UMass Transfer Portal News--Aubrey Melvin transfers to UMass

 Aubrey Melvin, a 6-2 320 pound DL transfer from UConn has joined UMass.

Melvin was a high three-star recruit out of HS.  Melvin had Power Four offers from BC, Pitt, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

This article from 2024 talks about his commitment to UConn. 

UMass continues to stockpile DL talent. Melvin was rated by 247Sports as a top-100 DL recruit nationally and a top-20 recruit from the state of Maryland. He has Power Four size and he should make an immediate difference in Amherst.

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UMass Football News--January 20th, 2026

 The Minuteman Command has a post on DL transfer Kamarion Thomas.

Thomas was a 247Sports three-star player and ranked as a top-20 defensive player from NY out of HS. 

UMass considerably strengthened the DL with transfer portal recruits with Zakar Morris, Zachary Betts, Justin Krueger, William and Andrew DePaepe along with Thomas. This is a strong group and should make an impact in 2026.

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Akron adds a new transfer QB. 

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Bowling Green adds a former four-star QB transfer from Oregon. The Falcons were almost  as bad at passing as we were in 2025.

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UMass Football News--January 19th, 2026

 

Social media reports Kendric Council, a 6-1 220 pound ILB from St. Francis FCS visited UMass this weekend.

Council's St. Francis bio here. He had 53 TT 2 SACKS 4 deflected passes and 6.5 TFL in 2025.

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Hustle Belt has highlights from the MAC Conference bowl season.

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Gotta cheer for Indiana in tonight's college football championship. They deserve it. 

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UMass Transfer Portal News--January 18th, 2026

 UMass had a productive Saturday as the Minutemen reeled in six transfers.

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UMass closed the deal with 6-4 210 pound WR Joseph Griffin Jr. 

Griffin's Wisconsin bio here. 

The Minuteman Command has a post on Griffin joining the Minutemen. 

Griffin had a productive two years with BC but was unable to crack the starting rotation at Wisconsin. He could do his career (and UMass) a big favor by catching everything in sight in 2026. The Minutemen's long ball passing ability in 2025 was non-existent. 

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 UMass filled a real need with the addition of 6-1 215 pound RB Jordan Washington.

Washington's Racers bio here. 

Washington went 12 GP 86-340 4.0 AVE 3 TD's 24 LONG as a RB. Also caught the ball out of the backfield 22-206 9.4 AVE 3 TD's 60 LONG. And he's big enough to help with pass blocking..

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 UMass signed Justin Krueger a 6-4 250 DL from William & Mary.

Krueger's Tribe bio here. 

Krueger had excellent stats in 2025. He went 12GP 20 UT 32 AT 52 TT 8 TFL (!) 2.0 SACKS and 5 QBH. Those are really good numbers for a down lineman. May he bring that kind of production to Amherst.

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UMass also signed Glen Klingensmith a 6-5 300 OL from William & Mary.

His Tribe bio here.

This article from August of 2025 features Klingensmith. 

Klinggensmith started all 12 games in 2025. He should be an instant starter for UMass.

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Joining the Minutemen is Devlin Matthews, a 5-9 185 pound WR from East Texas A&M.

Devlin's Lion's bio here. 

Devlin went 11GP 30-649 18.0 AVD 7 TD's 59 LONG in 2025. He has the potential to add more firepower to UMass' passing attack.

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 UMass also signed RJ Johnson III, a 6-2 210 pound QB from Florida A&M/Toledo.

Rockets bio here. 

Johnson was All-State in Georgia in HS. He's a capable QB who could insure the UMass offense does not come to a complete halt if Pop Watson gets nicked up.

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UMass Football News--January 17th, 2026

 The transfer portal closed yesterday. That's for players entering the portal.

For players already in the the portal:

•  Once a player is already in the portal:They remain available for recruitment indefinitely.

• Coaches can continue contacting them, hosting visits, and finalizing deals.

• They can commit or officially sign with a new school at any time afterward—no signing deadline is imposed by the portal closure.

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UMass currently has  21 true freshmen recruits for 2026. 

WE have have 18 (counting two players who entered the portal and re-signed with UMass) incoming transfers. 

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The Minuteman Command has an interview with incoming DL transfer Zakar Morris. 

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UMass Football News--January 16th, 2026

 No updates in incoming transfers so far today.

IMHO, still need a RB, FB and an additional OL.

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The Minuteman Command has an interview with Springfield's Central HS head coach Bill Watson-----and father of Pop Watson. 

Coach Watson relates UMass is making a pitch for Joseph Griffin late of Boston College/Wisconsin.

Griffin's Badgers bio here.  

Griffin is a Springfield native and a former teammate of Pop Watson. UMass totally lacked a deep-threat WR last year. The season's longest completion was by TE Max Dowling. Griffin would be a great addition to the 2026 Minutemen.

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One thing did go well in 2025..

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AJ Hairston signs with Merrimack.

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UMass Transfer Portal News--Tim Passmore, Jr and Kendall Bournes re-sign with UMass

 Still looking for a RB and a 240 pound FB..

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 Defensive lineman Tim Passmore, Jr has been re-signed by UMass after entering the transfer portal.

Passmore's UMass bio here. 

In 2025, Passmore went 12 GP 2 UT 13 AT 15 TT. 

D-linemen are the scarcest recruits. Passmore should help in the rebuilding of the Minuteman defensive front. 

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 Also re-signing with the Minutemen is Safety Kendall Bournes. 

Bournes UMass bio here. 

In 2025, Bournes went 12 GP 28 UT 34 AT 62 TT 2 TFL and 1 FF. Keeping him is a strong positive for the Minuteman defense.

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UMass Football Transfer portal News--Five players commit to UMass

 You know UMass football had a good day when number of commits names won't fit in Blogger's title block..

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 Khari Bendolph, a 6-1 205 pound LB transfer from Jacksonville State had committed to UMass.

Jacksonville State bio here. 

173 TT in his HS junior and senior year.  Bendolph should be a solid addition the the middle of the UMass defense. 

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Greg Knox, a 6-6  305 pound OL transfer from McNeese State has joined the Minutemen.

McNeese bio here.

Rated as a three-star transfer by On3.com.

The Minuteman Command has an interview with Knox. 

Knox should be in contention to start immediately. Run blocking and pass protection was a major problem last year. Knox could change that around.

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 Isaiah Reed, a 6-0 180 pound DB from UCF/Brown has committed to UMass.

UCF bio here.

At Brown, Reed was a team captain and nominated for a number of FCS awards. He should supply senior leadership and contend for a starting position.

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Jahmad Harmon, a 5-10 180 pound DB from Ball State/Kent State has transferred to UMass

Cardinals bio here. 

Harmon should supply depth and talent to a UMass secondary that was next-to-last in team pass defense efficiency in 2025. 

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Zachary Betts, a 6-2 245 pound LB transfer from St. Francis has committed to UMass.

St. Francis bio here. 

Another bio here. 

Betts has the size to play up close to the line of scrimmage. He should be an excellent addition to the Minuteman defense.

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UMass Transfer Portal News--Randal King and Andrew & William Depaepe commit to UMass

 

Randall King a 6-2 205 pound WR transfer from Campbell has joined the Minutemen.

Camels' bio here. 

King was 2024 Phil Steele Freshman All-American. In 2025 he went 59-689 and 5 TD's. Last year an injury to one WR (TY Harding) put the UMass passing game into a dead stop. King should be an excellent target for Pop Watson to throw to.

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Social media is reporting Andrew and William Depaepe defensive linemen from Indiana are transferring to UMass .

Andrew Depaepe was a four-star recruit out of HS. 

William Depaepe

William Depaepe was a high three-star recruit by 247Sports. 

Sports Illustrated has a story on  the Depaepe brothers leaving Indiana.

Andrew Depaepe could the the highest rated recruit ever to play for the Minutemen. Both should be a huge addition to the UMass defensive front.

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UMass Football Transfer Portal News--Pop Watson and Aitor Urionabarrenecha commit

 

Pop Watson, has committed to UMass. 

The Minuteman Command has a post on Watson's commitment.

Sports Illustrated also has a story on Watson's joining UMass. 

There is an old maxim that says "if you don't have a quarterback, you don't have an offense." Except for Whipple's four years, UMass has struggled to field a FBS-level quarterback. Watson has the skills to build an offense around. By himself, Watson can't do it, but with a running game, wide receivers and a better offensive line, he could lead UMass out of the wilderness.

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Watson gets some help with the commit of Aiton Urionabarrenecha, a 6-5 320 OL transfer from Colorado State.

His Colorado State bio here. 

Played 769 snaps for the Rams in 2025. 

Urionabarrenecha should be the starting center in 2026. The Minuteman offensive line needs a big improvement over 2025 if we are to be more competitive this year.

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UMass Transfer Portal News--Joshua Iseah commits to UMass and "Pop" Warner visits

 

Joshua Iseah, a 6-2 238 pound LB/Edge from North Carolina A&T has committed to UMass.

A&T Bio here. 

Was a FCS Freshman All-American in 2023. 

Career stats here. 

Iseah is a senior with 182 TT. He can play stand-up LB or one hand down. He should add a dimension to a UMass defense that needs more talent and experience.

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 The Minuteman Command posted this image of Coach Harasymiak and new OC Max Warner with transfer target "Pop" Warner at Mullins yesterday.

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Boston College loses 29 players to the transfer portal.

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Former UMass QB Grant Jordan signs with Oklahoma State.

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UMass Football News--January 10th, 2026

 UMass has hired Max Warner as offensive coordinator. Warner was previously QB coach at Bowling Green.

Falcons bio here. 

The Minuteman Command has a post on his hiring. 

Now get the man a FBS-level QB, running back and offensive line..

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2025 UMass WR Jake McConnachie will play in the the Dream Bowl.

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UMass Transfer Portal News--Grant Mills and Michael Robinson II join the Minutemen

 

Grant Mills, a 5-10 223 pound LS from North Carolina/Ohio State has transferred to UMass.

Buckeyes bio here. 

Bio from Khohls Kicking camp in 2023 here. 

This article discusses his move from North Carolina to Ohio State. 

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 Michael Robinson II, a 5-11 194 pound Star transfer from Rutgers has joined the Minutemen.

Played in all 12 games on special teams in 2025 for the Scarlet Knights. 

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UMass Transfer Portal News--Zakar Morris transfers to UMass

 Zakar Morris, a 6-2 295 pound DL transfer from the Albany Great Danes has joined the Minutemen.

Albany bio here. 

Hudl.com has senior HS highlights. 

Recruited by UMass in 2023. 

Defensive linemen are the scarcest recruits. Morris is only a Redshirt freshman and should a lot of development and playing time in his future with UMass.

UMass Transfer Portal News--Kamerion (Duece) Thomas commits to UMass

 

Kamarion Thomas, a 6-3 280 pound DL transfer from North Carolina has joined the Minutemen.

Tarheel bio here. 

On3.com had him a Top-20 DL recruit out of NY in 2024. 

So did 247Sports. 

This article covers his recruitment by North Carolina. 

Thomas has four years of eligibility. Last year I drove all the way to Ohio to watch the UMass-Kent State game. What I saw was the Golden Flashes, who are by no means Nebraska, run right up the "A" gap against the UMass defense. Thomas could be a fixture in the Minutemen DL for a number of years. 

UMass Transfer Portal News--Chris Stanley signs with UMass

 Chris Stanley, a 6-0 180 pound DB from Garden City C.C. has signed with UMass.

The Minuteman Command has a post on Stanley's signing. 

Stanley's Garden City bio here

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

 Stanley has a chance to make an impact immediately. The UMass pass defense was awful in 2025. Opponents threw for 2,550 yards, 67.99% Completion AVE, 29 TD's and a 168.99 (!) EFF. Hope to see Stanley making BKUP's in 2026.  

UMass Transfer Portal News--January 5th, 2026

 Social media reports UMass has offered to two transfer portal running backs.

 Jayden Clerveaux, 5-11 220 from Holy Cross. His Crusaders bio here. In 2025 Clerveaux rushed 161-779 4.7 AVE 5 TD's.

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Nick Osho 6-2 220 from Indiana State. Sycamores' bio here. In 2025 Osho rushed for 119-712 5.8 AVE 8 TD's. 

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Boston College transfer RB Turbo Richards, mentioned here last week, signed with Indiana. 

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UMass Transfer Portal News--January 4th, 2026

 I know I said I was going to take Sundays off but I can't resist..

Social Media reports UMass has offered to All-America Elon QB Landen Clark.

 Elon Bio here. Clark threw for 2,311 yards and 18 TD's. Rushed 189 times for 614 yards and 11 TD's.

Also being pursued by Michigan State. UMass could not match Big 10 $$, but could offer a sure starting position.

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UMass has also offered Tyler Hughes ex-William & Mary. The Tribe has already scrubbed his bio. 

 ESPN has Hughes' stats here. Hughes threw for 2,330 yards and 20 TD's with only 3 INT's. Also rushed 165 times for 678 yards and 11 TD's.

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UMass Football News--January 3rd, 2026

 About 4,500 players are in the transfer portal.

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Social media reports UMass has made multiple offers. So far, no signings announced.

UMass needs:

1.  A dual-threat QB. 

2.  A FBS level RB.

3. Offensive line help.

4. Cornerbacks

5. Defensive line help.

6. Wide receivers. 

UMass was dead last in total offense (by a significant margin) last year. That was the worst offense in Minuteman history. 

The Minutemen were #131 in rushing offense and averaged 2.81 yards/carry. Only Charlotte in all of college football had less rushing TD's. 

UMass was also dead last in passing efficiency. No defense could win with this offense. Improving the Minutemen offense to "average" would help a lot..

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The Armed Forces Bowl had a couple of scary incidents yesterday. 

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BC signs a transfer from Holy Cross.

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UMass Football News--January 2nd, 2026

 The transfer portal opened at midnight. It will remain open until the 17th. So we shall see what we will see.

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The Minuteman Command has JUCO CB Chris Stanley visiting Amherst this weekend.

YouTube has Stanley's highlights. 

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Football Scoop has a post on Pitt staffer Brandon Bowie being named director of high school recruiting at UMass.

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The Daily Collegian reports on UMass OC Mike Bajakian leaving to become QB coach at Michigan state. 

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Bajakian will have his work cut out as 30 Spartan players are have announced for the transfer portal.

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On2.com has UMass 9th in MAC's 2026 recruiting rankings. 

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Boston College hires Ted Roof as defensive coordinator.  Roof served as DC, LB coach and recruiting coordinator at UMass from 1994-1996.

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New Year's Day--2026

 

Hey, we're undefeated in  2026!!

Mrs Blog and I wish all readers of this site health and happiness in the new year (you deserve it). 

I think there will be progress this year. Can't wait to see what the transfer portal brings us..

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