LONG 14.3 yards/catch. He was a high three-star recruit out of HS and had Power Five offers from Texas Tech, TCU as well as SEC and BIG 10 teams. Galban also rushed and ran back punts for the Gamecocks. The Minutemen are developing a strong QB room and Galban could be a significant addition the WR corps.
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Ayers is a two-time All-Ivy linebacker. Over the last two years he totaled 28 GP 68 UT 97 AT 165 TT 4.5 TFL 1 SACK 1 INT. Ayers has Power Five size and should be an immediate contender to start for the Minutemen defense.
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This Sports Illustrated post covers his entering the transfer portal.
Tchio was a high four-star recruit out of HS. He had multiple offers from SEC schools. Tchio has been held back by injuries so far in his college career. He could see significant playing time in Amherst and would reunite with several comrades from Clemson.
UMass finished #123 in the Athletic's final 2023 power rankings. The original article is paywalled. Thanks to the blog reader who sent me the link. The ending number is where that team ranked in 2022.
#123 UMass 3-9 133
#124 Charlotte 3-9 123
#125 Tulsa 4-8 113
#126 Temple 3-9 115
#127 Southern Miss 3-9 87
#128 East Carolina 2-10 93
#129 Akron 2-10 132
#130 Nevada 2-10 128
#131 Louisiana Tech 3-9 104
#132 Louisiana-Monroe 2-10 131
#133 Kent State 1-11 130
Only two of the bottom ten changed coaches after the season.
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Andy Isabella was activated for the Bills game on Sunday. He took 20% of the snaps as a slot receiver and had a 19-yard kickoff return in the second half.
Tuesday the Bills moved him back to the practice squad.
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Taisun Phommachanh gets a "C" in this ESPN transfer QB's ranking.
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AN HONORARY BOSTON DRIVER'S LICENSE GOES OUT TO
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Desidero was first-team All New Jersey in HS. Had multiple other honors.
Disidero is a Northeast guy who should fit well in Amherst. Looking forward to following his career with the Minutemen.
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247Sports has a piece on his entering the transfer portal.
Barnes was a high three-star recruit coming out of HS. He had 33 offers mostly from Power Five schools. Barnes has two years of eligibility. He could find a home and playing time in Amherst.
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams has removed his name from the NFL draft and will play for the Minutemen in 2024.
The UMass Daily Collegian has a post on Lynch-Adams rejoining the Minutemen.
MSN.com also has a short piece on Lynch-Adams.
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams UMass bio. This is very good news for UMass. Lynch-Adams was named to a number of All-Independent teams including Phil Steele's First Team All independent.
UMass should have a strong RB room in 2024.
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In yesterday's blog I covered QB Ron Jankowski's offer from the Minutemen. He committed yesterday.
That would give UMass four scholarship QB's plus two walk-ons for 2024.
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This article covers his commitment to Akron.
Jankowski comes from a strong HS program and had five offers including Power Five Indiana. He could find a home and playing time in Amherst.
Bailey is a tall, lanky, athletic DB. Coach Brown loves DB's and Bailey could find a spot in the Minutemen's defensive backfield.
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" has a post on UMass' fourth OV weekend.
UMass is hosting 8 defensive players and six on offense. The Minutemen currently have 21 incoming players and could take eight or so more.
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MassLive has a short article on Valdamar Brower joining Holy Cross as DL coach.
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Florida State gets hit with some major penalties over NIL infractions.
NIL administration is going to provide some serious headaches for college football going forward..
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2024 opponents Georgia and Missouri are #1 and #8 in this early 2024 power ranking.
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UMass gets a "D" in this article on 2023 football performance.
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| Glynn #55 (wearing brace)--Tfon image |
Glynn had 14 FBS offers out to HS including five Power Five teams. There is lots of playing time up for grabs in the re-building Minutemen offensive line. Glynn could find a home and a starting position in Amherst.
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Mallinger has some serious speed. He ran a 10.74 100 and a 21.57 200 in HS. His 200 time was a top-10 in FL and a top-20 nationally. He had a number of Power Five offers prior to committing to West Virginia. He could find a home on either side of the ball in Amherst.
Mike Traini of "Fight Massachusetts" recaps last weekend's official visits.
Three of the OV's were from players who had previously committed to UMass.
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Jashon Watkins has made his commitment to the Minutemen official.
I blogged about Watkins back on January 4th.
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This article features Wallace.
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UMass finishes as #128 in the USA Today power rankings.
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Good luck to Gino in the NFL draft! He really put his heart into his senior season.
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Former UMass HC Walt Bell hired as OC for Western Michigan.
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Former UMass assistant coach Ted Roof has been fired as DC by Oklahoma. Roof was at UMass 1994-1996.
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According to the Berkshire Eagle, UMass' 2024 game with Army has been canceled. The original article is paywalled.
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OT, BUT
This year's UMass basketball team is fun to watch. The Minutemen out-hustled and out-rebounded the A10's best team Saturday. Can we hope for an NIT bid this year?
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Hudl.com has video highlights.
This article from September 2023 features Carrara.
Carrara brings speed and crisp route running to the UMass offense. Hopefully, he'll have a great career and earn a scholarship with Minutemen.
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Alley went 44-1816 and a 38.64 AVE. He was an all-Ivy player. Alley also went 1-4 in field goal tries. With Cameron Carson leaving, Alley could be in the mix right away to start.
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This article covers his entering the transfer portal.
Speed is Gaines' biggest attribute. He has one year to show what he can do. UMass has built a strong QB room and Gaines could be a significant addition to the Minutemen offense.
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Played three season for Memphis.
Watkins had multiple Power Five offers out of HS. He's a pro-sized DB who could play the viper position. With one year of eligibility, he could set himself up for the NFL draft and make an impact in Amherst.
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Bowl games for 2023 UMass opponents continue not to go well.
A big, physical Penn State team was handled by Mississippi. Ole Mis rang up almost 600 yards of offense and the Nittany Lions trailed all game.
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Auburn was down 21-0 in the first quarter and was never in the game in a loss to Maryland.
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Oregon dominated Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. A Ducks defender absolutely lit up Flames QB Kaidon Salter early in the game and he never looked the same after the hit.
After the game Salter also announced he would be entering the transfer portal.
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Hudl.com has video highlights.
Perry was a three-sports standout at Malden Catholic. He has FBS size and he should have a good chance to earn a scholarship in Amherst.
Another year, another adventure. Here's hoping 2024 will bring us more progress in Minutemen football. A conference home would be excellent as well as six wins.
2023 was not optimal as Dave Barry relates.
But like Linus in his pumpkin patch, waiting for the Great Pumpkin, we will persevere . 2024 is going to be great. Just you see!
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