New England will be swarming with NFL executives, scouts and even some head coaches next week.
While Pro Days around the country have already kicked off heading down the home stretch of the NFL Draft process, the region will be hosting a bunch of them next week. BC’s is Monday, UConn’s is Tuesday and Holy Cross is holding its big event on Thursday. In between all of that will be the UMass Pro Day, set for Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, the Minutemen announced the full list of participants:
Dom Mazotti, TE
Jaelyn Lay, TE
Frank Ladson, WR
Jakobie Keeney-James, WR
Brayden Rohme, OL
Ethan Mottinger, OL
Josh Atwood, OL
Mack Ayers, LB
Gerrell Johnson, LB
Isaiah Rutherford, DB
Arsheen Jiles, DB
Tyler Rudolph, DB
Leonard St. Gourdin, DB
Lake Ellis, DB
Te’Rai Powell, DB
Etinosa Reuben, DL
CJ Kolodziey, P
John Burton, RB
Darius Gooden, DB
Delvin Attafah, WR
Michael Oppong, DB
Jake Orlando, TE
While loyalty is probably the best word to describe a bunch of guys on that list – given what they’ve gone through in their careers – the one guy who can probably claim to be ‘Mr. UMass’ of the 22 is former Natick star Josh Atwood. Atwood’s been a heart-and-soul guy for the Minutemen and been through every single low the program has had. The same can be said for a few others, but Atwood may end up having one of the best chances of the group to get a shot at the next level.
It’s also noteworthy just how many offensive guys will be trying to impress NFL, CFL and USFL scouts too. For a team that’s struggled to find the end zone the last handful of years, there’s a lot of talent on that list that’s also pretty versatile. Versatility is one of the best ‘ility’s’ you can have at the next level, so a bunch of Minutemen will try to showcase that as well.
On-field events will begin around noon next Wednesday.