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| Hudl.com image |
Hudl.com has video highlights.
This article covers his signing with UMass. in 2025 Morgan went 34-588 5 TD's, on defense he had 27 TT and 2 INT's
UMass needs productive WR's. Morgan should have a chance to develop his craft, earn a scholarship and make an impact with the Minutemen.
UMass social media reports Maurice Barnes, Jr, a 6-2 200 pound LB from Harrisburg, PA will join the Minutemen as a preferred walk-on.
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
Raw Sports has a capsule post on Barnes.
Barnes had multiple offers back in 2024 including MAC teams Kent State and Akron. The Minutemen need defensive improvement and Barnes should have a wide open chance to earn a scholarship and make an impact in Amherst.
Isaiah Simmonds, a 5-9 175 pound WR from West Roxbury, MA has committed to UMass as a preferred walk-on.
Hudl.com has video.
MaxPreps has stats. In his senior season Simmonds went 27-427 17.1 AVE 5 TD's receiving. Also rushed for 24-388 16.2 AVE and 2 TD's.
UMass needs offensive talent and Simmonds should be in a place where he can develop and earn a scholarship. It will be interesting to follow his career with the Minutemen.
Jake McGrath, a 6-7 295 pound OL from Cambridge, MA has committed to UMass as a preferred walk-on.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
UMass needs offensive linemen and has an excellent weight-training and performance facility. McGrath has a pro-sized frame and should have a great opportunity to develop a and earn a scholarship.
The Minuteman Command has a post on David Sanger, a 6-4 285 pound OL from Williston-Northampton.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
I saw his father David Sanger punt for the Minutemen back in the day. The elder Sanger's punting rank in the UMass record book is:
His father was 2nd team All-American in 2001 and 1st team All-Atlantic 10 the same year.
Sanger the younger could keep the family streak going in Amherst.
They wouldn't let UMass do that, but I don't mind. One big negative of being an independent was no league media revenue. In 2027 the MAC's current media contract expires. There is hope the MAC will sign a much more lucrative contract at that time. College sports is one of the few popular TV offerings these days. MACtion has been a ratings success.
Sacramento is a much bigger media market than Akron or Athens. This would be good for the league and UMass. And the Minutemen's share of the $15 million entry fee would not hurt either..
Hustle Belt reports here.
Yahoo Sports reports here.
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UMass adds Rich Worsell as offensive analyst. Worsell has extensive coaching experience including time in the MAC at Toledo.
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And from the invaluable Babylon Bee:
BTW, the first 2026 UMass football roster is up.
The Minutemen had a dismal defensive result in 2025. A big part of the 0-12 result was from the UMass pass defense.
Temple (a 5-7 team) went 22-29 246 yards and 6 passing TD's against the UMass defense. Bryant (a 3-8 FCS team) threw for 318 yards and 3 TD's, which included a seemingly effortless game winning drive in the fourth quarter.
The Minutemen were #56 in pass yards given up, but were #116 in yards per completion.
UMass was #135 (next to last) in pass defense efficiency.
UMass added Jahmad Harmon from Ball State/Kent State, Isaiah Reed from Brown and Chris Stanley from Garden City C.C.
They also added Michael Robinson (corrected name) from Rutgers in the STAR position.
Reed should be an instant starter at one corner. Both Harmon and Stanley should compete to start on the other side.
Nick Sabin probably made the STAR position famous at Alabama. The STAR is usually a hybred linebacker/strong safety. Teams usually pull the MLB and use the STAR (as a fifth defensive secondary guy) in pass coverage, but also are responsible for run defense and can also blitz. The STAR position is sorta like a weak side linebacker with more coverage radius.
Robinson should know Harasymiak's defense coming from Rutgers. He should give Minutemen DC Jared Keyte some package options.
I would give the transfer additions as a potential sold "B". I think UMass added a starter at one corner and maybe the other side too.
UMass gained their first commitment of the 2027 recruiting cycle as GaVin English, a 6-4 285 pound OL from Springfield, MA has committed to the Minutemen.
I've blogged about English before.
Great that UMass has added some Western Mass talent to the roster. I look forward to following English's career with the Minutemen.
The MAC-centric website "Hustle Belt" is closing. The site was a high quality source for information and news of MAC teams.
With the dead tree media effectively--- dead, sites like Hustle Belt provided a lot of interesting news and commentary for a Group-of-Five league.
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Yahoo Sports reports Sacramento State is looking to join a FBS conference with the MAC as one of the top interests.
The MAC's media package is up for bids in 2027. With the popularity of college football in an all-time high, the MAC should be able to negotiate a considerable increase in media money. Sacramento State is in a good media market and that would help.
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The Mountain West eyes streaming media for additional revenue.
Hey, I'm paying ESPN+ $12.99/month to watch UMass men's and women's basketball and hockey. I could be paying that to the UMass athletic dept..
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And finally,
Aidan Canty-Whitt, a 6-3 285 pound IOL from Concord, MA has joined the Minutemen as a PWO.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
UMass needs offensive linemen. Canty-Whitt has good skills and has a chance to earn a scholarship and beyond in Amherst.
The Minuteman Command has an interview with English during his Junior Day visit to UMass.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
UMass needs offensive linemen. English could play in front of friends and family in Amherst and join the Pop Warner and Joe Griffin talent pipeline with the Minutemen.
If you missed it, all the original starting offensive linemen from 2025 left/graduated. LT Luke Painton, LG Sullivan Weidman, C Benjamin Roy, RG Mao Glynn and RT Ryan Mosesso all are gone.
The offensive line was not a strong point last year. I went to most of the games and watched 'em all on DVR. I can't think of a game where we dominated the line of scrimmage. I've blogged about our nearly last in FBS rushing totals.
For the season, UMass went 54-172 31% on third downs. The Minutemen went 6-26 on fourth downs 23%. Those are really bad numbers. A stop on fourth down is a turnover. Stops on 3rd downs are effectively turnovers. A first down at the end of the game would have won the Bryant and Buffalo contests. A lot of that was due to offensive line play.
Brock Taylor started some games later in the season. Jaxon King, Payton Miller and Zachary Franks are probably the top returning offensive linemen.
UMass added Aitor Unionabarrenechea from Colorado State. Greg Knox from McNeese State, and Greg Klingensmith from William & Mary. All three will probably start.
Still, I think this leaves the O-line room pretty thin. I would grade the potential improvement here as a "C" (primarily because of numbers).
If I was coach and I had enough NIL money for two additional players, I'd spend it on two offensive linemen. If I had NIL for three, I'd spend it on three offensive linemen.
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| Hudl.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
This article covers his offer from Northwestern.
Wallace has Power Four offers from Cincinnati, Kansas State, Northwestern and Purdue. Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan have offered from the MAC. UMass needs offensive linemen and Wallace could be in the mix early in Amherst.
UMass formerly announces hiring Max Warner as offensive coordinator.
Hopefully, Warner will have a lot more offensive talent to work with this year. Former Minuteman OC Mike Bajakian directed the worst offense in college football, but was hired away by Power Four Michigan State, which leads to the conclusion the problem was talent, not coaching.
The Daily Collegian has a post on Warner's hiring.
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Western Michigan's DC is hired as defensive coordinator for the Los Angles Chargers.
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Miami (of Florida) signs an OT with a $1.9 million NIL tag.
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| USA Today image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video highlights.
This article covers his recruitment by Michigan State.
This article discusses his recruitment by Power Four teams.
Spillers has fifteen offers including Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and more. Bowling Green, Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan have offered from the MAC. Spillers is a versatile athlete and he would have a chance to play early in Amherst.
Like every other stat for 2025 receiving totals were dismal. UMass lost T.Y. Harding for the season early and that made a big dent in playmaking. Harding accounted for 719 total yards in 2024 (receiving 334, punt returns 109 and kickoff returns 276).
Jacquon Gibson was the only WR threat in 2025. Gibson went 63-613 9.8 yards/catch. But he had ZERO TD's. Of UMass' 8 receiving TD's, four were caught by TE's. Gibson left in the transfer portal and ended up with Virginia.
I think UMass made a big signing with Joe Griffin Jr. He had a productive career with Boston College. I think he has the size and skills to to make an impact for the Minutemen.
The T.Y. Harding, Joe Griffin combo should give UMass an effective passing threat.
UMass also added DII Devin Matthews. He went 36-649 yards and 7 TD's in 2025. Matthews is 5-9 and probably will play the slot receiver.
The Minutemen also signed a talented freshman class with Drew Alsep, Tavian Dashell, David Moore and Kai Owens. I can see several of those players contributing in 2026. Wide receiver is one position a true freshman can play.
Owens is one of the highest-rated true freshmen ever to sign with UMass. If he gets in and is productive, I'd burn his redshirt (if he agrees) if needed.
I'm excited about the 2026 WR room and I think that room added the most talent on offense.
I'd give the 2026 WR additions a potential grade of "A".
Last year's rushing results for the Minutemen were horrifying. We finished #131 out of 134 in rushing offense.
Against Temple, (who finished 5-7 in 2025) we had 103 net yards rushing and 41 of those 103 came on one rush by Rocco Griffin (who had a good opening quarter against the Owls and then disappeared for the rest of the year).
Against a 3-8 FCS team Bryant, we rushed for 101 yards and 19 (one fifth) came on one play by Grant Jordan. One rushing first down at the end of the game would have won it for UMass.
Against Buffalo, the game we came the closest to winning, we rushed for 187 yards, but 90 of those yards came on one play by Brandon Hood. For the rest of the game we rushed 43 times for 97 yards.
In the last game of the season in the "Bottom Bowl" against Bowling Green, on our own field, UMass rushed 29 times for 69 net yards, 2.4 yards/rush.
Being unable to run the ball makes the QB look bad. If the defense can disregard the running game, they can pin their ears back and rush the passer, which they did with abandon in 2025.
Fixing the run game will make a major impact on UMass' chances in 2026.
UMass added Jordan Washington. He has good size and had a decent season for the Racers in 2025.
The Minutemen also added Justin Williams-Thomas a transfer from Cal/Marshall. Williams-Thomas was a highly rated RB out of HS, but so far has been unable to generate much playing time in college.
I really like true freshman recruit TK Davis. I'm also high on true freshman Justin Lewis.
A freshman can play in four games without burning their redshirt. If I were the UMass coach, I'd get Davis and Lewis reps in eight games this year. We need production.
I'd give the potential upgrade here as a B minus. We did not sign an instant All-MAC running back , but the expectation is UMass will move up from awful. I think Davis and Lewis have talent to move the meter even further in future years.
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| On3.com image |
247Sports page here.
Hudl.com has video.
This article covers his recruiting by Michigan.
This article writes about his offer from Michigan State.
Willis has over 20 offers including Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati and more. Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Western Michigan and Kent State have offered from the MAC. Willis would have the opportunity to start early in Amherst and also get an East Coast education.
I got sucked in by the excitement of the transfer portal and resumed Sunday blogging. Now that it seems the bulk of the transfers have arrived, I'm going back to taking Sundays off until Fall camp starts.
Everybody stay warm and I'll see you tomorrow!
