David Onuoha, a 6-1 237 transfer Edge from Rutgers has committed to UMass.
This article features Onuoha and his recruitment by Rutgers.
In 2024, Onuoha had 7 GP and 2 AT at Rutgers. He was a walk-on with the Scarlet Knights, but was the third leading tackler in New Jersey in HS.
The MAC has gone 4-2 in bowl games placing them fourth in conference win rankings so far.
UMass opponents NIU won the Famous Idaho Potato bowl, Toledo beat Pitt in an epic 6 overtime game in the Game Above Bowl and Miami (Ohio) blew out Colorado State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
Note that Group-of-Five teams are 6-2 against Power Four teams in games played.
Liberty and Buffalo will close the bowl season January 4th in the Bahamas Bowl.
Missouri will play Iowa today in the Music City Bowl.
And UConn finished their best season in 17 years will a win over reeling North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl. North Carolina lost their last three games.
The Huskies are slated to play only two Power Four opponents in 2025, so another winning season should be achievable next year.
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Sullivan Weidman, a 6-5 318 pound transfer OL from West Virginia has committed to UMass.
Weidman's Mountaineer's bio. He appeared in 21 games for West Virginia.
Weidman has two years of eligibility. He's a Massachusetts native and had offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Buffalo, Connecticut, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Pitt, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia and more out of HS.
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In 2024 Castleberry went 12 GP 42 UT 8 AT 50 TT 5 TFL 2 SACKS 3 BU. He was honorable mention All-League .
Besides UMass, Castleberry has FBS offers from Temple and Central Michigan and a number of FCS teams.
Lyle Brown, a 6-4 295 pound transfer OL from Dartmouth has committed to UMass.
First Team All-Ivy and All-New England.
Chose UMass over FBS offers from Kent State and Middle Tennessee State. Also had a number of FCS offers.
UMass will now have two former First Team All-Ivy OL on the team.
The Hampshire Gazette reports UMass hires a trio of new coaches for the 2025 staff.
He was recently O-line coach at Northwestern. Also coached at Arkansas and in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.
UMass hired George Greene as strength and conditioning coach. He last worked at Stony Brook as the S&C coach there. Note that Greene has worked for UMass previously.
The International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association does a Q&A with Green here.
Greene authored this article in Strength & Conditioning.
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This article covers the hiring of UMass' new cornerbacks coach Tre' Bell.
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An inch or so of snow yesterday morning makes for a white Christmas in New Hampshire today. Mrs Blog and I wish all UMass fans, players and coaches a happy holiday and a Merry and bright Christmas.
Many Santa bring us some wins in 2025..
I'll be back tomorrow with more coaching hires and more incoming transfers.
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Malcolm Greene, a 5-11 190 pound transfer DB from Virginia University has committed to UMass.
This article from October covers his decision to red-shirt the rest of 2024 and enter the transfer portal.
Greene is a talented corner and should be in the mix to start for the Minutemen.
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Jovoni Borbon, a 6-0 195 pound transfer LS from McNeese State has committed to UMass.
Phil Steele mid-season FCS All-American.
Long snapping is the often overlooked component to kicking and punting. Borbon should make an immediate impact on special teams.
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Nobles was All-SWAC in 2024. He went 14 GP 28 UT 29 AT 57 TT 12 TFL (!) 10 SACKS (!) 9 QBH and 2 FF.
This article covers his entering the transfer portal.
Nobles should be a big addition to the Minutemen defensive line.
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Zeraun Daniel, a 6-1 195 pound transfer Safety from Georgetown has committed to UMass.
In 2024 Daniel went 11 GP 40 UT 20 AT 60 TT 3 TFL 5 INT (!) 5 BU.
Second-team All-Patriot league.
Daniel chose UMass over an FBS offer from UTEP and a number of FCS offers.
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In 2024 Geraci went 10 GP 3-27.
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Marcus Lye, a 6-1 205 pound transfer kicker from Northern Arizona University has committed to UMass.
In 2024 Lye went 8-11 72.73% 52 LONG in field goals. In kickoffs, he went 67-4227 63.1 (!) AVE 46 TB.
Big Sky Conference Player-of-the-Week in September.
Lye chose UMass over an FBS offer from Rice.
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In 2024 Davis went 12 GP 6 UT 21 AT 27 TT 3.5 TFL 1 SACK 3 QBH.
Chose UMass over offers from South Alabama, ODU, Kent State, UAB, Temple and more.
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This article from January of 2024 covers his joining the Aggies.
With the graduation of CJ Kolodziey, Andrews will be the only listed punting specialist on the 2025 roster. Australians have made an impact on American football recently with a number of teams having Aussie punters.
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Max Dowling, a 6-6 240 pound transfer TE from UT Martin has committed to UMass.
Dowling was 2nd team All-Big South and went 23-278 12.1 AVE 5 TD 48 LONG.
This article talks about Dowling's joining the Skyhawks.
Dowling is the second TE transfer in the 2025 class.
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The Minutemen add two defensive players from the portal.
Tim Hinspeter, a 6-1 230 pound LB transfer from Rutgers has signed with the Minutemen.
This article from 2022 on how he chose to walk-on with the Scarlet Knights over offers from Army, Navy and Fordham.
Chose UMass over offer from Maine.
Hinspeter played for the powerhouse HS program Don Bosco Prep. He should find plenty of opportunity for playing time in Amherst.
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Malachi Madison, a 6-3 290 DL transfer from Virginia Tech has committed to UMass.
Madison's Hokies bio here.
Tech Lunch Pail has a post on Madison's entry into the portal.
Chose UMass over offers from Miam (Ohio), UCF, Buffalo, Akron and others.
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Kendall Bournes, a 6-0 195 pound transfer DB from Concord University has committed to UMass.
Bournes was the leading tackler for the Mountain Lions in 2024 going 11 GP 52 UT 28 AT 80 TT 2.5 TFL 2 INT 3 BU 1 FF.
Bournes had thirteen offers out of the portal and chose UMass over Temple, UAB, Jacksonville State, Miami (Ohio) and others. He should be an instant force for the Minutemen.
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Michael Entwistle, a 6-2 295 pound OG from Harvard has committed to UMass.
Entwistle was first team All-Ivy in 2024. Chose UMass over FBS offer from Middle Tennessee State and a number of FCS teams. He should have an excellent chance to start immediately for the Minutemen.
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UMass adds a DB from Davidson as TJ Magee, a 5-10 190 pound transfer from the Wildcats joins the Minutemen.
In 2024, Magee went 11 GP 38 UT (!) 7 AT 45 TT 3.5 TFL 1 INT 10 (!) BU.
Magee should be a valuable addition to the DB room right away.
The Hampshire Gazette report UMass hires a pair of defense coaches.
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Utah Utes has a post on Bajakian leaving to be OC for the Minutemen.
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The MAC gets three players on the AP first-team All-American squad.
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HOW THEY DID
Michigan State 2024- rushing 133-649 4.9 AVE 2 TD LONG 63
UMass 2023-rushing 236-1,157 4.9 AVE 12 TD LONG 47
Michigan State 2024-receiving 15-85
UMass 2023 -receiving 20-118
Memphis 2024-rushing 29-180 6.2 AVE 2 TD LONG 29
UMass 2023-rushing 37-301 8.1 AVE 4 TD 60 LONG
Memphis 2024-receiving 19-151 4 TD
UMass 2023-receiving 15-185 2 TD
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Watched the Salute to Veterans Bowl yesterday on DVD. The broadcast team mentioned Broncos OC Walt Bell several times.
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Marshall dropped out of the Independence Bowl due to transfer portal losses.
The Thundering Herd has 29 players in the out-going transfer portal.
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Adkins UCF bio here.
Adkins chose UMass over offers from FBS schools Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio). With several departures from the TE room, Adkins should be in the mix immediately for the Minutemen.
There is a January 2025 version of the UMass roster up. Some number changes and the seniors deleted.
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The UMass Daily Collegian previews the MAC's impressive seven-game bowl schedule.
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BTW, UConn will play North Carolina in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
If you've never heard of the Wasabi company, neither had I. It's a Boston-base cloud storage firm.
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Whitaker's Rutgers bio here.
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The UMass Daily Collegian has a nice story about UMass center Josh Atwood.
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After a head coaching change, 12 Ball State players (including the MAC Freshman-of-the-Year) have entered the transfer portal.
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The Toronto Argonauts sign former UMass WR Mark Pope.
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UMass adds two coaches.
The Hampshire Gazette reports Joe Harasymiak adds special teams and defensive back coaches to his staff.
UMass adds Dartmouth special teams coach Joe Castellitto. His Big Green bio here.
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The Valley News reports the Big Green's special team's coach wants his unit to match his energy.
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Yard Barker.com reports Tre Bell will leave West Virginia to become defensive backs coach for Joe Harasymiak's UMass team.
West Virginia's Tre Bell bio here.
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Missouri releases its schedule for 2025. UMass will play at the Tigers on September 27th 2025.
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Central Michigan hires Army OL coach Matt Drinkall as head coach.
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Hustle Belt has a post on Toledo playing Pitt in the Game Above Bowl in Detroit.
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Hustle Belt also has a post on Miami (Ohio)'s playing Colorado State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona bowl.
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Northern Illinois -2.5 over Fresno State
Pitt -8.5 over Toledo
Miami Ohio -2.5 over Colorado State
Missouri -1.5 over Iowa
Liberty -2.5 over Buffalo
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The revised UMass coaching roster has been posted. It looks like OL coach Alex Miller, TE coach Matt Layman and coach Jim Reid (!) have been retained. It's great to have coach Reid still with the program. A great guy and a inspirational leader.
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2024 opponent bowl representation .
Buffalo and Liberty will play in the Bahamas Bowl on January 4th.
Missouri plays Iowa in the Music City Bowl on December 30th.
Miami (Ohio) plays Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl on December 28th.
Toledo will play Pitt in the Game Above Sports Bowl on December 26th.
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Endings.
Jalen John enters the transfer portal
Ahmad Haston enters the transfer portal.
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Richardson's Spartans' bio here.
Was named FCS National Defensive Player-of-the-Week in October.
Richardson was named a freshman FCS All-American for his first year at Norfolk State. He would be in line for a lot of playing time in Coach Harasymiak's new-look UMass defense.
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Alex Atcavage from Florida Atlantic.
Michael Entwistle from Harvard.
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Miami (Ohio) got crushed by Ohio in the MAC conference championship game. The Red Hawks only managed 189 total yards of offense.
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Georgia won the SEC championship with an overtime win over Texas.
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YouTube replay of the Joe Harasymiak press conference.
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The Hampshire Gazette has behind the decisions to hire Joe Harasymiak.
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The Daily Collegian reports on the introductory press conference.
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Hudl.com has video highlights.
Markovich is a three-star player and should be a big part of the UMass offense in the future.
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Welcome to Coach Harasymiak from Chancellor Reyes.
Congratulations from Rutgers HC Greg Schiano. Coach Schiano is the all-time leader in wins at Rutgers.
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Today's press conference will be streamed live on the UMass website and on ESPN+.
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Two of UMass' 2024 opponents will meet in the Bahamas Bowl with Buffalo vs Liberty. The Flames will be without talented QB Kaidon Salter as he is in the transfer portal and will likely land at a Power Four school.
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Miami (Ohio), who UMass took to overtime, is in the MAC Championship game.
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IMHO, this is an excellent hire. Harasymiak is a Northeast guy who went to Springfield College for his football career. Even better is he was a Power Four coordinator and has recruiting experience in the the Northeast and Midwest.
His career and his results are a very good fit for what UMass needs. His hire is actually better than what I had been expecting.
In addition, the increased financial resources should make a significant impact on the program's viability and should make success in the MAC a real possibility.
Harasymiak will face some real challenges next year as he inherits a severely depleted roster. He will have to hit the transfer portal hard to field a team that will be competitive next year.
Anyway, a very good start and I'm actually optimistic that UMass (and its fans) will finally have something to cheer for.
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Lots of press coverage of the hire, but most are repetitious. The following is some of the more original content.
The Hampshire Gazette report UMass hires Joe Harasymiak.
The Greenfield Recorder reports longtime Springfield College coach Mike DeLong says Joe Harasymiak is ready for this.
MassLive.com says UMass has found its coach and he has western Mass ties.
Hustle Belt reports UMass hires Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak.
UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes commends Harasymiak's hire
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UMass signs four players on early signing day. The state of the roster means recruiting and the transfer portal are going to be a huge part of Harasymiak's workload over the next couple months.
Hopefully, he will bring some of Rutgers reserves with him.
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ESPN has UMass as #8 in their final 2024 Bottom Ten ranking.
ESPN has UMass #130 out 134 in 2024's final defensive stop ranking.
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BULLETIN, BULLETIN, BULLETIN
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The Daily Collegian sheds more light on the Athletic Dept-Midnight Ride Collective riff.
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Neal Brown's next move after his firing at West Virginia.
Brown releases his first statement after his firing.
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Football Scoop reports Neal Brown is being targeted by Appalachian State. And also Charlotte.
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STATS
During UMass' final four games, the Minutemen significantly increased their offensive production.
After 10/26/24 (the Wagner game) UMass was #112 in total offense (330.0 yards/game) and #121 in scoring offense (19.1 points/game).
After 11/30, UMass jumped eight slots to #104 in total offense (345 yards/game) and 12 slots to #109 in scoring offense (22.5 points/game).
Prior to the Wagner 35-7 win, UMass was #112 in total offense, but #125 in scoring offense at 16.9 points a game.
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The latest AP poll has Georgia as #6 and Missouri as #23 in the nation.
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247Sports has the latest on the ending season coaching carousel.
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MSN.com has seven candidates for Neal Brown's job at West Virginia.
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The Dominion Post says Brown was a nice guy who didn't finish first.
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Liberty QB Kaidon Salter enters the transfer portal.
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The Daily Collegian has seven potential coaches for UMass football.
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THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
If you missed it, there was a total snafu about the new UMass-UConn trophy after Saturday's game.
The screwup over the trophy is fairly mind-boggling. It's a nice trophy. UMass and UConn have been playing since 1897. There should be a trophy for the game. Why can't we do anything without messing it up?
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Neal Brown was fired at West Virginia. Hopefully the athletic department's speed dial is working. We might not be able to afford him though.
The News Sentinel says Brown was put into a tough situation.
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If he's not in contention as head coach, maybe he'd could be retained as OC..
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UMass did score the most points since November 17th, 2018 when they beat Liberty 62-58 at home.
All in all, not a great year for UMass. Zero FBS wins is not optimal. Hopefully the new coach and the new conference will right the ship and I won't have to trudge to my computer every Sunday morning to try to put a good spin on defeat.
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Hampshire Gazette reports UConn held on to win.
Chad Chatlos (good name) of Turnkey ZRG talks about the Minutemen's coaching search.
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Eastern Michigan lost to Western Michigan. The loss probably knocked to Eagles out of a bowl bid.
Toledo lost to Akron on 11/26. At 7-5 the Rockets will get a bowl bid.
Buffalo blew out Kent State on 11/27 to go 8-4 and a bowl bid.
CCSU lost to Rhode Island in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Miami (Ohio) beat Bowling Green to punch a ticket to the MAC Championship game.
NIU beat Central Michigan to go 7-5 and a probable bowl bid.
Wagner's season is over.
Mississippi State lost to Mississippi to finish 2-9.
Liberty lost to Sam Houston State to finish 8-3. The loss knocked the Flames out of the CUSA championship, but they will get a bowl bid.
I already reported on Georgia's four overtime win over Georgia Tech.
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Bonus coverage
How much would it cost West Virginia to fire Neal Brown?
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