INTEL | Underclassmen Day Scoop

Tons of information coming out of UMass' major recruiting event this past weekend.

UMass hosted over 50 kids for its first major recruiting event under new head coach Joe Harasymiak on Saturday. About half of those kids had private meetings with Harasyimiak.

UMass wanted to make sure it got a lot of offers out, especially to the kids they want who held offers under the previous staff.

But as much as anything, it was about letting the prospects and their families get to know the new coaching staff and vice versa.

One event in and it’s obvious the Minutemen are focusing on the geographical regions they need to be.

You want to have success at UMass? You need to find a way to recruit New Jersey well. Harasymiak’s Garden State roots will help there, so will the staff members with experience at Rutgers like assistant defensive line coach Kayon Whitaker.

2026 New Jersey defensive lineman Robert Ekins from Don Bosco Prep is one kid UMass made a tremendous impression on. They’re impressed with him physically and off the field. Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic, DePaul, St. Peter’s Prep, Union City, recruit those schools well and eventually, you’ll have a great foundation for the culture you want to build.

Ekins is definitely a kid to keep a close eye on right now.

Another Don Bosco prospect to continue watching is 2026 linebacker Matthew Occhipinti. He has some Power-4 offers, but also made the trip and landed a UMass offer.

Khalil Sutton is another 2026 New Jersey prospect worth keeping an eye on. Sutton comes from Union City High School. He plays receiver and defensive end for his high school squad, but is probably a stand-up linebacker in college. A young prospect in the Class of 2026, Sutton is already at least 6-3 with room to grow. The Minutemen made a good impression on him.

2026 New Jersey offensive lineman Matt Alvarez didn’t leave with an offer, but the DePaul Catholic standout is somebody the Minutemen will be watching very closely over the next several months.

Expect more New Jersey prospects to be on campus for UMass’ Junior Day on Feb. 1st.

Of course, the Minutemen are always going to have a major presence in the Commonwealth and Saturday was no different.

2026 Massachusetts athlete Orion Saunders was re-offered by the new staff. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder put enough on film to be worthy of an offer, but after seeing his 6-7 wingspan in person, he became a no-brainer. He could play DB or receiver in college and has already been vouched for by one of the top defensive back trainers in the region.

Buckingham Browne & Nichols has plenty of top UMass targets, including 2026 linebacker Sam Kelley, who was re-offered earlier in the week. 2028 BB&N defensive back Owen DeSalvo didn’t make the trip and he’s young, but he’s absolutely one of the top targets on the entire board for the Minutemen.

Dexter Southfield will be well-represented on UMass’ Recruiting Board as well. 2026 WR/DB/ATH Charlie Hanafin was offered on Saturday. He’s got some big-time offers already, but a source close to Hanafin noted the almost tangible new energy in the building in Amherst right now and said the UMass offer is one Hanafin will absolutely take seriously.

2026 linebacker Malcolm Robertson didn’t report an offer following the event, but he’s another Dexter Southfield target the Minutemen are excited about following. 2028 Dexter Southfield quarterback Rory Funke did announce a UMass offer afterward, his first FBS offer. Some knowledgeable in-state sources are convinced Funke will have high P-4 offers before he’s done, but getting in early certainly isn’t going to hurt the Minutemen.

Another quarterback worth keeping an eye on is 2027 Xaverian quarterback Will Wood. The Minutemen are excited about evaluating many of the state’s best signal-callers this spring and summer and Wood is definitely one of those guys. He’s an exciting prospect who has been described as “fun to watch.”

Xavierian’s David Chiavegato came into the event as a prospect the Minutemen were already high on. He could play safety or receiver, but UMass sees him more as a defensive player at this point. After being impressed with Chiavegato on film, they were blown away by spending time with him in person.

2027 athlete Rowan Martin is another prep school kid who was re-offered at the event. Martin’s development has impressed the UMass staff. It’s not clear if he’ll grow into a linebacker or possibly a big nickel, but he can definitely play.

Martin’s Williston teammate, 2026 running back Brooks Connors also left with an offer.

Springfield Central High School is another program that could provide an immediate jolt to the talent level and culture of the program. Central sent a handful of prospects up for the event, including 2027 running back Isaiah Rogers, one of the fastest running backs in the country.

“Man, that kid can play,” one source told Minuteman Command.

Rogers has a couple Power-4 offers already, but it is still early and UMass is trying to stay top-of-mind with him.

2028 Central athlete Xavier Thomas could end up being one of the best players the school has ever had and that’s something considering the program has sent players to Virginia Tech, Boston College, Wisconsin and Syracuse in recent years. Where will Thomas end up playing? He could play running back, receiver or linebacker, but UMass thinks he’s probably a safety at the next level and a damn good one.