I’m not going to sit here and act like there’s a lot you can take from just one practice, especially the first one of the spring. That being said, there were some things I noticed at the first day of practice for the Massachusetts football team under head coach Joe Harasymiak that I think are worth noting.

Organization and control

Possibly the most noticeable thing that stood out from Monday was the organization and control across the roughly two hours of practice. Players and coaches acted very professional, being very deliberate with all of their actions.

Obviously, an almost entirely new staff coming in will take some time to acclimate to each other, but it seemed that everyone was on the same page with the timing of drills and transitions between activities. From that standpoint, it looked as if the team had been through their practice routine multiple times, rather than it being their first day.

The practice at times seemed quiet, with players and coaches only speaking when it was to communicate something of importance. Other than those moments, each player and coach was locked in to whatever they were doing, with no distractions.

“The tempo was good,” Harasymiak said. “There was a lot of anxiousness, a lot of nerves in the beginning. During the periods, we stayed on our feet, which is important, learning how to practice like a pro, doing the right thing.”

Quarterback room excitement

AJ Hairston returns as the only signal caller with more than one game of experience in the maroon and white, but other candidates proved that there may be a competition down the stretch.

UMass fans somewhat know what to expect from Hairston, with his big arm and calm pocket presence. The redshirt freshman looked confident on Monday, making some incredible throws that caught the attention of his teammates and coaches.

“[Hairston’s arm talent] is elite. It’s big time,” Harasymiak said. “… He threw one to [Tyree Kelly] the other day. [Kelly] didn’t have a helmet on. I said, ‘That would have been stuck in your teeth,’ because he can sling it. He’s legit.”

Graduate transfer Grant Jordan practiced for the first time with the Minutemen, and showed some flashes throughout his day under center. His accuracy and ability to throw on the run were on full display during drills and scrimmaging. Jordan arrived from Yale after passing for 1,938 yards and 22 touchdowns last year.

Brandon Rose was the other transfer brought in at the quarterback position for UMass, but he suffered an injury during his time at Utah and is still rehabbing from surgery in the offseason. Although the freshman recruits have a long way to go to make their way onto the field come the fall, Hairston proved in 2024 that it’s not as crazy of a scenario as you may think.

New hope and buzz

On the sidelines of practice, I heard multiple people speaking about the excitement surrounding the program for the upcoming year, from coaches and players, to team managers and other members of the media. I believe it’s safe to say the buzz surrounding the program is positive.

Everything from the personnel within the team, to the music coming through the speakers in the bubble is all fresh and new, creating an entirely new feel to Minutemen football. The team seems to be bought into the new regime, and I’m sure that with more time, that will only lead to good things in terms of the on-field product.

Again, I will reiterate that it’s super early, and only time will tell how the rest of the spring and summer go for UMass. The expectations aren’t to win the national championship in year one back in the MAC and under Harasymiak, but competing at a high level game-in and game-out seems like a very real possibility as of right now.

“I had a ton of fun [Monday],” Harasymiak said. “It’s just great to be back in that [head coaching] role. [I’m] grateful for it.”

Mike Maynard can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @mikecmaynard.