It didn't take new University of Massachusetts football coach Charley Molnar long to land his first recruit.

Molnar had a home visit with Catholic Memorial quarterback A.J. Doyle on Thursday and convinced the 6-foot-3 quarterback to become a Minuteman. Molnar sold the high school senior on a chance to be part of history as UMass moves from the Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision.

"Coach Molnar told me 'We want you to be that guy, the cornerstone for our recruiting class. To be part of the history of UMass going to D-I,'" Doyle said. "That's something I couldn't pass up. It was something I wanted to be a part of. ... Hopefully, I can be that local hero, who grew up here and can do a lot of great things at the University of Massachusetts."

Doyle had originally committed to play at North Carolina State, but the Wolfpack viewed him as a linebacker, while Doyle wanted to play quarterback. He had a previous relationship with Molnar after attending Notre Dame summer camp in 2009. Doyle had been recruited by former UMass coach Kevin Morris and was considering the Minutemen. Molnar's hiring followed by Thursday's home visit clinched his decision.

"I'm going to play for a coach I really like who has high goals for the university," Doyle said. "He's very goal oriented and he's very focused on winning. That's what I am too. That's why I think it's going to be a great fit. ... This is a coach who really wants me. The best advice I was given throughout the recruiting process was 'go to a place that really wants you.' Clearly that's the right fit for me."

Doyle was rated the No. 14 player in Massachusetts and the No. 2 quarterback according to ESPN. The 6-foot-3 QB completed 87-of-151 passes for 1,260 yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games as a senior.

Doyle told ESPNBoston.com on Monday that Molnar told him that he was the first recruit he called after being named UMass' head coach.

Molnar, who was the quarterbacks coach in addition to being the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, could work closely with Doyle if he chooses to be the quarterbacks coach at UMass.

Doyle had interest from Connecticut, Purdue, Western Michigan and recently Arkansas.

The Lakeville native will join a now-crowded group of quarterbacks in Amherst. Sophomore Kellen Pagel and redshirt freshman Brandon Hill, who each started games last year for the Minutemen, are both back, as is true freshman Mike Wegzyn, who could be in the mix to start as well.

Redshirt freshman Ray Pendagast, who is also a punter, and junior Ian Shultis are both on the roster as well, but both are likely longshots to start for the Minutemen.

NCAA rules prohibit coaches from discussing recruits until they've signed a National Letter of Intent. Signing day is Feb. 1.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.