Despite being without a head football coach following the departure of Mark Whipple to become the quarterbacks’ coach of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, the University of Massachusetts football team announced its 2004 incoming recruiting class yesterday.
Nine student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to come to UMass for the 2004-05 academic year, while two others have enrolled at the University for the Spring 2004 semester and will be eligible to play in the ’04-’05 season.
The 11 players included in this year’s class are comprised of six offense and five defense. The Maroon and White has added two receivers, two offensive linemen, one tight end and one running back on the offensive side of the ball, while acquiring two linebackers, one defensive end, one defensive back and one defensive lineman.
Headlining the group will be tailback Bryan Smith, a 6-foot-2 190-pound native of Bayonne, N.J., where he ran for 1,687 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior season at Bayonne High School.
Smith, whose identical twin Brandon is a freshman on the team, was heavily recruited by Division I programs such as Maryland, but reportedly chose UMass due to the urgings of his family to attend school and play football with his brother.
“Bryan is another outstanding running back from New Jersey, who we feel can make a major impact on our program,” UMass running backs coach Mike Cassano said. “He is an outstanding athlete, like Marcel Shipp and R.J. Cobbs, but has more height and speed. Bryan is a very natural runner who sets up his blocks very well with his patience and outstanding vision.”
“He is a home run hitter, who is a legitimate threat to score every time he touches the ball.”
Absent from the list was Providence, RI quarterback Liam Coen, who verbally committed to UMass before reconsidering following Whipple’s departure.
The La Salle Academy product, who was considering D-I schools Virginia and Penn State before deciding on Whipple and UMass, is reportedly still in limbo about his future plans.
The Minutemen are coming off of one of the most successful season’s in program history, one which saw them go 10-3 overall and 8-1 in the Atlantic 10, good enough for a share of their first conference title since 1999. The 10 overall wins and eight conference wins both established school records, while the team’s 9-1 start was its best in over 100 years.
With the Atlantic 10 having split into two divisions for the upcoming season due to the addition of Towson University, the Maroon and White’s schedule will feature fellow North Division members Hofstra, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern and Rhode Island, as well as South foes Richmond, James Madison and Delaware.
In addition, non-conference opponents include national runner-up Colgate, as well as Delaware State.
Talks are also reportedly on-going with Boston College about a potential early-October match up at the Heights.
UMass opens in 2004 campaign on Sept. 11, when it faces Colgate at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium. The Raiders, who advanced to the 2003 National Championship game before eventually falling to Delaware, knocked the Minutemen out of the playoffs with a 19-7 win in Hamilton, N.Y.
