The Professor - The Coaching Career of James Xavier

[Agent]

Hester in that one

[Captain Canada]

All those turnovers bound to bite yall eventually. Any thoughts on a QB change? Or play calling adjustments?

No QB change - Haston is easily the best quarterback on the team. Just making dumb decisions that needs to be cleaned up.

Hester in that one

My All-American dawg

[Captain Canada]

UMass picks up their quarterback amidst the coaching turmoil

AMHERST, MA -- Between the UMass Minutemen's remarkable undefeated season and the coaching Cold War occurring between head coach Don Brown and offensive coordinator James Xavier (who has remained silent for the better part of a month since the leak happened), it is quite easy to forget about their incoming recruiting class, and how it has been affected by the latter.

After the Minutemen's rivalry week victory over the UConn Huskies pushed them to one win away from an unprecedented undefeated record, the team has secured the commitments of a litany of players, while also suffering some crucial losses, all of which cited not feeling comfortable committing to the unsettled program.

Deerfield, Florida middle linebacker Marquee Iverson committed via social media shortly after his trip to Amherst to witness the Minutemen's narrow victory over the Huskies. "Coming to UMass and being part of an unheralded defense like they got. I want to be part of his resurgence that they got going on here." A three-star linebacker standing at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, Iverson looks like he'll create quite a buzz once he gets onto campus.

Notably, the team adds a quarterback after striking out during the transfer portal period, landing three-star quarterback Zach Hoffman out of Paramus, New Jersey. One of the most impressive gets for the Minutemen, Hoffman shores up a quarterback room that could potentially see quite a shakeup in the off-season. Resident star Ahmad Haston is an Xavier-supporter and is rumored to be going if coach Xavier leaves. Hoffman could see time early if that happens. The team remains in on undecided quarterback Keke Iwuchukwu, who continues to build trust in coming to Amherst.

The team continued to build its New Jersey pipeline, securing three prospects in three-star running back Baraka Long, three-star tight end Emmett Stephens, and three-star offensive lineman Nate Matlock from the state.

"Not knowing if Coach Xavier is going to be here was a tough sell, I won't hold you," commented running back Baraka Long during his commitment announcement. "I had a great relationship with him, and we still maintain contact that I won't be disclosing right now. But, he's done such a great job selling the campus and the team's outlook that I feel comfortable coming here regardless."


Commitments
#116 WR Tanner Sanders | 6’3”, 209 lbs | Bronx, NY | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#173 WR Taylor Bohannon | 6’1”, 182 lbs | Camden, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#24 MLB Marquee Iverson | 6’3”, 243 lbs | Deerfield Beach, FL | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#172 QB Zack Hoffman | 6’4”, 210 lbs | Paramus, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#73 HB Baraka Long | 6’0”, 193 lbs | Camden, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#34 TE Emmett Stephen | 6’5”, 228 lbs | Red Bank, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#67 OG Nate Matlock | 6’3”, 296 lbs | Trenton, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Massachusetts
#91 OT Gideon Odeyingbo | 6’4”, 319 lbs | Philadelphia, PA | 2-star | Committed to Massachusetts

2025 UMass Recruiting Board
#236 QB Keke Iwuchukwu | 6’0”, 202 lbs | Lynchburg, VA | 2-star | North Carolina, Auburn, New Mexico, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
#127 ATH Zhaire McCracken | 5’11”, 196 lbs | Elizabeth, NJ | 3-star | Rutgers, Temple, Penn State, Kent State, James Madison
#23 TE J.J. Cheek | 6’2”, 234 lbs | Hillside, NJ | 4-star | UConn, UMass, James Madison, Western Kentucky, Temple
#109 DE Connor Leverett | 6’2”, 246 lbs | Brooklyn, NY | 3-star (JUCO) | Army, UConn, UMass, James Madison, Ohio
#57 OLB James Wakefield | 6’1”, 224 lbs | Melrose, MA | 3-star | Eastern Michigan, UMass, Kent State, Arkansas State, Central Michigan
#28 OLB Brooks Rimpf | 6’3”, 223 lbs | Ashburnham, MA | 3-star | Eastern Michigan, UMass, Kent State, Arkansas State, Central Michigan
#61 OLB Jaden Jefferson | 6’2”, 235 lbs | Pittsburgh, PA | 3-star | Kent State, Penn State, Temple, James Madison, Eastern Michigan

Committed Elsewhere
#12 OLB Kevin Winton | 6’1”, 218 lbs | Gardena, CA | 3-star | Committed to USC
#12 DT Trayvion Connor | 6’1”, 284 lbs | Roanoke, VA | 4-star | Committed to NC State
#1 OG Lamarcus Prall | 6’2”, 318 lbs | Boston, MA | 4-star | Committed to Syracuse
#127 TE Dave Gatson | 6’5”, 230 lbs | Willington, CT | 2-star | Committed to UConn
#79 OT Nick Boyce | 6’6”, 303 lbs | Edison, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Buffalo
#18 WR Keke Gee | 5’8”, 188 lbs | Needham, MA | 4-star | Committed to Syracuse
#8 OG Steven Sweat | 6’4”, 313 lbs | Malden, MA | 4-star | Committed to Syracuse
#76 MLB Levone Pleasants | 6’2”, 215 lbs | Ramsey, NJ | 3-star | Committed to Rutgers
#77 DE Sateki Street | 6’5”, 275 lbs | Brooklyn, NY | 3-star | Committed to Army
#34 WR Ryan O’Doyle | 5’11”, 172 lbs | West Hartford, CT | 4-star | Committed to Penn State
#24 OG Sam Toone | 6’1”, 324 lbs | Peabody, MA | 3-star | Committed to UConn
#179 CB Dominique Amerson | 5’9”, 194 lbs | Roswell, GA | 2-star | Committed to Georgia Tech
#202 CB Antwaun Montague | 6’1”, 195 lbs | Columbus, OH | 2-star (JUCO) | Committed to Cincinnati
#50 FS Craig Goodin | 5’11”, 218 lbs | Wallingford, CT | 3-star (JUCO) | Committed to UConn
#59 C Brian Quick | 6’2”, 297 lbs | Sparta, NJ | 3-star | Committed to James Madison
#19 DE Dave Yates | 6’2”, 247 lbs | Irvington, NJ | 3-star | Committed to James Madison
#87 MLB Cameron Sullivan | 5’11”, 221 lbs | Severna Park, MD | 2-star | Committed to Buffalo
#197 HB Javier Darnold | 5’10”, 199 lbs | Brooklyn, NY | 2-star | Committed to Army
#134 OT Chad Westbrook | 6’5”, 312 lbs | Hamden, CT | 2-star | Committed to UConn
#102 DT Alec Brooks | 6’0”, 300 lbs | Bronx, NY | 2-star | Committed to UConn

[Captain Canada]

Week 13 Top Stories
#4 Michigan has had an insane end to the season. Will they be able to defeat #1 Ohio State to finish on top?
The Virginia Tech Hokies knock down the Miami Hurricanes down with the massive upset, 38-28
#12 UMass looks to finish off their Cinderella story for an undefeated regular season, taking on Kent State
Has Ohio State’s quarterback Devin Brown locked up the Heisman?

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Week 13 MAC Results
Bowling Green 31 | #19 Miami-OH 34
Ball State 45 | Akron 13
Western Michigan 28 | Toledo 21
Eastern Michigan 28 | Kent State 19
Buffalo 16 | Central Michigan 13
Ohio 29 | Northern Illinois 17

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Week 14 MAC Matchups
Ohio (4-7, 3-4) at Toledo (4-7, 2-4)
Eastern Michigan (4-7, 3-4) at Central Michigan (3-8, 2-5)
Akron (2-9, 1-6) at Bowling Green (5-6, 4-3)
#19 Miami-OH (10-1, 6-1) at Northern Illinois (5-6, 2-5)
Kent State (6-5, 3-4) at #12 UMass (11-0, 7-0)
Buffalo (7-4, 5-2) at Ball State (7-4, 4-3)

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TOP 25

Ranking	Team	Record	Opponent
#1		11-0	at #4 Michigan
#2		11-0	at South Carolina
#3		9-2	at Arizona State
#4		9-2	vs #1 Ohio State
#5		9-2	vs Florida State
#6		9-2	vs #23 North Carolina
#7		10-1	vs Charlotte
#8		9-2	at Auburn
#9		9-2	at Georgia Tech
#10		9-2	at Oklahoma
#11		9-2	vs Oregon
#12		11-0	vs Kent State
#13		8-3	at Stanford
#14		8-3	at Pittsburgh
#15		8-3	vs Rutgers
#16		8-3	vs #17 UCLA
#17		8-3	at #16 USC
#18		7-4	at Virginia
#19		10-1	at Northern Illinois
#20		8-3	at Utah State
#21		8-3	at West Virginia
#22		7-4	vs Northwestern
#23		8-3	at #6 NC State
#24		8-3	vs USF
#25		9-2	at South Alabama

Dropped from Rankings: Miami (10), Texas A&M (15), Oklahoma State (17), Nebraska (19), Oregon (22), Florida State (25)

Heisman Watchlist
QB Devin Brown, Rs Sr » 30-43, 346 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 14 carries, 42 rushing yards, touchdown (W 46-38 at Purdue)
QB Cade Klubnik, Sr » 27-35, 336 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 8 carries, 20 rushing yards, touchdown (W 48-27 at Georgia Tech)
QB Darian Mensah, So » 20-30, 216 passing yards, touchdown, 14 carries, 107 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns (W 27-24 vs Navy)
QB Ryan Puglisi, Rs Fr » No stats
QB Eli Holstein, Rs So » No stats

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Players of the Week
WR Nic Anderson (Texas): (49-43 W vs Vanderbilt) - 6 receptions, 102 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns, 7 carries, 63 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns
OLB Qua Birdsong (UCF): (36-31 L vs Kansas) - 8 tackles, sack
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WR Kam Perry (Miami-OH): (34-31 W vs Bowling Green) - 6 receptions, 180 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns
DE Anthony Dunn Jr. (Toledo): (28-21 L vs Western Michigan) - 7 tackles, 2 sacks, forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries

[Captain Canada]

Week 14 Preview: vs Kent State


Record: 6-5, 3-4 MAC
Head Coach: Mark Carney
Offensive Scheme: Air Raid
Defensive Scheme: Base 4-3

Team Leaders
Passing: Tommy Ulatowski (163-320, 2,011 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, fumble)
Rushing: Curtis Douglas (186 carries, 864 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, fumble)
Receiving: Jay Jay Etheridge (45 receptions, 706 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns)
Blocking: 16 sacks allowed, 20.2 PPG
Defense: Tyler Bivens (54 tackles, 3 interceptions, 10 pass deflections)

Injuries
LG Tristen Bittner, Sr - Dislocated Ankle (Out)
C Elijah Williams, So - Hamstring Tear (Out)

Kent State Projected Starters
QB #14 Tommy Ulatowski, Rs Sr | 6’2”, 181 lbs | 81 overall
HB #24 Curtis Douglas, Jr | 6’0”, 200 lbs | 81 overall
FB #48 Russ Doucet, Fr | 5’10”, 228 lbs | 71 overall
WR #22 Dashawn Martin, So | 6’2”, 175 lbs | 76 overall
WR #25 Jay Jay Etheridge, So | 5’10”, 160 lbs | 78 overall
TE #18 Hunter Hopperton, Sr | 6’3”, 250 lbs | 72 overall
LT #69 Braylon Smith, Rs So | 6’4”, 315 lbs | 79 overall
LG #63 Lester Bober, So | 6’2”, 324 lbs | 71 overall
C #54 Joshua Valles, Rs Fr | 6’4”, 279 lbs | 73 overall
RG #75 Andrew Page, Rs So | 6’4”, 315 lbs | 71 overall
RT #76 Garrett Masteson, Rs Jr | 6’7”, 312 lbs | 75 overall
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DE #11 Kameron Olds, Sr | 6’4”, 245 lbs | 84 overall
DE #95 Antoine Campbell Jr., Rs Sr | 6’4”, 257 lbs | 81 overall
DT #53 Kaden Beatty, Jr | 6’2”, 285 lbs | 82 overall
DT #56 Keenan Landry, Rs Sr | 6’1”, 305 lbs | 78 overall
OLB #4 Rocco Nicholl, Sr | 6’4”, 221 lbs | 82 overall
MLB #45 Mason Woods, Rs Sr | 6’0”, 220 lbs | 73 overall
OLB #32 Jayden Studio, So | 6’0”, 200 lbs | 82 overall
CB #39 Tyler Bivens, Rs Jr | 6’0”, 167 lbs | 79 overall
CB #19 Jaylen Dotson, Rs Sr | 5’10”, 180 lbs | 77 overall
FS #27 Malcolm Folk, Rs Sr | 6’1”, 192 lbs | 76 overall
SS #20 Josh Baka, Sr | 6’1”, 195 lbs | 75 overall
K #47 Will Hryszko, Rs Jr | 5’10”, 174 lbs | 72 overall
P #10 Javier Soto, Fr | 6’5”, 205 lbs | 71 overall
KR #81 Dash Dorsey, Rs So | 5’11”, 175 lbs | 89 overall

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Coach James Xavier's Offensive Gameplan

Offensive coordinator James Xavier was made unavailable for media duties for pre-game comments

[djp73]

Offensive coordinator James Xavier was made unavailable for media duties for pre-game comments

shook

[Captain Canada]

Offensive coordinator James Xavier was made unavailable for media duties for pre-game comments

shook

They hiding my boy. He's working in silence.

[Soapy]

Offensive coordinator James Xavier was made unavailable for media duties for pre-game comments

shook

They hiding my boy. He's working in silence.

he's interviewing for his next job

[djp73]

Yall lucky McAlary ain’t coaching Kent State.

[Captain Canada]

shook

They hiding my boy. He's working in silence.

he's interviewing for his next job

Yall lucky McAlary ain’t coaching Kent State.

It would be extra quiet for Kent State, you right.