Harasymiak: WR Joe Griffin "Has To Be The Guy" For UMass
Transfer wide receiver Joe Griffin gives the Minutemen a physical presence that few - if any - MAC schools have.
The most noticeable thing about Joe Griffin Jr. these days is the club covering his right hand, the result of a deeply sliced pinky finger that required stitches.
But UMass is hoping the transfer receiver’s frame and athletic ability will allow him to stick out like a sore thumb in the MAC this fall.
“A lot of the guys in the league don’t look like that,” UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak told reporters on Tuesday, referring to the 6-foot-3, 208-pound Griffin’s physique.
“They just don’t. There’s not a lot of 6-3-plus guys that can elevate and go get it. So he’s got to be a weapon for us.”
The former Springfield Central High School star has already proven capable of being a weapon at the college level, making an immediate impact as a true freshman at Boston College, where he caught 18 passes for 234 yards and five scores in 2022. He followed that up with 25 receptions for 345 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore before transferring to Wisconsin.
After sitting out as a junior in 2024, Griffin only caught one ball for five yards for the Badgers a year ago, setting up his transfer to Amherst.
Since arriving at UMass, Harasymiak said he’s seen Griffin mature.
“Been two spots, comes here, and now this is it for him, right?” Harasymiak said. “A lot of these guys with this new wave of college football with the Portal and NIL, this is it. This is his opportunity. So I think he’s grown. He’s got all the talent in the world.”
As a defensive coordinator at Minnesota and Rutgers before taking the head coaching job at UMass a year ago, Harasymiak has been around some elite receivers, including KJ Duff and Ian Strong in Piscataway.
“Joe’s got all that,” Harasymiak said.
Griffin has had to battle through some injuries this spring beyond just the cut finger, but he’s proven he can do so.
“He’s been out there for the last week with stitches in his hand and he’s catching the ball with a club on his hand,” Harasymiak noted.
The coach also lauded Griffin for the work he’s put in with strength coach George Greene.
“I think the biggest strides he’s made has to do with his body,” said Harasymiak. “He’s gotten bigger.”
Harasymiak is hoping a return closer to home and a reunion with his former high school and schoolboy quarterback Pop Watson will allow for a more comfortable atmosphere.
“I think he’s happy,” the coach said. “I think he’s enjoying it, but he has to be good for us. There’s no choice. You know what I mean? He has to be. He has to be the guy.
“He’s going to have to play the most football that he’s ever played, right? And the clock is running. So I’m excited for him and I think he’s taking the steps and he’s pushed himself, which I think in the past has been something that he hasn’t done. So I’m pleased with that.”
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