UMass NSD notes from Mark Chiarelli and Mark Traini.
Summary, type of players we are recruiting and hiring a 10th assistant coach.
Assume most G5 teams are or have hired a 10th assistant coach.

From Masslive and Springfield Republican.

Quote:By Mark Chiarelli | mchiarel@masslive.com

UMass football announced the signing of five more recruits Wednesday, the opening day of the February signing period.

That brings UMass' 2018 recruiting class to 19 total players following a slew of pledges in December during the implementation of a new early signing period.

UMass hosted a Signing Day event at the Mullins Center Wednesday as well. And while February signing day certainly has less stress (and impact) now that staffs don't have to hold down 20 to 25 commitments, Minutemen coaches maintained the early signing period was ultimately beneficial to their program, something MassLive touched on back in December.

Two overarching themes emerged from UMass' 2018 recruiting cycle: Minutemen coaches valued speed and defensive versatility.

“We filled some needs defensively," head coach Mark Whipple said "Defensively was where we felt we needed not so much help right away, but down the road. I’m excited about this group. You heard coach (Ed) Pinkham talk about it. We need to get faster.”

Nearly half the class was defensive linemen and linebackers, and the Minutemen also added a pair of defensive backs. Several times, coaches made reference to players' track accomplishments, and placed an emphasis on 100-yard dash times.

“In college football, it’s a spread game pretty much," Whipple said. "We’re not in the Big 10. The team’s we're playing are spread. You need guys who can flat run. So we went and got some of those guys. You never have enough corners, safeties, guys who can run 10.8, 10.9. We want to play a man scheme. We sell that principle. But if you can’t run, you can’t play man.”

Below is a look at each recruit signed so far, and some commentary from various assistant coaches present at the signing day event, which you can watch here. It's worth noting the team can continue to add recruits in the coming days.

Some other nuggets that stood out...

Incoming transfer Brice McAllister, an East Longmeadow native and former UConn safety, was mentioned as a possible replacement for Jesse Monteiro at starting safety.

Whipple referenced several Massachusetts-born players could be in line for scholarships after joining the team as walk-ons. He said running back Nick Orekoya, a Billerica native, fits that description.

Athletic Director Ryan Bamford noted the team "invested" in a 10th assistant football coach, mirroring a trend seen at the Power 5 level after the NCAA approved the additional coaching slot last summer. He also hinted at some scheduling news on the way.

Fight Massachusetts:

Quote:National Signing Day was not the whirlwind it has been in the past for the University of Massachusetts, but the Minutemen did manage to secure the signatures of several more student-athletes for their 2018 recruiting class.

The prize on the day for UMass, their crown jewel of this year's class, was Under Armour All-American OL Josh Jefferson out of Washington, DC/St John's College HS. Jefferson, whose .8548 3-star rating makes him the second-highest-ranked recruit ever signed out of high school in Amherst, is an extremely high-ceiling lineman that could end up being the anchor on the UMass offensive line for years to come. Jefferson is also the first Under Armour All-American ever signed by the Minutemen.

Jefferson originally officially visited Amherst back in December and was surprised at how much he enjoyed the trip and the program.