Tallahassee.com says TE Brandon Holifield did decommit from Miami, but is now simply "considering" UMass.
The surprise of the day came from receiver Brandon Holifield,
who committed to Miami back in the summer but announced he had
"decommitted" and is now considering the University of Massachusetts,
among other schools. "I just wasn't feeling it."
I have two UMass football stories that will be posted online later tonight and in Tuesday's Daily Hampshire Gazette. One of them talks with an excited Don Brown, who is proud of his two former players in the Super Bowl.
The other is a notebook that includes some more recruit commitments:
Julian Kaminoff, a 5-foot-11, 175 pound safety became the latest recruit to abandon another Mid-American conference school to play for new coach Charley Molnar at UMass as he switched from Buffalo according to Scout.com. Molnar’s son, also named Charley, was a graduate assistant at Buffalo last year.
While the Minutemen have plucked a handful of recruits from their future MAC rivals, running back Stacy Bedell came at the expense of one of the Minutemen’s former Colonial Athletic Association rivals. The Mastic Beach, N.Y. native reneged on a commitment to play at James Madison to become a Minutemen.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Bernard Davis, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Lake Worth, Fla. has committed to UMass, over several MAC schools.
Two offensive linemen prospects also gave verbals. Michael Boland, who ESPN lists at 6-foot-7, 294-pounds and Scout.com at 6-foot-6, 295-pounds chose UMass over Duke and Tulane, while Cameron Mock, a 6-foot-8, 305-pounder might be the Minutemen’s first ever recruit from New Mexico.
Derek Beck, a wide receiver, who signed to play at UMass last year, went to prep school for the 2011 season, but is enrolled in classes and will take part in spring practice. The Martinsville, N.J. native is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.
Leo Krizanovic, a 6-foor-2, 240-pound linebacker from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, also committed to UMass Tuesday according to MSGVarsity.com. Krizanovic chose UMass over a handful of Colonial Athletic Association schools.
Krizanovic had been pursued by FBS schools before tearing his ACL as a junior. Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge couldn't be reached for comment, but he praised Krizanovic in an October article.
“He’s like a throwback. You know, an old-school, blue-collar tough guy. He’s a hard worker, and he just wants contact,” Partridge told North Jersey.com in October. "Someone at the I-A level is going to make him an offer, grab him and be very happy about it,” Partridge said. “He’s a big-time player. I believe we can be watching him playing football on TV next season.”
New University of Massachusetts coach Charley Molnar's latest recruit will have the shortest trip to campus of his current commitments.
Springfield native John Robinson, who played linebacker and running back at Worcester Academy this year, committed to UMass on Tuesday.
"I've always loved UMass. I think it's going to be a great fit for me there," Robinson said. "I was really impressed with the coaches they brought it. They came for a home visit and when coach was talking to me I knew that's the man I wanted to play for. I want him to coach me up."
Robinson, who is 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, is expected to play linebacker in college.
"He's an explosive player with a great motor," Worcester coach David Dykeman said. "He's very physical. He rushed for 12 touchdowns in seven games and rushed for 550 yards. As a linebacker he had 87 tackles, 10 for loss. He's a very good player."
Robinson, who started his high school career at Cathedral, chose UMass over a handful of Patriot League schools and Albany.
"He's grown up going to UMass games. He loves UMass. I think it's been a dream of his," Dykeman said. "(The new coaching staff) did a nice job getting in here in a short period of time. He had some nice options and he chose them."
Dykeman said Robinson had offers from several Patriot League schools in addition to UMass. He liked being part of UMass' first team in the Bowl Subdivision.
"The class that's coming in now is going to start a new tradition in the Mid-American Conference," he said.
UMass got another verbal commitment at the expense of one of its Mid-American Conference rivals. Tajae Sharpe, a wide receiver from Piscatway, N.J. committed to the Minutemen after visiting UMass this weekend. The 6-foot-3, 180 pounder had previously committed to Kent State.
ESPN scouting listed him as a two-star recruit but praised him in its scouting report.
"Sharpe is productive as both a safety and receiver; has the size and athleticism for both positions at the major level of competition however his offensive skills could get him on the field faster. Has the frame which should be capable of handling additional bulk however care should be taken not to compromise his athleticism and playing speed. ... Is an efficient route runner showing the balance and agility to get in and out of the break creating separation; will come inside and take a hit to secure the catch; has very good body control and ball awareness; gets one foot in along the sideline while displaying the strong natural hands needed to adjust and make the out of the frame catch. Although he lacks a second gear, we see the foot quickness and tough over the pads effort needed gain additional tough yardage. Sharpe may need some time and perhaps a red shirt year before seeing regular playing time at the BCS level of competition."
At Wednesday's sports luncheon, new University of Massachusetts football coach said he expected an avalanche of football commitments to come shortly.Vondell Langston could be the start of that. Langston, a 6-foot-1, 210 pound linebacker-tailback told ESPN Boston Sunday that he was headed to Amherst. Langston also fulfills Molnar's pledge to put an emphasis on recruiting Massachusetts players. He could open a door to recruiting Everett, which is annually one of the state's elite programs. Signing day is Feb. 1.
This was the Gazette story from his signing in September.
Tyler Bergantino did not wait long into his visit to the University
of Massachusetts to give the coaching staff the news they hoped for.
The big man from Florida, who stands either 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9
depending on which recruiting website you believe, gave the Minutemen a
verbal commitment during his official visit Friday.
Bergantino said he liked the atmosphere at UMass.
"They made me feel like I'm part of the family which is exactly what
I wanted," said Bergantino, who had interest from South Florida and
Virginia Tech as well as several mid-majors. "It's a great atmosphere.
... Every coach I've ever talked to, the little things they say you can
pick apart. You can tell he's not telling the truth on this or he's
unsure about that. I couldn't pick apart anything Coach (Derek) Kellogg
and his staff had to say. Everything they said was genuine. It was all
real. I really liked that. They weren't snake oil salesmen. They were
straight up with me."
Bergantino is a two-time winner of the St. Petersburg Times'
all-North Suncoast Player of the Year award. As a junior he averaged 18
points, 13 rebounds and five blocks for Natural Coast Technical High
School.
"My game right now is rebounding, back to the basket, post presence.
I really like playing defense. I really think I can bring a lot to the
defensive side of the game," he said. "I'm looking forward to working
on my ballhandling so I can be an all-around type of guy. I really want
to advance my game."
Bergantino said he lost 42 pounds and is listed at 230 pounds on
ESPN.com. He met Rich Hogans, a new member of UMass' strength and
conditioning staff, on his visit and liked Hogans' plan to further
improve his physique.
"Rich Hogans is great. I think he can do wonders. I want to get
bigger while keeping my athletic ability. The way (Hogans) does things
is the way I operate," Bergantino said. "I'm excited to get up here and
become a beast hopefully."
Bergantino played against Minuteman freshman Cady Lalanne two years
ago in the Florida high school playoffs. He said Lalanne calmed any
concerns he had about Massachusetts winters.
"Me and Cady actually played each other. His team beat my team in
the elite eight his senior year and my sophomore year. It was the clash
of the big men," Bergantino said. "He's such a nice guy, I'm really
looking forward to getting to know him better. I didn't realize he was
so down to earth and humble."
Adding a big man was critical for the Minutemen, who lose Sean
Carter and Matt Hill to graduation after this season leaving them with
Lalanne and freshman Maxie Esho inside.
Bergantino will join Trey Davis, a point guard from Texas who is
doing a postgraduate year at Vermont Academy, in UMass' recruiting
class. The Minutemen have one more scholarship to offer.
NCAA rules prohibit Kellogg from commenting on prospective recruits until they officially sign a National Letter of Intent.
Bergantino was glad to have his decision made.
"I feel great. Hopefully we'll win states. We have seven seniors on
my high school team. Hopefully we can leave high school with a bang and
a ring," said Bergantino, who planned to tailor his studies at UMass
around eventually working for a charity. "I want to work for a
non-profit organization like the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That's my
calling."
Tyler Bergantino, a 6-foot-9 big man from Florida, gave the Minutemen a verbal commitment during his official visit Friday.
Bergantino is a two-time winner of the St. Petersburg Times' "All-North Suncoast Player of the Year." He averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks as a senior at Nature Coast Technical High School.
Daniel Dingle, the much sought after younger brother of former UMass standout Dana Dingle is still considering the Minutemen after narrowing his list to seven schools - Arizona, Auburn, Maryland, Missouri, Seton Hall, Temple and UMass - according to ESPN.com:
And then there is UMass, the program which Dingle starred for himself,
teaming with current coach Derek Kellogg for three seasons. "Daniel's
intrigued by the dribble drive," Dana Dingle said of UMass' offense. "Plus
they have guys who are going to be older and give them a chance to win
by the time he would get there."
It appears Trey Davis will be a Minuteman after all. Davis, the point guard who was prevented by from playing at UMass by an A-10 rule, will attend Vermont Academy during the 2011-12 season and will be a Minuteman in 2012-13. He verbally committed to UMass again this week.
Davis fulfills UMass' recruiting need for a point guard leaving them with two scholarships. Expect Derek Kellogg to focus on big men.
UMass got some good news on its roster front as QB Kellen Pagel, running back Chris Burns and defensive back Ryan Campbell will all be eligible for the 2011 season.
Through department spokesman John Sinnett, Kim Callicoate, UMass associate athletic director for compliance confirmed that the NCAA has ruled the trio eligible.
Pagel transferred from Bowling Green, Burns from Pittsburgh and Campbell from Mississippi.
The question regarding their eligibility stemmed from the Minutemen's upgrade from FCS football to FBS. Transfer rules allow a player to transfer down a division and be eligible immediately. UMass has gotten considerable contributions over the years from FBS (Division I-A) players who have transferred down.
Players transferring from an FBS program to another FBS program have to sit out a season. If a player hasn't already redshirted he still has four years of eligibility remaining. But if that player has used his redshirt year then he loses the year.
Because Pagel, Burns and Campbell signed with UMass prior to the upgrade, but will be joining the Minutemen when the team is an FBS program, albeit a transitional one, it was uncertain whether they'd have to sit out.
"Pasco rising senior quarterback Jacob Guy picked up
his first scholarship offer.
The University of Massachusetts, a Division I-AA school located in
Amherst, Mass., has offered Guy according to Pirates coach Tom
McHugh.
Guy, the St. Petersburg Times' All-North Suncoast offensive
player of the year in 2010, completed 58% of his passes as a junior and
threw for over 2,000 yards. He had 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Pasco finished the 2010 season 11-1, winning a district title and
advancing to the region semifinals.
Guy, a right-handed thrower, stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 200 pounds."
I'm setting the over-under at a hour before one of you emails or comments on the story, to inform the Florida folks that UMass won't be I-AA/FCS when Guy matriculates in college.
There's rampant internet speculation that Penn State hoop recruits could re-open their recruiting after Ed DeChellis' departure to Navy.
It's worth noting UMass recruited Pat Ackerman, a 6-foot-11 Rutland native, who went to Worcester Academy.
UMass has one scholarship, and is looking at former Arizona State guard Corey Hawkins, but size is much harder to find. I'm guessing if he gets set free, the Minutemen will be interested.
Wide Receiver • Freshmen • 5-10 • 180
Arlington, Texas • Arlington Bowie H.S. Before College: Second-team All-District wide receiver at
Arlington Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas ... Hauled in 28 catches
for 720 yards and seven touchdowns ... Best came against DeSoto with
five catches for 109 yards ... Also played basketball ... Named the Most
Valuable Player of the Arlington Classic Basketball Tournament.
ANDRE HILL
Wide Receiver • Junior • 6-2 • 190
Carson, Calif./Narbonne H.S./Los Angeles Harbor Community College
As a sophomore in 2010: Played at Los Angeles Harbor Community College
... Earned second-team all-conference Central West as a receiver ...
Helped Seahawks to the Central Championship Bowl ... Played in all 11
games leading team in receiving ... Made 27 catches for 411 yards and
four touchdowns.
As a freshman in 2009: Began college career at Los Angeles Harbor
Community College ... Played in 10 games making 22 catches for 359 yards
and three receiving touchdowns.
Before College: Graduated from Narbonne High School in Harbor City,
Calif., in 2008 ... As a senior, made 25 receptions for 518 yards and
four touchdowns.
KYLE MORGAN
Defensive Line • Freshman • 6-3 • 265
Milford, Mass./Milford H.S.
Before College: Played at Milford High School ... Varsity lineman for
two seasons ... All-League as a senior ... Racked up 66 tackles
including 28 solo stops ... 10 sacks for 98 yards among 12 tackles for
loss ... As a junior made 33 tackles, 16 solo, including three TFLs and a
sack ... Also starred in track & field ... Ran a 100-yard dash in
11.9 ... Also ran a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash ... Threw 41 feet in the
shot put and 119 feet in the discus.
Gazette UMass sports beat writer Matt Vautour tracks the daily happenings in Minutemen sports across the board, as well as casting a wider view on college sports in general.
Gazette UMass beat writer Matt Vautour shares his thoughts in this blog about the Minutemen and college sports. E-mail him questions (to be published here), suggested restaurants in UMass travel cities or recommended reading links at: mvautour@gazettenet.com
UMass Sports
UMass-St. Bonaventure
High School Sports
Girls Hoop Playoff Picture
NEW! Everything Else
Matt vs. Jim vs. Frank - NFL Season Wrap-up
Readuponit
France has a new Louvre and lots more for 2012
Gazetteer
New Winklepicker festival brings Mardi Gras north
Walking the beat
Dazed and confused
The Conspicuous Consumer
Triple Bagel: A birthday giveaway at Bruegger's
