2027 TE Joel Gomez Talks UMass Commitment

2027 New Hampshire tight end Joel Gomez had serious Power-4 interest before choosing UMass.

UMass believed in Joel Gomez before anyone else did.

That early belief never wavered throughout the recruiting process, helping the Minutemen land a commitment from the 2027 New Hampshire tight end last month after making him one of their top priorities from the very beginning.

“It was really just them being my first offer and coaches really believing in me,” Gomez told Minuteman Command. “After that, they didn’t fade away. They stuck on me and it just felt like the right move.”

The Manchester Memorial High School standout emerged as one of New England’s top prospects during the recruiting process, earning scholarship offers from schools like Boston College, Rutgers, UConn, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Even with Power-4 schools joining the race to a degree, Joe Harasymiak and the Minutemen never backed down and continued making Gomez a priority.

“The Junior Day that they had, I was the first person to go meet with Coach H,” Gomez said. “Not only that, they just kept reaching out, letting me know how I’m going to fit in their offense and reassuring me and really proving to me that I was their top target.”

Harasymiak made a strong impression throughout the process.

“He’s a good coach, he’s a player’s coach,” Gomez said. “Me and him built a really good relationship and connection. When I was at practice, all the guys respected him and you could just tell he’s a really good coach.”

Gomez also appreciated the honesty Harasymiak brought to every conversation.

“From the first day I’d ever seen him and listened to him, you could just tell he means what he’s talking about,” Gomez said. “He knows that UMass didn’t have the best season last year, but he’s not shying away from it. He’s improving the culture with all the players and stuff and it’s just a really exciting place to be at.”

Tight ends coach Matt Layman played an equally important role in Gomez’s decision.

The two stayed in frequent contact throughout the process, building a relationship Gomez believes will serve him well once he arrives in Amherst.

“He played a huge role as well,” Gomez said. “I’m going to be spending every day with him, so it’s important to have a good relationship with him as well. He’s FaceTiming me almost every week.”

Layman also painted a clear vision for how Gomez could fit into offensive coordinator Max Warner’s system.

“They see me as an A, the adjuster, coming to learn behind Matt and just being able to move everywhere wherever they need me for tight end,” Gomez said, referring to current UMass tight end Matt Ogunniyi.

Layman reinforced that message throughout the recruitment.

“He always just tells me, ‘Come catch 100 balls for us,’” Gomez said. “I think that’s really important, the way he sees me in the offense and really the future that I have there.”

The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder hopes to reward that belief once he arrives on campus.

“UMass fans should expect someone who’s going to work hard every single play, give back to the community and just work hard on the field. I just want to win.”

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