2026 Season

[Steve81]

With the 2026 season coming into view with the Spring game next month, it is refreshing that recruiting for this season is a good start.

NCAAF Nation @NCAAFNation247 Mar 9
UMass had a rough 2025 season going 0-12 but the program is 8-68 the last seven seasons so nobody was truly surprised. Head Coach Joe Harasymiak has his hands full trying to build this program from literally nothing and it's no easy task but the 2026 Recruiting Class could be the start. The 2026 UMass Recruiting Class is the BEST IN PROGRAM HISTORY by AVG Recruit Ranking. The 83.94 AVG is 1.5 points higher than the 2025 class. 3 star QB Aedan McCarthy is 6'5 with a good arm, with some development he will be a name to know in the #MAC in a few years. 3 star WR Kai Owens was a great addition, he has the size & skills to contribute early and 3 star DL Samuel Mulbah is another player with major upside. This 2026 class is very good compared to UMass standards and a good start to turning the program around by Head Coach Harasymiak.

[Rolling Ridge]

With the 2026 season coming into view with the Spring game next month, it is refreshing that recruiting for this season is a good start.

NCAAF Nation @NCAAFNation247 Mar 9
UMass had a rough 2025 season going 0-12 but the program is 8-68 the last seven seasons so nobody was truly surprised. Head Coach Joe Harasymiak has his hands full trying to build this program from literally nothing and it's no easy task but the 2026 Recruiting Class could be the start. The 2026 UMass Recruiting Class is the BEST IN PROGRAM HISTORY by AVG Recruit Ranking. The 83.94 AVG is 1.5 points higher than the 2025 class. 3 star QB Aedan McCarthy is 6'5 with a good arm, with some development he will be a name to know in the #MAC in a few years. 3 star WR Kai Owens was a great addition, he has the size & skills to contribute early and 3 star DL Samuel Mulbah is another player with major upside. This 2026 class is very good compared to UMass standards and a good start to turning the program around by Head Coach Harasymiak.

This is great to see. I think this is what we were all hoping for last year. I'm not expecting miracles, but I am feeling like this season will be a real improvement, and not just because it can't get any worse.

[eldonabe]

Not sure where / when that info was posted Steve but If I go out to 247 Sports right now (which I did) here are the basic recruiting stats:

2025 Recruits avg 83.14 (ranked 148 in all d1)
2026 Recruits avg 83.21 (ranked 119 in all D1)

2025 Overall commits avg 82.77 (ranked 118 in all D1)
2026 Overall commit avg 83.57 (ranked 115 in all D1)

*Recruits are just HS - Overall includes all transfers and HS recruits


Your "positive" notes are not really much to crow about. By ranking they recruited better HS players, but their overall incoming average is about the same as last year - you know, that 0-12 season. By rank and average rating - which ranks (barely) better than only 3 other MAC schools.

Better recruits, but no college experience = questionable at best overall record improvement (even though they only have one direction to go). If this "improved" 2026 class sticks around for another year, the odds of a better w/l increases, but as of right now, they are not much better off now than they were a year ago.


Steve I know you are looking for something / anything to hang your hat on but this "great news" is not that great.

UMass Football: Hoping for the best / expecting the worst.

[Steve81]

Eldonabe stop changing my words and then agruing your words, not mine are not true! That said happy you are hoping for the best, like most of us.

Never said great and yes it is not great, but never said great. Said a "good start"

With the 2026 season coming into view with the Spring game next month, it is refreshing that recruiting for this season is a good start.

Steve I know you are looking for something / anything to hang your hat on but this "great news" is not that great.

UMass Football: Hoping for the best / expecting the worst.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

While Steve generally overreacts to things (sorry Steve, that's a fact these days...), I think eldon is pointing at the wrong person with his sentiment... Steve didn't go over the top in what he is expressing (this time). The tweet itself, on the other hand, is a bit much and is what should be pointed at.




All that said, any improvement is good, but until we see it on the field, it's the same merry-go-round.

[Steve81]

While Steve generally overreacts to things (sorry Steve, that's a fact these days...), I think eldon is pointing at the wrong person with his sentiment... Steve didn't go over the top in what he is expressing (this time). The tweet itself, on the other hand, is a bit much and is what should be pointed at.


All that said, any improvement is good, but until we see it on the field, it's the same merry-go-round.

Agree we need to see results on the field. The tweet symbolized to me, being a good freshman class. That said, believe Whipple had a better recruiting class that was in the top 100.

The 2 Springfield Central transfers are one of the keys for performance on the field. Hoping for few injuries and they can show the results on the field. The OL is an area that needs development and don't have any expectations on the RB. Hope they surprise us in a positive way. It will be interesting how MAX uses the TE and other offensive schemes this year.

[PreecherJenkins]

While Steve generally overreacts to things (sorry Steve, that's a fact these days...), I think eldon is pointing at the wrong person with his sentiment... Steve didn't go over the top in what he is expressing (this time). The tweet itself, on the other hand, is a bit much and is what should be pointed at.


All that said, any improvement is good, but until we see it on the field, it's the same merry-go-round.

Agree we need to see results on the field.

You do not need to say anything else besides we need to see results on the field. Recruiting stats are for click bait and completely irrelevant the first time a kid takes a snap. He can either sink or swim.

If the team performs we'll be happy. Which also means our players are going to get better opprotunities (which is a good thing).

[eldonabe]

While Steve generally overreacts to things (sorry Steve, that's a fact these days...), I think eldon is pointing at the wrong person with his sentiment... Steve didn't go over the top in what he is expressing (this time). The tweet itself, on the other hand, is a bit much and is what should be pointed at.


All that said, any improvement is good, but until we see it on the field, it's the same merry-go-round.

Agree we need to see results on the field.

You do not need to say anything else besides we need to see results on the field. Recruiting stats are for click bait and completely irrelevant the first time a kid takes a snap. He can either sink or swim.

If the team performs we'll be happy. Which also means our players are going to get better opportunities (which is a good thing).

Drop the mic...... close this thread until the end of September.