Wednesday--August 12th, 2015

The UMass website has a video interview with new UMass AD Ryan Bamford. From a football point of view, the most important section is where Bamford says UMass will pay COA to scholarship athletes. As you remember, the MAC adopted that policy last winter. UMass football would face a tough recruiting challenge if most Group of Five conference were offering COA and the Minutemen were not. We will have enough problems playing an independent schedule.

Dan Malone has a story on the decision.

Matty Vautour also has a post on the decision.

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Dan also has a preview on Akron. Zips head coach Terry Bowden has gone the transfer route since he became head coach. The Zips went 1-11 three straight years in 2010, 11 and 12. They went 5-7 in 2013 and 2014. Akron's defensive line will feature Jamal Marcus (Ohio State transfer), Rodney Cole (Iowa State transfer), SeVon Pittman (Ohio State transfer) and first-team All-Mac NT Cody Grice.

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Kelly #2/ Ashlee Espinal image

Dan quote a Nj.com article that dismissed freshman Daiquan Kelly will join the Minutemen as a redshirt for 2015.

Matty Vautour also has a story on Kelly's dismissal and transfer. Matty says UMass has good insight into Kelley's situation as UMass linebackers coach Charles Walker coached for Penn State and Austin Whipple played for the Nittany Lions.

NJ.com article.

PennLive has a post.

I blogged about UMass recruiting Kelley back in 2013.

Kelley was rated a three-star player by 247Sports and the #9 overall rated player to come out of New Jersey in 2014.

Kelley could be an impact player for the Minutemen in the future. The UMass defense has been on the short side of recruiting numbers since we went FBS. That could be changing.

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Cleveland.com reports with Blake Frohnapfel and others, MAC East teams are strong at QB.

Cleveland.com also says MAC East teams have issues.

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A Bleacher Report writer has Tajae Sharpe as one of 15 Group-of-Five players you should know.

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The Boston College Blog "BC Interruption" previews Notre Dame and says the Irish won't have any trouble with "cupcake' UMass.

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