02-11-2022, 08:42 AM
The road to respectability and final getting to the scholarship limit starts this season. Some are predicting 4 wins. One thing is certain the team will be improved with taking 32 recruits this cycle with a fairly equal split between HS and Transfers. So far there have been a little over half on the defense and the defense should much improved.
What we learned from UMass' National Signing Day by Mike Traini
What we learned from UMass' National Signing Day by Mike Traini
Quote:The Minutemen currently have 28 scholarship spots of those 32 accounted for for next season and have said that they are likely to hold onto the remaining 'ships until spring football has closed around the NCAA to see what other players may enter the Portal at that time.
The Minutemen officially added four more high school players to the 2022 class on National Signing Day, three of whom were committed beforehand and one who made his decision public on the day. Aaron Alexander (the Great Lake State LB that we had picked to UMass in the Crystal Ball) signed his NLI with the Minutemen in the mid-afternoon on NSD after taking an official visit the weekend prior. The 3* Belleville, MI native and former Michigan Wolverines commit becomes the 4th-highest-rated commit in UMass' FBS history. Alexander's NLI was joined by letters from Floridians Derrieon Craig (Fort Lauderdale/St Thomas Aquinas) and Jeremiah McGill (Hollywood/Chaminade-Madonna) and Californian Donovan Turner (Long Beach/Long Beach Poly). All four players are on the defensive side of the ball, Brown's specialty and primary area of focus for the Minutemen this off-season.
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Top to bottom the Minutemen have addressed areas of need well and have added a lot of talent to their roster particularly out of the Portal. The Minutemen currently have commitments from 14 players that were in the Portal, 12 of those on scholarship in 2022, and the group encompasses the Power 5, the Group of 5 and the FCS. The majority of players in the '22 class are on the defensive side of the ball but it's not overwhelming, with 18 of the current commits as defenders. UMass' defense needed a revamp, one of the primary reasons Brown was tapped as the new HC, and they will certainly have that new look next season.
UMass picked up a solid balance of potential impact players for next season along with developmental recruits who can take their time learning the game while adjusting to the college game. Following NSD specifically the Minutemen also picked up a commitment from Dartmouth graduate transfer linebacker Jalen Mackie who was a First Team All-Ivy performer last season with the Big Green and who will now play his final season with the Minutemen.
Brown and his staff have adjusted their focus areas for recruiting as well, further emphasizing the Commonwealth for players while also utilizing connections from new coaches to reach into areas like Michigan and California where the Minutemen have not traditionally been big players. Brown has also made sure to restart a pipeline from Florida to UMass as well, taking seven Sunshine State natives (so far) though all available avenues to join the Minutemen's '22 class.
The biggest early impact players will likely be see in the defensive front seven, with the Minutemen's linebacking corps and defensive line seeing an influx of depth and talent. Don Brown's moniker "Dr. Blitz" is well-earned and he will no doubt push UMass' defense to be significantly more aggressive and in turn significantly more successful at causing havoc.
UMass' offense is going to look different as well with first-time FBS coordinator Steve Casula calling the plays. Quarterback as always will be the critical position and it's likely we see an open competition in spring ball to see who can establish themselves as the starter.
Overall UMass has done better than expected in a short amount of time with this class. They landed some very talented P5 transfers with multiple years to play along with pulling a Top 5 all-time recruit out of a previously untapped state. They found local guys who can make an early impact, veterans looking to prove something in their final years and under-recruited players from all corners of the country looking for a chance to make a name for themselves