UMass signs JUCO Wide Receiver

UMass has signed Michael Omar a 6-1 195 pd WR from Grossmont College in California. Grossmont was the National Champion JUCO football team.

Omar's stats: 44 rec, 785 yds, 17.8 yds/catch, 4 TD, LC 58 yds.

Watch video of Omar splitting the defense for a TD here .

Florida players wait for offers

A friend of the UMass Football Blog has sent the following link to an article by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

During the Whipple era of UMass Football, this was a fertile area for UMass recruits.

The article goes on to say that a number of I-A caliber players from the south Florida have yet to receive any scholarship offers...

Recruiting #13 Alex Joseph

This article (same as next post below) UMass is recruiting Alex Joseph a 6-2 205 pd DB/Athlete from Stamford CT.

• First Team All-State
• Has scholarship offers from UMass, Temple, Buffalo and Maine

His team Bio is here. MaxPreps Bio information here.

Alex, if you're googling your name and arrived here, UMass plays better/more winning football than Temple or Buffalo...

UMass gets another verbal

According to this article in the Stamford Advocate (Stamford,CT), UMass has received a verbal from Valdimire Ducasse a 6-5 330 pd OL from the Stamford Black Knights in Stamford, CT.

• First Team All FCIAC (All-State) in 2005
• Two year starter
  
• Choose UMass over Maine, Northeastern and Hofstra.

He also has a Bio on the Black Knights webpage here. More info from MaxPreps here.

Welcome aboard to Valdimir. You made the right choice!

A tip-of-the-Helmet to "Rocks22" over on the UMass Sports Board for bringing this to my attention.

Two weeks to go

With two weeks to go until Letter-of-Intent Day (Feb. 1st), the number of published verbals runs as given below. The numbers are from the only I-AA recruiting site: "ShowingBlitz". Note that the numbers are an artifact of press coverage.

High numbers of reported verbals for the southern schools are the result of press coverage by The Richmond Times and Delaware Online both of whom extend extensive college football coverage. Down there when a recruit gives a verbal, it's news. The low totals of the New England schools reflect the lack of press interest...

Remember, the schools themselves can not comment until all the paperwork is received.

• Delaware 15 verbals
• JMU 13 verbals
• Townson 6 verbals
• Richmond 4 verbals
• UNH 4 verbals
• Villanova 3 verbals
• William & Mary 2 verbals
• UMass, Maine, Hofstra 1 verbal
• Rhode Island 0 verbals
  

Recruiting #12 Dylan Mess

UMass is recruiting Dylan Mess a 6-1 218 pd OLB from Cambridge Rindge & latin. Mess runs a 4.7 40. Also ran track & Field for Cambridge.

Mess is also being recruited by New Hampshire and Northeastern.

His Rivals bio is here .

UMass Coaching tree expands

I've blogged before on UMass coaching connections (scroll down).

The UMass coaching tree grew a new branch yesterday when former UMass Defensive Line coach Sean Spencer was hired at Hofstra. The full article is here .

This is a cut-and-paste from the article: " Before his stint at Holy Cross, Spencer served as the defensive line coach at the University of Massachusetts from 2001 through 2003. In his final season in Amherst, the Minutemen finish second in the Atlantic 10 in sacks with 34. Under Spencer's tutelage, three linemen earned all-conference honors including Minutemen defensive standout Vladamar Brower, who earned All-America honors and was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist"

The image to the right is a scan from the 2002 UMass Press Guide.

19 days until Letter-of-Intent Day

Only 19 days until Feb 1st, which is Letter-of-Intent day. The next two weeks should be a period of intense activity at UMass.

Last year UMass took a number of I-A transfers and has already signed one for 2006.

There are two periods of activity for I-A transfers. One is now---- after the fall semester. Another happens after Spring football and players know their status for the following year. Look for UMass to consider some I-A players during that time.

Recruiting #11 Ke'Mon Bailey

Considering UMass is Ke'Mon Bailey a 6-0 180 RB from Richmond VA who will play WR in college. Bailey runs a 4.5 40 and benches 325. Rivals bio here .

He will take a recruiting visit to UMass on 1/20/06. Also being recruited by Kansas State, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue, Temple and JMU.

Hope he chooses UMass. Bailey will get a lot more playing time at UMass than he would at Penn State or Michigan.

UMass 2006 football schedule released

UMass has released the 2006 UMass football schedule . This is fairly early release for UMass. Often the Athletic Dept waits until late spring to divulge the schedule.

Each year an A10 team plays all the teams in its division and then adds three teams from the other division.

This year UMass rotates from playing Delaware, Richmond and JMU into a South Division schedule of Villanova, Towson and William & Mary.

Oops! Matt Vautour reports in todays (01/11/05) Hampshire Gazette, that the Athletic Dept reversed the first two games on the 2006 football schedule in yesterday's press release. The corrected schedule is below.

The 2006 Schedule:

• 09/02/06 Colgate (NCAA playoff team in 2005)
  
• 09/09/06 @Navy (national TV on CSTV)
• 09/16/06 @Villanova
• 09/23/06 Off
• 09/30/06 AIC (Div II)
• 10/07/06 William & Mary
• 10/14/06 @Towson
• 10/21/06 URI
• 10/28/06 @Northeastern
• 11/04/06 @New Hampshire (NCAA quarter finalist playoff team 2005)
• 11/11/06 Maine
• 11/18/06 Hofstra

UMass Coaching Connections

I have blogged about former UMass Coach Jimmie Reid being appointed head coach at VMI. And I did a blog on former UMass player and coach Ben Albert being hired at Delaware.

I never did a blog about former UMass Defensive coordinator Tom Mesalla being hired as head coach at Fordham. Mesalla did an excellent job as head coach at CCSU and he will make an impact at Fordham.

Buried in the UMass web site is this excellent piece on UMass football coaching connections. Old time UMass fans will recognize many of these names. Interesting stuff!

Here is a image of Coach Mesalla's press conference at Fordham.

Update on UMass Hall-of-Fame Member Jerry Whelchel

In a previous blog , I wrote about former UMass QB Jerry Whelchel being inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame. At that time I was aware that he had passed away, but was unable to provide any details.

A family member has left this link to his obituary. Whelchel passed away on 09/24/04 at the age of 62.

Recruiting Heats Up

Letter of Intent Day is less that a month away. This weekend also ends a recruiting "quiet period".

I've blogged about this before (scroll down to the first post), but UMass fans should check the "ShowingBlitz" web site for news of I-AA signings. Showing Blitz is the only I-AA recruiting site.

Last year, Showing Blitz ranked the recruiting classes of 2005 for running backs. UMass had two of it's 2005 recruits ranked in the top 30 in I-AA. They were Tony Nelson and Chris Zardas.

There has been some interesting UMass recruiting news and I will be blogging on it soon.

UMass finishes #16 in final GPI

I-AA.org has published it's final GPI for 2005. UMass finished #16 (third in the A10 and ahead of several playoff teams.

Over the last couple years the GPI has been the most accurate predictor of playoff selection. Worth a look!

First 2006 I-A transfer Anthony Rouzier

UMass has acquired the first member of its 2006 recruiting Class. Anthony Rouzier 6-0 222 LB has transferred from UConn. Rouzier did well at UConn, including an interception for a TD. Hampshire Gazette writer Jim Pignatiello has an article here (registration required, but worth it).

This article also also mentions Rouzier. Note he is described as "the best player in Western Mass"

Rouzier will be reunited with former Amherst teammate James Ihedigbo who is an All-A10 candidate for UMass at Safety.

Recruiting #10 Jared Brabham

UMass is interested in Jared Brabham a 6-2 295 pd DT from Long Branch NJ. He runs a 5.25 40, benches 325 and squats 480.

Also recruiting Brabham are Maryland, Rhode Island, Temple, Villanova, Maine and New Hampshire.

On the I-AA level, defensive tackles are regarded as perhaps the most difficult position to recruit. Most DT's in the 280-and-up size end up going I-A.

Brabham would be a nice addition to the UMass defense.

Texas Tech game settled

Matt Vautour reports that UMass has agreed to play Texas Tech in September 2008 (registration required).

I have previously blogged about this in October.

The Red Raiders are currently 9-2 and will play in the Cotton Bowl against Alabama.

The Texas Tech will be a load. The played two I-AA teams this year. The Red Raiders beat Sam Houston State 80-21 and Indiana State 63-7...

Recruiting #9 Michael Morante

Considering UMass is Michael Morante a 6-1, 245 pd OG from Peters Township in Venetia PA.

Morante runs a 4.84 40 and has a 3.0 GPA.

* Also recruited by Georgetown and Villanova
* Played LB as well as OG
* Team captain in 2005
* This article mentions him

Hope he chooses UMass!

Kervis commits to Eastern Michigan

Andrew Kervis, a 6-5 235 pd DE, who was being recruited by UMass and mentioned in this blog post committed to Eastern Michigan on 12/21/05.

Note that you can search the UMass Football Fanzone by using the "Search This Blog" button at the top.

Look what Santa brought!

Santa was good to the UMass Fanzone and brought a very cool UMass football. It will go in a place of honor in my den.

If anyone from the UMass Administration ever reads this blog: "Hey! How about marketing some UMass replica Football Jerseys!"

I would love one! UMass fans have not been able to buy football jerseys for years. I'd get one with Shipp's/Baylark's number 5, and another with a higher number when I was in a linebacker frame of mind.

Please!