UMass – Page 2 – New England Football Journal®

UMass lands Needham’s Smith in the transfer portal

April 4, 2023

UMass landed former Needham High School tight end Matt Smith in the transfer portal last night. Smith is transferring in from Duke and has two years of eligibility remaining but it could end up being three years. https://twitter.com/matt_smith90700/status/1643025520265768960?s=46&t=0-klhPVppXQ66vGpXhGesA At 6-4 240, Smith functions as a move tight end who can detach from formations and line up anywhere including the backfield. He gives offensive coordinator Steve Casula another weapon in the…

5 observations from UMass Spring Practice

April 2, 2023

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It was the first padded practice of the spring for the UMass Minutemen and it was uptempo and fast. A stark departure from last spring when the pace wasn’t nearly as fast and there were more stopping to coach players during individual, group and team periods. The players who were with the program last season have a clear understanding of what is expected of them at practice and that should…

There’s a different aura around the Minutemen

April 2, 2023

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AMHERST – Right around 9:30 A.M. on Saturday as recruits filed in and grabbed their lanyards at a check in table inside the bubble, the Minutemen began their first padded practice of the spring. It wasn’t full pads, but pops could be heard almost immediately as guys went through various individual drills early. From that point on for the next two hours, UMass didn’t look or sound like a team…

Quarterback competition front and center at UMass spring practice

April 1, 2023

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AMHERST- A year ago at this time we were talking about the quarterback competition at UMass. Fast forward to a year later and we’re still talking about a quarterback competition except this time, there are some new faces in the quarterback room. Transfers Taisun Phommachanh (Georgia Tech) and Carlos Davis (Western Carolina) along with true freshmen Ahmad Haston join Brady Olson in a battle to determine who will take first…

5 areas to watch as UMass as kicks off spring practice

March 28, 2023

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Courtesy of UMass Athletics UMass kicks off spring practice today. After a 1-11 season, this is a big spring for Don Brown and his staff. A staff that has undergone some changes this off-season. The Minutemen spent a lot of time in the portal again and came away with some good talent. Now the hope is that talent infusion will spearhead a turnaround. Here five areas to watch as the…

After months of prep, Minutemen finally get to put skills on display at Pro Day

March 23, 2023

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Image courtesy of @UMassFootball By Sydney Ciano NEFJ Correspondent AMHERST – The Massachusetts football team held its annual Pro Day on Thursday with wide receiver Cameron Sullivan-Brown, defensive lineman Marcus Cushnie, running back Ellis Merriweather, linebacker Jalen Mackie, punter George Georgopoulos, and long-snapper Evan Deckers showing off their skills to the the scouts on hand. Mackie and Merriweather expressed how most of the players hoped for a stronger performance, but were…

Competition key for UMass heading into spring ball

March 11, 2023

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FOXBOROUGH – It’s almost time UMass fans. Year two for the return of Don Brown and a higher bar for the program is what the Minutemen are looking at when taking the field for the first day of spring practice in three weeks. That “high bar” may only be three-ish wins for now (it’s going to be a slow build, start preparing yourselves again now), but there clearly needs to…

Don Brown’s unrelenting passion on full display Friday night

March 10, 2023

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FOXBOROUGH – With spring ball rapidly approaching and the sling off, Don Brown was putting his passion for football on display Friday night. Brown was one of many presenters over the two-day MHSFCA New England Football Coaches Clinic at Gillette Stadium. Brian Belichick kicked things off with a presentation about defensive run force, fits and gaps around 4 P.M. at the event hosted by the Patriots, specifically Fred Kirsch, Gary…

UMass announces three staff promotions

February 23, 2023

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Image courtesy of UMass Athletics The UMass Football program announced three staff promotions yesterday. Matt Layman, Michael Livingston and Ryan Partridge were all promoted to new positions. https://twitter.com/umassfootball/status/1628488648550236162?s=46&t=Xa1-1i26unurnIYlOSXbWQ Layman was promoted to tight ends coach. He has been with the program for four years and worked as an offensive analyst prior to his promotion. He has worked with the tight ends, offensive line and quarterbacks during his tenure in Amherst. Layman was…

UMass needs to figure out their quarterback situation this spring

February 14, 2023

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UMass is set to kick off spring practice on March 28th and there are plenty of question marks surrounding the program. Most notably the quarterback position. UMass played musical chairs at the position last season starting two different quarterbacks and playing four different quarterbacks during the course of the season. Gino Campiotti started the season as the starter but eventually gave way to Brady Olson. Zamar Wise and Garrett Dzuro…

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