Saturday--July 2, 2011

ESPN Boston reports that QB Michael Walsh has committed to Brown. He chose Brown over Harvard, UNH and UMass. I've blogged about Walsh before.

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A Maryland blog previews Alex Twine, a LB who chose the Terps over UMass and some other CAA schools.

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Jeff Thomas has a short article on the BC Lions-Montreal Alouettes game I reported on yesterday.

He mentions Sean Smalls as the only other Minuteman playing in the CFL.

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Off topic: Kentucky gives John Calipari a $36.5 million contract extension.

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Craig Haley of TSN has a column about CAA bottom-feeder Towson.

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"Eagle in Atlanta" blogger says Boston College will likely have new uniforms when we play them this fall.

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CSI New Hampshire:

Why I never go the the big city. The Terror Clowns of Manchester.

Recruiting 2011--Rodney Mills

Under Armour image

Matty V. reports UMass has signed Rodney Mills, 6-2 210 pd LB/S from Gainesville, FL.

This article features Mills signing with UMass.

Another article about his signing with the Minutemen here.

Mills' Under Armour combine page here.

Recruiting 2011--Brandon Yelovich

Rice University image

Matty V. reports UMass has added Brandon Yelovich a transfer kicker from Rice.

Recruiting 2012---Tashon Whitehurst

Under Armour image

Rivals.com reports UMass has offered to Tashon Whitehurst, a 6-3 187 pd OLB from Gainsville, Fl.

Whitehurst's Rivals page here.

This story features him.

YouTube highlight film here.

Whitehurst has offers from Marshall, North Carolina State, Syracuse and Western Michigan.

Recruiting 2011--Cequaniti Ford

The Ledger-Enquirer.com says UMass has offered to Cequanti Ford, 5-8 180 pd RB/DB from Carver HS in Columbus, GA.

The Ledger-Enquirer article here.

Ford is from the same HS as 2011 UMass recruit Jarvis Bentley.

Drawing interest from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia.

Recruiting 2011---Treyvon Hester

A Scout.com image

Scout.com reports UMass has offered to Treyvon Hester, a 6-3 275 pd OG/DL from Penn Hills HS in Pittsburg.

Hester's Scout.com page here.

YouTube highlight film here.

This article features him.

Hester was named MVP of the recent Nike State College camp.

Hester has offers from MAC schools Kent State, Temple and Toledo. Interest from Pitt and Cincinnati.

Recruiting 2011--Antony Arcari II

I've blogged about Anthony Arcari before.

The 5-11 185 pd Athlete signed with DII Merrimack.

Note that the article says Merrimack is thinking about going Division I in a few years. I hadn't heard that.

Recruiting 2011-- Derek Beck II

I've blogged before about Derek Beck, a 6-3 190 pd WR from Martinsville, NJ. Beck signed a 2011 letter of intent to play for the Minutemen.

He ran a 11.2 100 meters and a 22.5 200 meters in the 21st Skyland Conference Champinship. Beck won both events.

Recruiting 2011--Ryan Phillips

Phillips #56. A Wilton Villager image

The Wilton Villager reports that Ryan Phillips, a 6-1 220 pd LB from Wilton, CT HS will join the Minutemen as a preferred walk-on.

Story here.

Another story here.

Phillips was All-FCIAC and ALL-State.

He chose UMass over UNH and William & Mary.

Recruiting 2011--Anthony Arcari

New England PrepStars Image

UMass is interested in recruiting Anthony Arcari, a 5-11 185 pd RB, from Tewksbury, MA as both a track athlete and as a walkon for football.

Story here.

A story featuring Arcari here.

Arcari will play in the June Shrine All-Star game.

He was the MVC sprint champion.

Recruiting 2012---- A. J. Doyle II

Back on March 2nd I blogged about UMass offering to A. J. Doyle, a 6-2 226 pd QB from Boston.

Roger Brown of ESPN has an update on his recruiting. Doyle has added an offer from Western Michigan and is receiving interest from Boston College.

Recruiting 2011-- T.J. Keefer

Keefer #12. A J.D. Cavrich/Altoona Mirror image

The 2011 UMass recruiting class has increased by one as T.J. Keefer a 6-1 180 pd WR/DB from Hollidaysburg HS in PA became a preferred walk-on.

Altoona Mirror story about Keefer here.

Highlight video here.

Keefer went 53-1,230 13 TD's. He was Class AAA All-State. Also Altoona-Mirror All-County and All-Area.

Welcome to the Minutemen, T.J.!

Recruiting 2011---Randall Jette III

Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times image

The Cape Cod Times has an article on UMass recruit Randall Jette.He's projected to be a CB or S in college ball.

The 6-0 175 pd Jette runs a 4.5 40 and has a 37-inch verticle jump.

Jette ran for 953 yards and 19TD's in his senior season. Added 587 more yards and 4 TD's passing.

I've blogged about Jette twice before.

2011 UMass recruiting review I

"Quantity has a quality all its own"-----Joseph Stalin

When looking at a recruiting class there are a number of things to consider. One of those things is the number of recruits.

Consider Northeastern. I looked at the CAA press guides over the last couple of years. The Huskies signed 9 players in 2007 and 11 in 2008. Do the math yourself and figure how many scholarships Northeastern was giving.

Rhode Island had half a stadium and was offering about 58 scholarships for a number of years.

The plain fact is fans come to see you win, not compete. If you want to win and compete with the big-buck outfits like Delaware and JMU, you have to give the coaches the resources needed to do the job.

The Huskies are gone forever and the Rams are headed for the NEC. One of reasons that happened was decisions made years ago on scholarships.

The CAA recruiting classes for 2011 are here. Note that Delaware, JMU and William & Mary signed 15. Richmond signed 17 and Villanova 18. Rhode Island, on its way to the NEC, signed 12.

UMass recruiting over the last four years (note that I am basing this on the signing day press releases. UMass has added some late recruits each year, but I'm not going to try to figure out late additions for each year).

• 2008 16 recruits
• 2009 19 recruits 
• 2010 17 recruits
• 2011 25 recruits.

The "ideal" FCS class is 17 recruits because FCS teams can give 63 scholarships spread over a maximum of 85 players.

One of the reasons for the big 2011 class could be the losses in the 2008 class. That class brought in Tyler Holmes, Staphane Milhim, Quinton Sales, Charles Thompson and D.J. Adeoba among others. However, Korry Davis, Corey Eason, Terrance Farris, Kurt Filler (Farris and Fuller were JUCO Juniors), Raymond Jones, Gilbert Parson and Warren Wilson are no longer with the program.

To me, with this class, it looks like UMass will continue to compete and win.

Recruiting 2011--Chase Danska III

The Martinez News Gazette (CA)  has some coverage of Chase Danska's signing with UMass.

I've blogged before about Danska, a 6-0 187 pd JUCO WR.

The article above has some of Danska's 2009 stats that we haven't seen before.

Recruiting 2011--Elgin Long

MaxPreps image

The last 2011 recruit for the Minutemen was Elgin Long, a 5-10 180 pd WR from Arlington, TX.

Went 28-720 25.7 AVE 91 LONG in his last season for Arlington-Bowie.

Welcome to UMass Elgin!

Recruiting 2011--Kyle Morgan

Be Recruited image

On February 7th, UMass announced Kyle Morgan, a 6-3 265 DL from Milford, MA had been added to the 2011 recruiting class.

Morgan was Central MA Div I All-Star. All-State Honorable Mention.

YouTube highlight video here.

In his senior year he went 33 UT 66TT 10 Sacks 12 TFL. Ran 4.7 40, benches 365.

Welcome to UMass Kyle!

Recruiting 2011--Ben Patrick II

This article from ESPN Boston indicates that Ben Patrick, a 5-9 179 pd CB/RB will walk on for the Minutemen in 2011.

I've blogged about Patrick before.

Welcome to UMass Ben!

Recruiting 2011--Mike Wegzyn

Image credit unknown

On LOI Day, UMass revealed that Mike Wegzyn, a 6-5 QB from Knoxville, TN had signed with the Minutemen.

Wegzyn is an ESPN two-star recruit.

Also two stars from Scout.com.

This article features him.

Eleven players from Knoxville Catholic signed LOI's.

Recruiting workout video here.

2010 highlight video here.

Chose UMass over offers from MAC schools Buffalo and Eastern Michigan.

Welcome to UMass Mike!

Recruiting 2011--John McGrath

Joining the Minutemen in 2011 will be John McGrath, a 6-3 255 pd TE from Hamden CT/ Kent School.

Had 16-270 16.8 AVE 2 TD's at Kent as well as 24 tackles and 8 sacks on defense.Two year captain and four year starter in lacrosse at Hamden.

Welcome to the Minutemen John!