January 30th, 2016--Optimus Prime Weekend #2

It's a big recruiting weekend for the Minutemen. I'll focus on player visits in today's blog and maybe do the staff changes and other news tomorrow or Monday.

Bob McGovern has a list of this weekend visiting players.

A cut-and-paste from Bob's article:

According to Maroon Musket sources, here is a list of visitors who will be making official visits to Amherst this weekend:

Bilal Ally (RB), Green Cove Springs, FL 
Leyshawn Askew (DT), Wayne, NJ - Committed 
Larnel Coleman (DE/TE), Medford, MA 
Zuriel Davis (DT), Jacksonville, FL 
Andrew Ford (QB), Lackawanna Community College 
Sam Franklin (S), Crystal River, FL (East Coast Prep) 
Martin Mangram (ATH), Buford, GA 
TJ Rayam (DT), Alabaster, AL 
Martial Washington (S), Hinesville, GA 
Chris Tucker (DE/FB), Nashville, TN

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've blogged about several of these players before.

Leyshawn Askew is a 6-6 DT from Wayne Hills, NJ. He verbaled to UMass back on July 25th.

Since my last post on Ashew, Hudl.com has senior highlights.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I blogged about T.J. Rayam, a 6-1 290 pound DT from Alabaster, AL yesterday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gary McCullough image

Bilal Ally is a 5-10 185 RB from Green Cove Springs FL.

247Sports three star player.

Rivals.com two-star.

Hudl.com has senior highlights.

Ran for a Florida playoff state record 496 yards in one game.

This article co-features Ally.

Ally holds nine offers including Cincinnati and Georgia Tech.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

NCSA image

Larnel Coleman is a 6-7 250 pound DE/TE from Medford, MA.

Hudl.com has highlights.

NCSA Sports has his recruiting profile.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

247Sports image

Zuriel Davis is a 6-5 315 pound DT from Jacksonville, FL.

247 Sports says he committed to UMass yesterday.

Hudl.com has highlights.

Played in the Blue-Gray Bowl January 16th.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

247Sports image

Andrew Ford is a 6-3 215 pound QB from Lackawanna Community College.

247Sports three-star player.

Hudl.com has season highlights.

Partial quote from a November 16th article by Scout.com:

Originally a member of Virginia Tech’s 2014 class, Ford redshirted his initial collegiate season before transferring to Lackawanna last summer. In his redshirt freshman season there, Ford went 110-of-195 (56.4 percent) passing for 1,764 yards and 23 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Since the conclusion of Lackawanna’s season, Ford has seen strong interest. Colorado, Pittsburgh, Arizona State and others showed initial interest and more have come in since Iowa State offered last week.

Ford holds an offer from Iowa State.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam Franklin is a 6-2 200 pound WR from Inverness, FL. I've blogged about him before.

Franklin originally signed with the Minutemen in 2015. 247Sports had him the highest-rated recruit in that class.

He ended up playing one year at East Coast Prep.

Hudl.com has East Coast prep highlights.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Syracuse.com image

Martin Mangram is a 5-11 180 pound Athlete from Buford, GA. I've blogged about Mangram before.

247Sports three-star player.

Hudl.com has video.

Mangram has fourteen FBS offers. Also brother of UMass DB Brandon Mangram.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rivals.com image

Martial Washington, is a 6-1 207 pound Safety from Riceboro, GA.

Rivals.com two-star player.

Hudl.com has senior highlights.

Washington has a soft commit to Georgia Southern.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pam Dietz image

Chris Tucker is a 6-3 245 pound DE/FB from Jackson, TN

Hudl.com has senior highlights.

NCSA has his recruiting profile.

Tucker also holds an offer from Temple.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recruiting 2015--Sam Franklin

Sam Franklin, a 6-2 200 pound WR from Inverness, FL who verbaled to UMass in 2015, is on the roster of East Coast Prep in Great Barrington, MA.

Roster here (.pdf download).

East Coast Prep homepage.

Special "Thanks!" to the blog reader who sent me the link.

Wednesday--February 4th, 2015 Letter-of-Intent Day

Lots more recruiting stuff tomorrow, pant, pant :)

------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATES:

Spring Enrollees:

------------------------------------------------------------

Marquis Young, 6-0 200 RB from Milford Academy. I've blogged about Young before.

Randall West, 6-4 220 pound QB from Lawrenceville, NJ. I've blogged about West before.

-------------------------------------------------------

Lamarriel Taylor, 6-3 WR from Chula Vista, CA. I've blogged about him before.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Thomas Rodrick, 6-3 230 LB from Liecester, MA. I've blogged about him before.

------------------------------------------------------------

Morel #6/ Boston Herald image

Micah Morel, 6-0 190 pound Safety from Milford Academy.

ESPN describes him as one of the best safeties in MA in this 2012 article.

Hudl.com has video.

------------------------------------------------------------

Image credit as above

Darrian Josey, 6-2 165 pound WR from Boyton Beach, FL. Transfer from Hawaii.

Whipple said UMass recruited Josey last year. Whipple also said Josey ran the 2nd fastest 100 in the state of Florida in 2014.

Hudl.com highlights. This article from January 2014 features Josey. So does this article.

Rivals two-star player.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

247Sports image

Dejion Evans, 6-3 200 pound WR from Boston, MA.

Hudl.com video.

ESPN player page.

----------------------------------------------------------------

OK, I've got to do a couple of things and then I'm going to drive down to Amherst to go the 3:00 PM press conference. More updates to the blog in the evening.

------------------------------------------------------------

Travis Reynolds joins the Minutemen. Apparently they play football in Australia (Reynolds video highlights)

Bayside Ravens Football Club.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

James Sosinski joins the UMass QB corps.

This article from MaxPreps features Sosinki.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Globe image

ESPN reports that Kenny Kern, a 6-0 227 pound fullback from Xaverian Brothers will join UMass as a preferred walk-on.

---------------------------------------------------

Jack Driscoll joins the UMass offensive line

-------------------------------------------------------

Reche Thomas signs with UMass

-----------------------------------------------------

Artayvious Lynn joins the Minutemen

----------------------------------------------

247 Sports image

Sam Franklin, a 6-4 185 pound WR from Crystal River, FL signs with UMass

247Sports three-star player.

Hudl.com video.

Rivals two-star player with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky and South Alabama.

-------------------------------------------------

Aaron Kinsey signs with the Minutemen.

------------------------------------------------------

Mario Patton joins UMass.

-----------------------------------------------------

James Bowe signs with the Minutemen. I received an e-mail from a UMass fan in Georgia saying Buford is a powerhouse program that has supplied a lot of talent to FBS teams in the past.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Mike Caggiano joins UMass.

-------------------------------------------------------

D'Shan Harley signs with the Minutemen.

-------------------------------------------------------

Sekai Lindsay joins UMass Football/

-----------------------------------------------------

Brandon Mangram signs with the Minutemen.

---------------------------------------------------------

Lee Moses joins UMass

----------------------------------------------------------

Hudl.com image

Marshall Robinson a 6-4 330 pound DL from Mars Hill, PA signs with UMass.

Robinson's Hudl highlights.

Also had offers from Temple and Bowling Green.

From the UMass feed:

Fun fact about Marshall Robinson - he can dunk a basketball from a standing position according to coach Sollazzo

----------------------------------------------------------

From John Sinnett's office:

Fans are invited to join UMass football Head Coach Mark Whipple and his staff for a College Football Signing Day Party tomorrow, February 4th at the Amherst Brewing Company starting at 5:30 PM. The event is free to attend and light hors d'oeuvres will be provided. The Amherst Brewing Company is located just off the UMass campus at 10 University Drive in Amherst.
Coach Whipple will highlight his incoming class of newcomers for the 2015 season and will be joined by his coaching staff to speak with fans about the newest additions to the UMass football family. The evening celebration will cap off what is sure to be a day of great excitement with players signing their National Letters of Intent beginning that morning.

SECOND RECRUITING EVENT CELEBRATION IN BOSTON

This event will be held at the UMass Club in Boston on February 26th, 2015. This is another opportunity to get to know the newest additions to the maroon and white family, and hear what Head Coach Mark Whipple and the UMass Football coaching staff have in store for the upcoming season.

To RSVP or for more information, please contact Jason Germain in the Minutemen Club Office at jag@admin.umass.edu<mailto:jag@admin.umass.edu> or 413-577-0267.

SIGNING DAY COVERAGE
For full coverage of the day along with an interactive blog check out www.UMassAthletics.com<http://www.umassathletics.com/>. Fans are also encouraged to follow twitter.com/CoachWhipUMass<http://www.twitter.com/CoachWhipUMass>, twitter.com/UMassFootball<http://www.twitter.com/UMassFootball> and twitter.com/UMassAthletics<http://wwww.twitter.com/UMassAthletics> to get the news of each signing as soon as it happens.

------------------------------------------------------------

The UMass website has a Signing Day Central Page up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dan Malone says this year's recruits will lead the Minutemen into a unknown future.

MassLive.com will also have live updates.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like UMass Lax may be playing at McGuirk this season after Garber Field suffered unspecified "damage' from the latest storm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BC signs seven Massachusetts players.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Campus Insiders thinks Sekai Lindsey will be star of the Minutemen's 2015 recruiting class.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Future UMass opponent BYU got a big boost after it was named a honorary Power Five team.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday--December 2nd, 2015

#78 Matt Sparks

UMass senior center Matt Sparks was named co-UMass Fall scholar-Athlete.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matty Vautour looks at next year's replacements for the graduating seniors. The three positions the Minutemen should see big changes are quarterback, TE and WR.

James Sosinski made the traveling squad this year. I'd speculate going into Spring ball the order would be:

1. Ross Comis
2. James Sosinski
3. Austin Whipple

On TE, UMass does not have a blocking TE on the roster. Travis Reynolds seems to be a good athlete, but the Minutemen need recruiting help big time in this position.

For WR, UMass is better stocked, but do they have a feature "X" receiver? Hawaii transfer Darren Josey and FR Lamarriel Taylor have potential. Jalen Williams and Shakur Nesmith are probably the top returning receivers.

UMass signed two players in 2015 who ended up in Prep school: Artayvious Lynn and Sam Franklin. Whipple has said he would still like both to attend UMass.

Matty also looks at next year's defensive team. The defensive front seven needs recruiting priority. Jake Largay 6-6 310 is the only NT on the roster.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Register-Star remembers former UMass QB John Kraham.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The win over Buffalo moved UMass out of CBS Sports Bottom-25.

Keeper's College football rankings has UMass as #107 (.htm down load). Note the Minutemen's relatively high strength-of-schedule. Boston College is ranked #90 despite two of their three wins came against FCS teams.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hustle Belt looks at the NIU-Bowling Green MAC championship game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------