BREAKING | UMass Lands 2026 NJ DL Robert Ekins
The 6-foot-2, 280-pounder comes from New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep
UMass held its first major high school recruiting event under new head coach Joe Harasymiak on Saturday.
All the reports coming out of the event have been positive and the results weren’t just intangible.
The Minutemen scored a verbal commitment from 2026 New Jersey defensive lineman Robert Ekins.
Ekins said he was impressed with “everything.”
“The campus itself,” he said. “The new coaching staff, the culture that Coach Harasymiak spoke about, and more.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder is likely to play defensive end early in his career, but depending on how his frame fills out, he could end up playing on the interior eventually as well.
“I can play as both an end and interior because I have strength and good speed,” Ekins said. “The defense is very similar to what we have at Don Bosco where I have had a lot of success at both positions.
He clearly impressed the Minutemen immensely as the staff extended the scholarship offer during the visit.
“Being able to receive an offer from UMass was a dream come true for me since I’ve been working to play football at such a high level like this my entire life,” he said. “There was no doubt I was going to commit to UMass because as soon as you step in the building you can tell something great is about to happen.”
“Kid is super powerful,” one source said. “He can play with leverage. He has heavy hands, can create knock-back. He's a young kid and even just shaking his hand, you can see he's going to be powerful.”
Ekins comes from national power Don Bosco Prep, so he’s likely to be a great piece for the cultural foundation Harasymiak is building in Amherst.
“Being one of the first commits to UMass under Coach Harasymiak felt great for me and my family,” said Ekins. “I hope that other players realize what is coming to UMass this year and follow what I did by commiting to the program.”
Harasymiak, defensive line coach a term Wartman-White and assistant defensive line coach Kayon Whitaker made big impressions on Ekins
“Coach Harasymiak brings great energy to anyone he speaks to and has a clear plan for what he wants to do with UMass football,” Ekins said. “Coming from a great background of coaching, you know that Coach Harasymiak will turn the program around for the better by brining a great culture and environment every day.
“Coach Wartman-White and Coach Whitaker have been coaching D-Linemen at the highest level for years and make their coaching simple and easy for you to understand. I love the play style that is going to be brought in and it is very fitting for me.”
“This is a sawed-off hard-nosed, blue-collar type kid,” the source said.
Don Bosco head coach Dan Sabella agreed.
“Robert is your classic blue-collar throwback type kid,” Sabella told Minuteman Command. “He goes about his business and works hard.
“He’s very strong and has heavy hands. Plays a physical style of football. He will be dependable and is continuing to grow as a player. He has a huge amount of upside and will keep getting better.”
Ekins is fired up
“Beyond the football aspect of UMass, some of the things I like about UMass are the fact that they have great academics for any major, it will create many opportunities for you in the future, and lastly they have the #1 dining in the nation.”