Walt Bell finally has enough bricks to start building a foundation for UMass football.
The Minutemen opened spring football this week with 90 players on the roster, and Bell said Thursday he expects to be at 110 during preseason camp.
“Just from a roster composition standpoint, it’s the first time in two years we’ve been able to practice the right way,” Bell said. “As long as we stay clean and can get all 15 of these practices in and not have any more stoppages, we feel great about where we are.”
After so much disruption over the previous offseason and regular season, the Minutemen are starting to move back toward a normal flow. They didn’t have a spring or summer last season and only were able to practice four times in fall camp.
“Just to be on a normal rhythm, a normal schedule to have a real offseason program of development, it’s all huge for us,” Bell said. “It’s the only way we can move our program forward.”
For a program that hasn’t won a game since Sept. 28, 2019, and is 1-15 over the previous two years, those steps forward start with the basics. UMass didn’t have pads on for its first two practices and is in the early stages of installing its systems and its culture.
“I think it’s establishing your culture and standards and how you’re playing the game and coming away from spring football with a great handle on the techniques and fundamentals required to play winning football,” Bell said. “As you go into fall camp it becomes more about preparation for the season and winning games.”
With very little set in stone, that’s established a culture of competition in most position groups.
“This spring has been competitive,” redshirt sophomore cornerback Josh Wallace said. “We’ve only had two practices so far, but everyone’s competing. We get to see how good guys really are.”
QUARTERBACKS BEGIN JOSTLING – Though there are seven quarterbacks listed on the roster, three have formed an early breakaway group: Colorado transfer Tyler Lytle, redshirt sophomore Garrett Dzuro and redshirt freshman Zamir Wise.
“We’re in the middle of a competition. We’ve got three great kids with good skills, winnable football skills,” Bell said. “It’s just now we’ve got to go find the right guy.”
Dzuro played in three of UMass’ four games last year, completing 15 of 36 passes for 220 yards. Lytle appeared in seven games in two years at CU and threw for 55 yards. Wise joined the Minutemen two weeks before they kicked off last season, so the staff moved him to wide receiver so he could contribute. He caught two passes for 16 yards.
“Tyler’s more of a classic distributor, Garrett’s a little more of a classic distributor, and Zaire Wise is as good with his feet as anyone in our program,” Bell said. “All three of those guys are doing a great job, still learning the basics of the offense. Hopefully as we go through spring we’ll start to develop a pecking order.”
Even once that’s established, incoming true freshman Brady Olson will arrive in the summer, and Bell has maintained he’ll have a shot to win the job. Olson is playing his senior season this spring at Milford.
LATE START – UMass opened the spring season the last week in March, later than its accustomed to and later than many programs around the country. Bell doesn’t feel behind. He said Rutgers started around the same time.
Because of UMass’ two-week athletics pause in February, the Minutemen couldn’t shorten the conditioning and weight room portion of the program.
“If you were a freshman last year, of the last 62 weeks, they’ve been in the weight room for seven of them,” Bells aid. “We’re behind physically.”
MOVES TO BE MADE – Bell said UMass has two scholarships available as the transfer portal fills with more players daily.
“We’ll address whatever needs we have coming out of spring,” he said
CAPTAINS NOT FINALIZED – Though last year’s captains Ellis Merriweather and Josh Wallace will return for next season, Bell isn’t in any hurry to immediately confer the mantle on them again.
“We’ve got kids remaining from the team last year that were captain, but we like to take the entire year before we elect those guys for the coming season again,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of guys that brought leadership for us.”
MILLER HEADING TO PITTSBURGH – Jarivs Miller, who played for UMass in 2019, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The linebacker is the program’s fifth active NFL player, joining Andy Isabella (Arizona), Isaiah Rodgers (Indianapolis), Tajae Sharpe (Kansas City) and Elijah Wilkinson (Denver).
At UMass, Miller had 60 tackles, 4.5 for a loss and a sack.