BREAKING | UMass Lands CB In Transfer Portal
Former FIU cornerback Raheim Sexil has committed to Joe Harasymiak, Donald Celiscar and the Minutemen.
In a sense, Raheim Sexil found a program that was looking for the same thing he was looking for.
On Friday, the former Florida International cornerback announced he was transferring to UMass.
“The coaching change,” Sexil told Minuteman Command of what helped lead him to Amherst. “The fact that they've got a whole bunch of new guys coming in and that they decided to bring me.
“I needed a fresh start, so I felt like a good place to get that fresh start would be a place where the coaching staff is also getting a fresh start. I feel like it was just meant to be.”
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound corner, who will have four years of eligibility remaining, pointed to Minutemen defensive backs coach Donald Celiscar specifically.
“He's amazing,” Sexil said. “He's one of the realest coaches that I’ve met throughout this process, even coming out of high school. If he was recruiting me fresh out of high school, that's a coach I would've gravitated towards for sure.”
Head coach Joe Harasymiak also made a major impact.
“He's a cool dude,” said Sexil. “He's a player's coach for sure. That was my last meeting before I came back to Tampa. We were talking and I just got that vibe from him that he's a player's coach. He's going to stay connected with me throughout my time over there, so that's something I can appreciate.”
Sexil took an official visit to UMass last week, which led to his final decision.
“We did a lot,” he said of the trip to Amherst. “The day I first came up there, it was kind of late, but we went to go get something to eat on the campus. Coach Celiscar took me a little around the campus. We didn't do too much because the tour was the next day, but he gave me a little mini tour and he showed me around the campus.
“The next day, we went to the facility. I met some of the players, walked around the facility. They told me about the renovations that they're doing with the locker room and stuff like that. We had a lot of food. They took us to some good restaurants throughout my time over there. It was cool. It was a good experience.”
Sexil got a good feel for the current players in the locker room.
“They're good dudes,” he said. “A lot of them that I met were transfers, but I also met a couple of the guys who were already over there who spent some time over there. I asked them about how they feel about the program and how they feel about the direction it's headed. They told me about Coach H, the culture change that happened as soon as he got there. That was something that I was excited about.”
Sexil is excited for his fresh start.
“I'm going to bring a dog for sure,” he said. “I'm coming from a place where I feel like I didn't get my fair shot. But this is a coach who has recruited me, he's known me. This time around, he was actually the coach recruiting me and he told me he was going to basically take me up under his wing. He's going to help me get developed. So I'm coming over here to develop, but I'm also coming over here to play and make an impact early on the field.”
Sexil just wants a shot.
“Just a fair opportunity, that's it. I love to compete. Competition is what makes football fun, so I don't want anything handed to me. I want to go ahead and go somewhere where I can compete and just earn what I get. That's all I need.”
CHECK OUT SEXIL’S HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS HERE
Your one-stop-shop for all your sports marketing needs… Owned and Operated by UMASS Grads.
We specialize in providing top-quality marketing & printing services for coaches, athletic directors, and sports marketing professionals.
Get Fan Ready!