Tuesday--August 9th, 2016

Howard Herman of the Berkshire Eagle covers the Minutemen's first day of practice.

Dan Malone has a report from the first day of practice and says Ross Comis is #1 so far.

Malone has a photo gallery from the first practice.

Matty Vautour reports from the practice. He notes Sekai Lindsay and Khari Bailey-Smith are healthy. He also says true freshman Taylor Edwards will not play in 2016 due to a injury and Jon Lucier went down with an injury in the first practice.

John Connolly of the Boston Herald has a post on the first practice.

Andrew Cyr of the UMass Daily Collegian says Comis and Andrew Ford are close.

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The Ralphie Report has rule changes for the 2016 season. Mostly concerns the targeting rule.

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Antonio Callaway is still in limbo for the Gators opener against UMass.

The Gators, like UMass, are seeking a new QB.

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Image by George Walker IV

Besides catching passes, Tajae Sharpe is field kicks and punts.

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USA Today previews the ACC and ranks BC last in the Coastal Division and has no Eagles in the preseason All-Conference team.

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Monday--August 8th, 2016

Fall camps starts today! The Fall football roster is up.

Gone from the Spring roster are:

Jarell Addo ILB
Jon Derolus WR
P.Ekpen Iduoze DL
Darren Josey WR (out all last year with injury)
Kenny Kern FB
Lamarriel Taylor WR (transferred to Montana)
Andrew Verboys QB (transferred to Delaware)
Austin Whipple QB
Mehki Williams RB

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The Boston Herald previews the 2016 Minutemen.

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ESPN Gainsville previews Florida's QB's.

The same site says the Gators don't want you to like them.

SEC Country has sights and sounds from Florida's first practice.

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The Tennessean says the Titans are loaded at WR.

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Victor Cruz is not looking explosive in the Giants camp.

Rookie DB Eli Apple locks down Victor Cruz.

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Boston College gets new uniforms for 2016.

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Sunday--August 7th, 2016

UPDATE: Mike Traini has a post on yesterday's event and calls it a success.

UMass hosted its first Clambake recruiting event yesterday. So far, no verbals from the event, which is not to say there won't be some.

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This article by the Boston Herald mentions UMass long snapper Peter Comaroto.

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The Tennessean analyses Tajae Sharpe's success in the Titans rookie camp. The article mentions Mark Whipple's coaching. The offense UMass runs is the Pro-set. In addition, the Minutemen use pro style offensive nomenclature for the offensive plays. A player from UMass does not have to cope with learning a new terminology in rookie camp.

Pro Football talk reports that Tom Cable thinks spread offenses are a "huge disservice" to college players wanting to play in the pros.

Draftwire says Sharpe is building chemistry with Marcus Mariota.

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For whom the Cowbell tolls has five predictions for Mississippi State's 2016 season.

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The Florida Gators respond to ESPN's bias allegations.

Florida will have very cool gator-skin cleats.

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The Big 12's expansion by either 2 or four teams remains a mystery.

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Recruiting 2017 -- Tre Person II

Back on July 2nd, 2016 I blogged about Tre Person, a 6-0 165 pound CB from Westlake HS in GA.

Mike Traini updates Person's recruiting.

Besides UMass, Person has offers from Buffalo, Troy, Tulane, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Buffalo and some FCS schools.

Person is interested in Business, which should shorten his list to UMass' nationally ranked Isenberg School of Business and Tulane.

Saturday--August 6th, 2016

The UMass website has the football roster cleaned up some. Still no bios for the 2016 freshmen.

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Alex Lovett of the UMass student station WMUA talks about broadcasting UMass football games.

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KSL.com predicts BYU's Jamaal Williams will break the school's rushing record during the UMass game.

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SEC Country says Mississippi State-UMass at Gillette is the weirdest OOC SEC game in 2016.

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Louisiana Tech went 9-4 last year mostly based on their high scoring offense. The Bulldogs averaged 29.2 points/game and 372 yard/game of offense. The heir-apparent at QB, Ryan Higgins just got arrested for DUI. Higgins' Louisiana Tech bio.

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I've previously blogged about Chinedu Ogbonna. Below is an image of his UMass offer.

We're not recruiting these other guys, but check out offer letters from Arizona State (like this one), Iowa State and Wyoming.

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More controversy about Gator WR Antonio Callaway being allowed to practice with the team.

Rocky Talk Sports says Florida will open 3-0 after games against UMass, Kentucky and North Texas.

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Sports New Orleans reports on the UMass-Tulane game being televised nationally.

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Marker Michel catches a pass in Viking's camp/ Jerry Holt image

Michel caught a TD pass against Vikings safety Antone Exum, Jr.

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Titans Online reports Tajae Sharpe caught a TD pass and continues to make plays in training camp.

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Recruiting 2017--Hunter Long II

I've blogged about Hunter Long, a 6-5 235 pound TE from Exeter, NH before.

Mike Traini updates Long's recruiting news.

Long will be attending UMass' recruiting clam bake this weekend.

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Friday--August 5th, 2016

UMass announces a TV package with American Sports Network.

This is very good news for UMass football. If I remember right, the Minutemen only appeared on "MACtion" once during the 2015 schedule. This package should give UMass some national exposure. There's probably not much money involved, but it's a lot more coverage than the MAC provided. ASN's Wikipedia page.

Michael Traini has a post on TV package.

Good work by AD Ryan Bamford and his staff.

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UMass Football and UMass Field Hockey team up for the annual bone marrow registration event.

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The editors Fan Sided's Mississippi State page predict the Bulldogs-Minutemen game.

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The Virginian-Pilot says ODU will have a tough time selling out the UMass game.

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RotoWorld reports the Florida's problem child Antonio Callaway will probably not be eligible for the UMass game.

Gator Country says Florida will have one "tune-up game" against the Minutemen to get their offense in gear.

The Orlando Sentinel previews Florida and ranks them #21.

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WTBS Sports blog says BYU should have an easy win over the Minutemen.

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Las Vegas predicts seven wins for Boston College in 2016

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Recruiting 2017--Michael Clemons

Clemons #48/Cisco College image

Several recruiting services indicate the Minutemen are interested in Michael Clemons, a 6-6 245 pound DE from Cisco College.

Hudl.com has video.

Kansas State offers. Mentions UMass.

This article mentions UMass coach Charles Walker recruiting Clemons.

Partial quote from a July 26th article on Clemons by Scott Eklund on Scout.com.

"I have offers right now from Middle Tennessee State and UCF," Clemons told JCFootball.com recently. "I have a lot of schools talking to me. The main ones are Utah State, Kansas State, SMU, Tulsa, UAB, Alabama, Missouri, Massachusetts and Texas Tech, but there are a lot of other ones too."

Clemons redshirted his first year at Cisco, something that has allowed him to focus on getting better as both a player and a student.

"I'm that guy who can use his size advantage well and I have good technique," Clemons said. "A big thing for me has been working on some new pass-rush moves, making sure I bend that edge well so I can get to the quarterback and also dropping into coverage."

Clemons holds offers from Utah State, Kansas State, Middle Tennessee State and UCF.

Thursday--August 4th, 2016

NBC Sports has a post about Adam Breneman transferring to UMass.

Onward State wishes Breneman well.

Breneman still holds the Penn State record for the longest TD catch by a TE.

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The Gators defense sent six starters to the NFL this Spring. It didn't dent the Florida talent pool.

The Gators may be better on offense too.

But Florida hasn't picked their starting QB yet.

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Wate.com says rookie Tajae Sharpe is still going strong for the Titans.

Inquisitr.com says Marcus Mariota has good chemistry with Sharpe.

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Marken Michel at training cam/John Autey image

The Vikings have a lot of WR bodies in camp.

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The Capital Gazette say the Big 12's expansion casts a black cloud over the AAC's media days.

Would ESPN or CT Governor Malloy put a word in for the Huskies?

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Recruiting 2017--Sal Cannella II

Back on June 14th, 2016 I blogged about Sal Cannella, 6-6 230 pound TE/WR from Scottsdale community college.

Mike Traini updates Cannella's recruiting. Cannella will play at least one semester at Scottsdale, which will shift his recruiting to 2017.

Currently holds offers from UMass and Nevada.

Wednesday--August 3rd, 2016

UMass adds Adam Breneman, a 6-4 245 TE transfer from Penn State. Penn Live has the story.

The York Dispatch also covers Breneman's move.

Onward State has a post on Breneman's transfer.

This article covers his shift from football to politics.

Mike Traini has a post on Breneman's move to UMass. The Minutemen need all the recruiting streams they can get. I've mentioned a number of times the TE position was a definite weak point in the UMass offense last year. Whipple's Pro-set offense moves better with a pass-catching TE.

The Minutemen had their most talented TE recruiting class ever in 2016 in Cody Banks, Taylor Edwards and Alvin Peah. I still expect one or more of those three not to redshirt. Any production Breneman contributes will be a plus and he should be a big help mentoring the freshmen.

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A South Carolina writer looks at the Gamecock's home schedule.

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Marken Michel will get plenty of chances on the Vikings special teams.

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The Daily Herald reports Tajae Sharpe continues to make his mark in training camp.

ESPN says Marcus Mariota and Tajae Sharpe are in sync.

The blog Music City Miracles says Sharpe is holding his position in the first string.

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AAC Comissioner Mike Aresco says only a handful of teams would be attractive to the league.

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Recruiting 2017--Zebulon Wright

Zebulon Wright

Back in April Zebulon Wright attended UMass' Junior Day. Wright is a 6-3 310 pound DE from Wilmington, DE.

His Twitter feed says he enjoyed his visit to Amherst.

247Sports page here.

Hudl.com has video.

Wright does not have any offers as yet. Seventeen schools showing interest.

Tuesday--August 2nd, 2016

South Carolina's "Garnet & Black Attack" previews the Minutemen.

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The Fan Sided article features Tajae Sharpe and says he exceeding expectations. We knew he would.

Sharpe says he's proud of being a Minutemen.

Sharpe had another good performance at Day #3 of the Titans camp.

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Campus Insiders previews Mississippi State 2016 schedule and thinks the Bulldogs-Minutemen game will be over by the second quarter.

Speaking of Mississippi State, it looks like UMass will getting plenty of looks at WR Donald Gray.

Gray's Bulldogs bio.

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Victor Cruz signs autographs at the second day of the Giants camp.

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Luke Del Rio seems to be winning the battle to start at QB against the Minutemen.

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Temple would be willing to listen if the Big 12 came calling.

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BC Interruption reports the Eagles have a new QB and a new attitude on offense.

A Georgia Tech site previews the 2016 Eagles.

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Recruiting 2017--Calvin Francis verbals to FIU

I blogged about Calvin Francis, a 6-2 295 pound OL from Orlando, FL back on March 19th, 2016.

Francis recently verbaled to FIU. Francis also had offers from Toledo and Akron.

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Recruiting 2018--Devin Leary II

247Sports image

I blogged about Devin Leary a 6-2 172 pound dual-threat QB from Timber Creek, NJ back on June 11th, 2016.

NJ.com recently added Leary to its New Jersey Top-50 list.

Leary holds offers from UMass, BC, Rutgers, Maryland, Wake Forest and Temple.

August 1st, 2016

The UMass Twitter feed says the new UMass Athletics website is active, but I'm not getting connection...

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Michael Trani reports on the one day recruiting camp held at UMass on June 12th.

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Jette #41/Packers.com image

Randall Jette intercepts a pass at the Packers camp.

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Tajae Sharpe continues to impress at the Titans training camp.

The Music City Miracles says Sharpe shines on Day #2 of the Titans camp.

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Victor Cruz goes full bore in the Giants first practice.

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The Lowell Sun has a feature on UMass defensive line coach Matt Dawson.

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BC and Temple announce a future series.

BC Interruption explains why that's a good thing. Northeast teams should be playing each other. And BC, with its struggles in the ACC, does not need a sure loss in its OOC schedule.

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The Herald Dispatch says Marshall is not a good fit for the AAC.

The Orlando Sentinel has five questions about the AAC as their Media Days open.

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Recruiting 2016--Rod Jones Jr committed to UMass?

CC of San Francisco image

Rod Jones Jr is a 6-2 250 JUCO All-American DL from College of San Francisco, CA.

Special thanks to a blog reader who pointed me to Jones' Twitter page which shows the UMass "Unite the Masses" screen shot.

First team JUCO All-American and CCCAA defensive player-of-the-year.

Strong interest from Alabama.

Hudl.com has video.

Had 36 UT 17 AT 53 TT 16.5 SACKS 2 FR. All his stats here.

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Recruiting 2017--J.P. Roane II

Back on March 13, 2016 I blogged about J.P. Roane a 5-11 175 pound WR from Williamstown, NJ.

Michael Traini on his "Fight Massachusetts" site updates Roane's recruiting.

Roane's best atribute is his speed. Some recruiting services report he ran a 4.39 40...

UMass is Roane's only FBS offer at this time. Receiving interest from Temple, West Virginia and Kent State.

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Recruiting 2017--Darius Stills commits to Rutgers

I've blogged about Darius Stills a three-star DT from West Virginia twice before.

NJ.com reports he verbaled to Rutgers.

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Recruiting 2017--Kenney Bennett

Scout.com image

Pittsburgh Sports now reports that Kenney Bennett, a 6-2 196 pound CB from Simon Gratz school in Philadelphia has UMass in his top five schools.

247 Sports three-star player.

NCSA Recruiting has some stats.

Hudl.com has video.

Besides UMass, Bennett's other top schools are Pitt, Virginia Tech, Temple and Maryland.