2026 QB Tyler Bell Breaks Down Commitment To "NewMass"
2026 New Jersey quarterback Tyler Bell explains why he committed to the Minutemen.
When he was hired as UMass’ next head coach, Joe Harasymiak was tasked with turning things around quickly, which is exactly what he’s attempting to do with the upcoming 2025 season.
But more than anything, Harasymiak is looking to build a foundation for years to come, which is why the recruiting run the Minutemen have been on this offseason is so vital.
Almost regardless of the current roster makeup, quarterback is an imperative for each recruiting class.
As offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and assistant quarterback coach Drew Belcher scanned the board of quarterbacks in the Class of 2026, it became apparent they were zeroing in on one in particular.
New Jersey’s Tyler Bell.
The St. Peter’s Prep standout took an unofficial visit to Amherst this spring and then landed an offer from the Minutemen in May before an in-home visit with Belcher.
He returned to campus for an official visit in June, when he pulled the trigger and committed to UMass.
“It just seemed like a great place to be,” Bell told Minuteman Command. “When I got up there, the coaches were great. We had a fun time. I got to talk to the coaches. Coach Harasymiak had some great speeches. It just seemed like a place I could really fit in and enjoy my college years.”
Bell was one of several visitors to make commitments during the first official visit weekend.
“It was so fun,” he said. “It was like each night, two guys committed and it was just fun to see the coaches go crazy every time it happened. It was just so fun. It was a great environment.”
The 6-foot, 185-pounder is looking forward to playing in Bajakian’s system and improving.
“It's a spread offense,” he said. “I've run that since I was a sophomore at my high school, so I think that's going to fit me perfectly. I'm excited to settle in.
“Once I get up there, they'll start to develop me right away and that's what all quarterbacks want, just to be developed as best as they can. We've got Coach Bajakian and Coach Belcher, coaches who will develop me into the best quarterback I can be and the best man I can be.”
As the quarterback of the class, Bell will take it upon himself to continue building the group by recruiting other targets.
“If I have a relationship with them, I'll start talking to them and if I don't have a relationship with them, start to talk to them and just help them out with that,” he said.
Bell is fired up to be a part of what Harasymiak and his staff are creating in Amherst.
“They're building a great team,” he said. “We know they've done a great job recruiting. They've done a great job with the new staff. They're just building a family up there, a brotherhood, clicking on every single page and just a unit. We're going out there and all focused on the same goal, all chasing the same goal, which is to win.
“That's why they call it NewMass. It's different. It's a whole different mindset than the prior years.”
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