UMass Football News--July 3rd, 2026

 Athlon Sports names nine Minutemen to their preseason All-MAC team

Five UMass defensive players made the team:

• Tyler Martin (1st Team)
•  Joshua Nobles (3rd team)
• Timmy Hinspeter (3rd team)
• Zeraun Daniel (3rd team) 
• Kendall Bournes (4th team)

Four Minuteman offensive players on the team :

• Joseph Griffin Jr (3rd team)
• T.Y. Harding (4th team)
• Max Dowling (4th team)
• Aitor Urionabarrenechea (4th team)

In five seasons with the MAC UMass has had only one third team offensive lineman on the All-MAC team. The Minuteman offensive line was a major issue last year and if Urionabarrenechea and company can make the UMass running game viable, it would be a huge improvement for the offense. 

The tandem of Joseph Griffin and T.Y. Harding should make a significant improvement in the Minuteman passing offense, which was essentially nonexistent last year. Two WR's for Akron (Marcel Williams and Kyan Mason) were major reasons why the Zips went from 2-10 in 2023 to 5-7 in 2025.

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The MAC Blog "By the Belt" has three reasons why Western Michigan could make the college football playoffs. 

The 2026 schedule is somewhat favorable to UMass as we avoid two of the predicted top four teams in the MAC. UMass does not play Western Michigan or run-heavy Central Michigan.

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UMass 2026 Football Schedule--Sacred Heart

 The Sacred Heart Pioneers went 8-4 playing an independent schedule in 2025. They were undefeated at home. They played and lost to FCS powers Montana and Villanova. Sacred Hear beat Norfolk State 31-28.  Rutgers, UMass' first 2026 opponent, beat Norfolk State 60-10.

This year. the Pioneers join the much-changed CAA (now Coastal Conference). JMU, UMass and Delaware have gone FBS, with notable success by Delaware and JMU. Villanova, Richmond and William & Mary left for now more academic-oriented Patriot League. Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire remain from the northern section of the old CAA.

Lindy's picks Sacred Heart 11th in the thirteen team CAA.  

 The Pioneers return 6-0 177 pound Jack Snyder as their QB. He had a good year in 2025 going 11 GP 166-233-1,867 71% 3 INT's 11 TD's. 

 Offensively, Sacred Heart is led by 5-7 155 pound RB Mitchell Summers. He was a 1,000 yard rusher in 2025 going 11 GP 197-1,061 12 TD's. Summers can also catch the ball. He had 9 receptions for 119 yards to go with his running.

Defensively the  Pioneers were 75th in total defense in FCS in 2025. They were 104th in rushing defense. 

 The Pioneer defense was led by the wonderfully-named Maximus Mongelli, a 6-1 195 pound DB. He had 61 TT and 7 BKUP. He was listed as a graduate student on the 2025 roster, but had a redshirt year. Sacred Heart has not posted their 2026 roster yet, so I don't know if he returns.

UMass should be riding a 17 game loosing streak when the Minutemen play the Pioneers. This game should be a good indication on the trend of UMass football in 2026.  Last year the Minutemen managed only a meager 101 net yards rushing against Bryant. If UMass wins handily, such as 35-7 then the omens should be positive for 2026. If the Minutemen need some late-game heroics to win 24-21, then it could be another long year in the MAC.

The UMass defense needs to corral the speedy Sacred Heart RB Summers.  QB Snyder's 71% completion average could be trouble if the rebuilt Minutemen defensive line does not develop some pressure.

 I think UMass breaks its loss streak on September 12th. The margin of victory should tell us quite a bit.

Go UMass! 

UMass Football Recruiting 2029--Jacob Reed

 Jacob Reed, a 6-3 300 pound IOL from Wallingford, CT has a UMass offer.

247Sport page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

The above video is from the Minuteman Command.

Reed has offers from Duke, Syracuse, Wake Forest, UConn and Rhode Island. He could play close to home and be part of the new UMass offense in Amherst. 

UMass 2026 Football Schedule--Rutgers

 UMass opens its season with Big10 Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights went 5-7 (2-7 in the Big10) in 2025.

Oh, and they won their FCS game against Morgan State 60-10. 

For 2026, Lindy' College Football Magazine picks Rutgers  last in the Big10 and Athlon picks the Scarlet Knights 16th in the 18 team league.

I do not think the Minutemen have any chance of an upset here. Rutgers is operating on a different planet than UMass.

For one thing, they have two preseason All-Americans. Wide receiver  KJ Duff is 6-6 and went 60 catches for 1,084 yards in 2025. He also led the nation in contested catches (22). 

Running back Antwan Raymond ran for 1,275 yards and 13 TD's against Big10 defenses. 

Athlon Sports named Duff and Raymond pre-season All-Americans 

They also have last year's Boston College's starting QB  Dylan Lonergan. He started 9 games and threw for over 2,000 yards for the Eagles in 2025.

This article covers the Scarlet Knights QB battle. 

The Scarlet Knights also signed three (or four depending on the recruiting service) four-star recruits. That's more than the MAC, Sun Belt and American conferences combined. 

Last year Rutgers played two MAC teams and beat them both. Ohio played the Scarlet Knights tough and lost by three points. The next game Rutgers pulled away from Miami (Ohio) in the fourth quarter and won 45-17.

So Rutgers should be the best team UMass plays in 2026 by a significant margin. This article predicts the Scarlet Knights game-by-game season and thinks they beat UMass 44-7. 

The Minutemen should have a tough time with the high-octane Rutgers offense, but I'm hoping Pop Watson and the UMass offense can show some life and be competitive for most of the game. A score of 44-20 would indicate a substantial improvement over last year's Minuteman squad.  

I recently watched the full game Rutgers-Penn State 11/29/25 replay on YouTube. It's well worth watching if you like college football and will get your juices flowing for this year.

 Go UMass!

UMass FootballRecruiting 2030--Kevin Roig

 

Kevin Roig, a 5-11 150 pound WR from Manchester, NH has a UMass offer.

Some drill highlights here. 

This post features Roig. 

Although a 2030 recruit, Roig already has FBS offers from UMass, UConn and Syracuse. Rhode Island has offered from FCS. Coach Harasymiak should have the Minutemen rebuilt and competitive in the MAC by 2030 and Roig could play in front of family and friends in Amherst.

UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Gavin Strang

 

Denny Simmons image

Gavin Strang, a 6-5 190 pound QB from Brentwood, TN has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Sports Illustrated has a post on why Oklahoma offered him. 

Strang has Power Four offers from Kentucky, Arkansas and Oklahoma. UMass and Kent State have offered from the MAC. Boston College and UConn have offered from New England. Strang could get an excellent education and be a fixture in the new Minuteman offense in Amherst.  

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Trent Small commits to UMass

 Trent Small, a 6-4 272 pound DL from Hyattsville, MD has committed to UMass.

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

The Minuteman Command has a post and interview with Small about his joining the Minutemen. 

Small had twelve offers and chose UMass over Syracuse, Oregon State, Temple, UConn and UCF.  Defensive linemen are sought after recruits and Small could be a fixture in the UMass defense in future years. I look forward to watching him play. 

UMass Football News--June 25th, 2026

 

QB Ty McCutcheon makes it official.

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The MAC blog "By the Belt" has a post on the MAC conference team rankings in  2026 EA Sports College Football .

Full list here. UConn is 74. Boston College is next to last in the ACC.

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PA Football News has a post on RB Amari Cannon's commitment to UMass.

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Sacramento State, the new MAC conference member, will be eligible for the college football playoffs and bowl games right away.

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UMass Football News--June 24th, 2026

 The Minuteman Command has an interview with 2027 RB commit Arami Cannon.

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 The UMass "Plant the Flag" podcast has an interview with A.D. Ryan Bamford about the state of UMass athletics in 2026.

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The MAC blog "By the Belt" has a post on one impactful offensive transfer for each MAC team in 2026.

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The networks are starting to publish their 2026 college TV schedules.

ESPN starting schedule is here. 

CBS Sports  starting schedule is here (includes the UMass-UConn game).

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UMass Football Recruiting 2026--Ty McCutcheon commits to UMass

 UMass social media is reporting JUCO QB Ty McCutcheon has committed to UMass

I blogged about McCutcheon back on June 18th. 

 McCutcheon took a OV to UMass last weekend and it looks like it was a good fit for both sides. He should provide depth and leadership in the QB room. Hope he has a great career with the Mionutemen.

 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Amari Cannon commits to UMass

 

Amari Cannon, a 6-1 185 pound RB from Downingtown, PA has committed to UMass.

I blogged about Cannon back on May 23rd. 

Cannon is a good sized RB who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He had 10 total offers and chose UMass over FBS offers from Temple and Kent State.  He should be a strong addition to the 2027 class and I look forward to watching him play for the Minutemen.

UMass Football Recruiting 2026--Michael Streeter

 

UMass has added Australian punter Michael Streeter to the 2026 roster.

This website (scroll down) has a recruiting capsule on Streeter. 

 Streeter gets a mention in this article about Australians prepping for American or Canadian football.

Keegan Andrews was UMass' first FBS All-American and the best punter of the FBS era by a long shot. If Streeter can approach Andrew's production he will win the hearts of UMass fans.

UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Anthony Boniface

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 Anthony Boniface, a 6-6 285 pound OL/DL from Suffield Academy in Suffield, CT has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Boniface also has an offer from UConn. He could play close to home and be part of the new UMass offense in Amherst. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2026--Ty McCutcheon

 Ty McCutcheon, a 6-3 195 pound JUCO QB from Southwestern College in San Diego will take a OV to UMass today.

Went 7 GP 94-155 1,122 yards 60.6% 11 TD's 4 INT's  139.7 EFF for the Jaguars last year.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Southwestern College "X" post about McCutcheon. 

Was a 247Sports three-star player out of HS. 

McCutcheon had Power Four offers from Arizona and Washington State out of HS. He could find a home in Amherst and give the Minutemen some added depth in the quarterback room. 

UMass Football News--June 17th, 2026

 During last weekend's visit 2027 commits  Jack Hinspeter and GaVin English rock the icy whites.

 

 

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UMass was tied for 3rd in the 247Sports 2026 MAC transfer rankings with 25 three-star recruits--that was before RJ Johnson left. 

Still a number of FBS QB's available including quarterbacks from Kent State and NIU.

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HERO Sports reports on rumors about UConn to the PAC-12.

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OT, but UMass rowing led the MAC with 25 selections to the MAC All-Academic team.

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Joel Gomez commits to UMass

 

Joel Gomez, a 6-6 215 pound TE from Manchester, NH has committed to UMass.

Three-star 247Sports athlete. 

I blogged about Gomez back on March 11th. 

This is a nice signing for the Minutemen. Gomez chose UMass over offers from Virginia Tech, Boston College, Rutgers and UConn. He should have a bright future with the resurgent Minuteman offense. 

UMass Football News--The Ides of June 2026

 The MAC Blog "By-the-Belt" has a post on football pundit Phil Steele's preseason All-Mac team.

MAC 2026 favorites Western Michigan and Miami (Ohio) dominate the 1st team selections.

UMass places seven players on the teams. Tyler Martin is first-team defense and Grant Mills makes the 2nd team special teams list. 

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Athlon Sports has a story about the top six Group-of-Five teams for 2026. 

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CBS Sports thinks the new PAC-12 immediately moves to the top of the non-Power conferences. 

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UConn signs a record setting QB.  The Huskies are up to 16 signed players for 2027.

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Boston College flips a Miami (Ohio) recruit.

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Louis Turpin

 

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Louis Turpin, 6-4 225 pound DE from Cheshire Academy, CT has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights from 2024-2025. 

Turpin is originally from Ontario, Canada. Defensive end has been a need for the Minutemen for a long time. He could play FBS football and get an excellent education in Amherst with UMass.

UMass Football News--June 12th, 2026

 UMass QB RJ Johnson III has posted on X he is transferring from UMass

This is a hit to the Minutemen's depth. Since moving to FBS, UMass has struggled to field a FBS-level quarterback. Except for Andrew Ford and Blake Fronapfel  in the Whipple II era, we have not had productive play from the QB position.

If Pop Watson should be injured,  UMass would be left without a proven QB. 

Remaining QB's would include redshirt sophomore Will Perry, true freshman Aedan McCarthy   and Drake transfer Logan Inagawa.

Inagawa was a three-star recruit out of HS. His Bulldogs bio here.

The Minutemen will probably try to add a QB transfer over the summer. 

 

UMass Football News--June 11th, 2026

 The Minuteman Command has a post-spring Wide Receiver review.

If the Minutemen are to improve in 2026, an improvement in the productivity of the wide receivers is strongly needed. We were flatly terrible in 2025. The top two receivers had a combined ZERO touchdowns. There was no deep threat at all (a tight end had the longest reception of the year).

When Ty Harding went down, that effectively stopped the UMass passing game. As in a dead stop. 

This year Harding is back and if his injury did not reduce his skills, he should make a significant improvement in production. 

Joe Griffin is a legitimate FBS WR and had a productive two years with Boston College.  If he can regain his former level of production, UMass could have a double threat at wide receiver.

Coach Harasymiak has recruited well in his first two years and I think freshmen WR's Tavian Dashiell, Kai Owens and  David Moore are true FBS-level receivers. If they're good in this era, then they'll be gone in a year or two, so why not play them while they're here?

There has also been a positive buzz about freshman WR Drew Alsup. Nobody made any plays for UMass last year. Alsup seems to be the type of guy who will make some if given the chance.

 Overall, the talent level seems much improved from 2025. Now it's up to them to show it on the field.

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UMass opens it's season with Rutgers. Sports Illustrated previews the Big Ten and ranks the Scarlet Knights well,--- at least ahead of Purdue. 

SB-Nation looks at Rutgers schedule and predicts a 5-7 season with a "big, big" win over UMass. 

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027-Alex Haywood

"X" image

 

Alex Haywood, a 6-5 220 pound TE from Charlotte, NC has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

MaxPreps has stats. 

2025 All-Conference. 

Haywood has 14 offers. Coastal Carolina has offered from FBS. Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Colgate and more have offered from FCS. He could get an excellent East Coast education and play FBS-level football with the Minutemen.
  

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Michael Harden Jr

 

"X" image

Michael Harden, Jr, a 6-2 215 pound LB from Xaverian Bros HS In MA has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

For 2025 Harden had 54 TT, 7 TFL, 5 SACKS, 1 INT and 1 FF.

Harden has an FBS offer from Army. From FCS, he has offers from Albany, Brown, Maine, URI and more. He could play FBS-level football and play in front of friends and family with the Minutemen in Amherst. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Jireh Puka Aleaga

 

Jim Dolan image

Jireh Puka Aleaga, a 6-3 305 pound OL from Henderson, NV has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

All-Conference and All-City at Fort Hamilton HS, NY 

UMass is the first FBS offer for Aleaga. He has FCS offers from Bryant and VMI. The Minutemen need offensive line talent and he could find a home and a great education in Amherst. 

UMass Football News--June 6th, 2026

 

UMass ledgend Rene Ingoglia named to the 2026 College football Hall-of-Fame ballot.

2026 full ballot here. 

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The MAC blog "By-the-Belt" explores the proposed College Sports Act.

BTB also looks at the TV broadcast history of four MAC teams. 

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Athlon Sports predicts the 2026 MAC conference. 

The Athlon Sports 2026 college football magazine is out. 

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The official 2026-2027 college football bowl and playoff schedule is out. 

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UMass Football Recruiting 2030--Luke Maurino

"X" image

 Luke Maurino, a 6-3 200 pound WR from Melville, NY has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has highlight video. 

Offensive MVP of this camp. 

UMass was the first school to offer Maurino. He could play FBS-level football and receive an excellent education in Amherst with the Minutemen. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Samuel Nurse

 

Hudl.com image

Samuel Nurse, a 6-2 IOL/DT from Garfield Heights, OH has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

MVP offensive lineman in this camp. 

Nurse has an offer from Marshal. Miami (Ohio), Akron and Kent State have offered from the MAC. Nurse is a good athlete. He could play either line in college. UMass offers an excellent education and lots of playing time up for grabs. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Jordan Shambley

 

Gary Crosby image

Jordan Shambley, a 6-2 183 pound QB from Tuscaloosa, AL has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

MaxPreps has stats. 

MVP of Rivals camp. 

Shambley has offers from North Alabama, Troy and Jax State. He's a excellent athlete who could thrive in the new-look Minuteman offense. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Charles Carpender-Simms

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 Charles Carpender-Simms, a 6-2 190 pound DB/WR from Brookline, MA has a UMass offer. 

 Hudl.com has video highlights.

 Carpender-Simms has FBS offers from Navy and Delaware. Several FCS programs have also offered. He has FBS size and could play on either side of the ball in college. He could play in front of friends and family and get an excellent education with the Minutemen in Amherst. 

 

UMass Football Recruiting 2026--Jabari Lewis commits to UMass

 

 

Jabari Lewis, a 5-11 180 pound WR transfer from Fort Hays State University has committed to UMass.

Tigers bio here. 

Played in 25 games and recorded 59 receptions, 766 receiving yards, 225 kick return yards, 10 rushing yards, 2 tackles and 5 touchdowns (2023-25 seasons).

2023 247Sports page here.  Lewis was offered by UMass in 2023. He also had a Power Four offer from Syracuse. Akron, FIU and Florida Atlantic also offered. Lewis should add depth and productivity to the Minuteman WR room, who certainly needed reinforcements after last year.

UMass Football News--May 30th, 2026

 The Minuteman Command has a short interview with Don Bosco HC Dan Sabella. He talks about the commitment of Jack Hinspeter to the Minutemen and believes Coach Harasymiak is on the right track for improvement.

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The MAC blog "By-the-Belt" interviews second year Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich. 

UMass and Ball State meet November 4th in Amherst this year. Last year the Cardinals went to New England and beat New Hampshire and lost to UConn.

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College Football News previews the 2026 edition of Bowling Green and predicts a 5-7 season with a win over UMass.

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Big 12 coaches unanimously voted to expand the college football playoffs to 24 teams. 

The SEC is divided between a 16 and 24 team playoff. 

Sports Illustrated thinks a 24 team playoff is a good idea.

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UMass Recruiting 2026--Colin Reynolds commits to UMass

 

Colin Reynolds, a 6-4 255 pound DE grad transfer from Holy Cross has committed to UMass.

Crusaders bio here. 

Video highlights here. 

In 2025 Reynolds went 12 GP 4 GS 25 TT 4 TFL 2 SACKS and 1 FF. Good numbers for a DL.

Reynolds should add experience and talent to a totally revised Minuteman defensive line. It will be fun watching him play in 2026. 

UMass Football News--May 28th, 2026

 The Minuteman Command has a video interview with Jack Hinspeter, the first member of the 2027 recruiting class.

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Lineup.com has MAC championship win odds. 

Note that the Minutemen are a huge bottom feeder in the odds. The second lowest team Ball State is at +10,000. UMass is +25000. That might be worth a $20 bet..

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HERO Sports has an FCS 2026 prediction. Rhode Island has had back-to-back 11-3 seasons is rated #8 preseason for 2026 in the HERO article. More food for discussion the Rams should jump to FBS and join the MAC, which would return to UMass an old rival in basketball and football.

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HREO Sports also looks at the MAC conference's football budgets. 

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UMass releases kickoff times and media coverage for six 2026 football games. 

The Friday night game at UConn on the CBS Sports Network should give the Minutemen some national exposure.

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The MAC Conference blog "By-the-Belt" has an article on the entire 2026 conference TV schedule. 

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UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Douglas Thompson

 

Douglas Thompson, a 6-2 190 pound WR/DB/OLB from Philadelphia, PA has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has video Highlights. 

Also ran track. 

Thompson has offers from Akron and Howard. He has an FBS frame and could play either side of the ball in College. There is lots of playing time up for grabs in Amherst as well as an excellent education. 

UMass Football News--May 26th, 2026

 

RB Justin Williams-Thomas

The Minuteman Command has a post-spring review of the UMass running backs.

IMHO, except for Pop  Watson, the running backs have the chance to provide the biggest improvement impact in 2026.

In 2025, UMass was #131 out of 134 FBS teams in net rushing. We were next to last in rushing TD's with 6 total for the season. QB Grant Jordan accounted for 2 of the six, so running UMass running backs scored 4 TD's for the season.

We averaged 2.81 yards/carry and 82.4 rushing yards a game. 

Moving the running game to FBS average (about 150 yards/game) would  make a big improvement in the Minuteman offense. Not to mention making Pop Watson look good.

UMass added Jordan Washington and Justin Williams-Thomas through the transfer portal.

I also like true freshmen TK Davis and Justin Lewis.

I didn't get the transfer portal 240-pound FB/H back I wanted, but Washington and Williams-Thomas have decent size.  

Last year we rushed for 101 net yards against FCS Bryant and 69 net yards against Bowling Green (the next-to-last team in the MAC). Hopefully, that's in the past.

Go UMass! 

Memorial Day--2026

 

Hope all UMass fans, players and staff have a peaceful Memorial Day. Please remember the Fallen and those who made sacrifices to make this quiet weekend possible.

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Amari Cannon

 

Amari Cannon, a 6-1 185 pound RB from Downington, PA has a UMass offer.

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

1,046 rushing yards and 319 Receiving yards in 2025. 

Cannon (good name for a RB) has 10 offers including UMass, Temple and Kent State from FBS. He could be part of the Minutemen resurgence and get an excellent education in Amherst. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Jack Hinspeter commits to UMass

 

 

The Minuteman Command has New Jersey LB Jack Hinspeter commits to UMass.

Don Bosco Prep coach Dan Sabella comments on Hinspeter's joining the Minutemen.  

New Jersey Sports Zone has some highlight film and reports on Hinspeter's commitment.  

I blogged about Hinspeter's recruitment back on April 15th. 

Hinspeter is an excellent beginning to the 2027 class. I look forward to following his career with the Minutemen.

UMass Football News--May 21st, 2026

 The MAC blog "By-the-Belt" has a detailed breakdown of the MAC Conference's options
on it's 2027 media package.

This warrants careful reading. The upcoming media package is a big deal for UMass. The media money will be a major source of income for the athletic dept. 

The MAC's last package was too long in duration. As the article relates, ESPN went through multiple revisions during the lifetime of the contract. Sports viewership is a big part of today's media. The traditional networks have imploded and sports provides, in many cases, the only thing to watch.

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The proposal that the Big 10 and the SEC pool their media rights is controversial.  

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Who would televise the proposed 24-team college football playoff? 

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Ben Tagianetti

 

Ben Tagianetti, a 6-3 305 pound IOL from Williston-Northampton will take an OV to UMass in June.

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Tagianetti has 17 offers including Army and Navy. Buffalo has offered from the MAC. He is scheduled to take OV's to UMass and Temple. The Minutemen offer a opportunity to join the new look UMass offense and stay in New England. 

UMass Football News--May 19th, 2026

 

The Minuteman Command has a post-spring quarterback review.

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The MAC Blog "By the Belt" predicts the starting QB for all 13 MAC teams. 

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 The UMass athletic dept has a video interview with Coach Harasymiak after Spring ball.

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UConn to the PAC-12?

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Seth Kidd

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 Seth Kidd, a 6-2 285 pound DL from Itawamba Community College has a UMass offer.

Indians bio here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Kidd had 30 TT and 4.5 SACKs in nine games for the Indians. That's good production for a DL.

Kidd has a Power Four offer from Kansas State. UMass, Louisiana Tech, Jax State, Southern Miss and Troy have offered from Group-of-Five. He could get an excellent education and the potential for lots of playing time with the Minutemen.

UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Demetrius Ingram

 

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Demetrius Ingram, a 6-1 185 pound Safety from Miami, FL has a UMass offer.

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

 24 minute interview with Ingram.

MaxPreps has stats. 

Ingram has 20+ offers including more than 12 Power Four bids including Auburn, Cal, Florida State, Illinois and more. Syracuse and Pitt have offered from the northeast. Sacramento State and Western Michigan have offered from the MAC.  He could get an quality  education and early playing time with the Minutemen.

UMass Football Recruiting 2029--Cortland Florence

 

Cortland Florence, a 6-0 165 pound Athlete from, Hallandale, FL has a UMass offer.

Hudl.com has freshman highlights. 

Only a freshman, Florence already has Power Four offers from SMU, Miami and North Carolina. UMass, Temple, FIU and Eastern Carolina have offered from Group-of-Five. Florence could play either side of the ball in college. He could get a fine education and play FBS-level football with the Minutemen in Amherst. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2026--Hollis Dirstine commits to UMass

 

Hollis Dirstine, a 6-2 285 pound graduate transfer DL from Bryant University has committed to UMass.

Dirstine's Bulldogs bio here. 

This article covers Dirstine's contributions to the Bryant game against UNLV in 2023. 

Dirstine has appeared in 33 games for the Bulldogs and should be a solid addition to the Minuteman defensive line. 

UMass Football News--May 13th, 2026

 Athlon Sports ranks the MAC's coaches. A highly subjective topic.

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Athlon also has a post on the number of returning starters for all 136 FBS teams. 

My impression is the Power Four teams (on average) seem to have more returning starters than Group-of-Five squads. Probably because Group-of-Five starters get poached and Power Four starters get swapped between other Power Four teams.

 In the MAC, Western Michigan leads the pack with 10 returning starters.

Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State and Miami (Ohio) return 9 starters.

UMass, Akron, Ball State, Buffalo and Ohio return 6.

Sacramento State returns 3 starters.

Toledo, dealing with a coaching change, returns just 1. 

UConn (also dealing with a coaching change)returns 1 starter. 

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ACC leaders support a 24 team college football playoff. 

So does Florida State's Mike Norvell.

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Last year UMass played Missouri and Tigers RB Ahmad Hardy ran for 138 yards and three TD's. He was recently released from a hospital after being shot..

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UMass Football Recruiting 2027--LJ Funk

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 LJ Funk, a 6-3 190 pound QB from Nashville, TN has a UMass offer.

247Sports page here. 

MaxPreps has stats. 5,000 passing yards and 54 TD's.

Hudl.com has video highlights.

This article features Funk (you'll have to swat down several pop-up ads). 

Funk has 21 offers including Toledo from the MAC. Liberty and Delaware have offered and a number of other Group-of-Five schools. He could be part of the new Minuteman offense and get an excellent East Coast education in Amherst.

UMass Football News--May 11th, 2026

 College Football News does a detailed preview of the 2026 Minutemen and predicts a 2-10 season.

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The MAC Conference blog "By the Belt" explores the possibility of two MAC teams playing in Toronto. 

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 FBS Schedules.com has more on the new MAC-affiliated Puerto Rico Bowl.

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A 24-game college football playoff gains momentum. 

This would be wonderful for UMass. A 24 team playoff would include all conference champions. That would mean the MAC conference (and UMass) would directly receive some of the huge amount of revenue the playoffs generate.

In addition, win the MAC conference and go to the college football playoffs! That's a goal that would make any team (and their fans) scalps tingle.

The MAC champion would probably be rated one of the lower ranked teams in the playoff, which in turn mean a game against the top of the rankings like Alabama or Ohio State. That would be an awesome trip. In following UMass, I've been to Penn State, Kansas State, Michigan and Texas Tech. Visiting another big time program would be great.

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UMass Football News--May 9th, 2026

 If you missed the WMUA interview with Thorr Bjorn it's well worth your time to watch.

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The MAC conferece blog "By the Belt" has a couple of interesting articles.

They interview new Kent state coach Mark Carney. Mrs Blog and I went to the Kent State game in 2025 and believe me their facilities are in no way superior to UMass'. If they can win games, so can we.

The MAC conference will participate in the new Puerto Rico Bowl. 

Note: the Bahamas Bowl is defunct. The last edition was played on January 4, 2025 (Buffalo vs. Liberty).

For 2026 the MAC will have the following opportunities. 

Primary/direct:Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (vs. Mountain West)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (vs. Mountain West)

Secondary/shared (MAC gets spots based on availability, geography, and rankings):68 Ventures Bowl (vs. Sun Belt)
Boca Raton Bowl (Group of 6 pool)
Cure Bowl (Group of 6)
Frisco Bowl (Group of 6)
Salute to Veterans Bowl (vs. Sun Belt or others)
Myrtle Beach Bowl (shared)
Others like New Mexico Bowl or Puerto Rico Bowl as needed. 

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CBS Sports looks at the 2026 CFP and all of 2026 bowls.

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UMass Football Recruiting 2028--Riley Selvais

 

Hudl.com image

Riley Selvais, a 6-0 190 pound WR from St. John's Prep in Danvers, MA has a UMass offer

247Sports page here. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

This article from December 2025 features Selvais. 

Selvais has a Power Four offer from Purdue. UMass and Georgia State have offered from Group-of-Five. He could get an excellent education and play in front of friends and family with the new look Minuteman offense in Amherst. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Tylek Lewis

"X" image

 Tylek Lewis, a 6-0 210 pound RB from Zachary, LA has a UMass offer

247Sports three-star player. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

Averaged 9.7 yards/carry in 2025. 

Lewis has 14+ offers. Arkansas, Arizona, Northwestern and West Virginia have offered from Power Four. UConn, Tulsa, Tulane and many more have offered from Group-of-Five. Lewis could get a quality East Coast education and see early playing time in Amherst with the Minutemen. 

UMass Football Recruiting 2027--Moreno Fisher

 

247Sports image

Moreno Fischer, a 6-7 275 OT from Charlotte, North Carolina, has a UMass offer.

247Sports three-star player. 

Hudl.com has video highlights. 

All-Conference last year. 

Bsides UMass, Fisher has an offer from Toledo in the MAC. North Carolina has offered from Power Four. Local FBS teams East Carolina, Charlotte,  Coastal Carolina and Liberty have offered from the Group-of-Five. Fischer could get a quality Northeast education and play FBS football with the resurgent Minuteman offense.