LB Timmy Hinspeter Thrilled To Follow Harasymiak
Former Rutgers LB Timmy Hinspeter talks about his decision to head to UMass alongside Joe Harasymiak.
AMHERST, Mass. - Timmy Hinspeter chuckled when asked about his decision to follow Joe Harasymiak from Rutgers to UMass.
“Quick,” the UMass linebacker transfer said after practice last week.
After redshirting as a freshman in 2022, Hinspeter played in seven games for the Scarlet Knights in 2023 and 11 more last season.
The former Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) star formed a tremendous bond with Harasymiak in Piscataway, which made following him up I-91 to Amherst almost a no-brainer.
“I've always loved him,” Hinspeter said of Harasymiak. “He was my DC for two years and my linebacker coach at Rutgers for a year…He was just a man I always loved learning under.
“He's very personable….He’s not really a get-in-your-face guy. He wanted to help you, he wanted to teach you. He wanted to make you a better person and a better player all around.”
Hinspeter acknowledged initially being hurt when he learned Harasymiak was leaving, but that it meant “everything” when he found out he was wanted in Amherst.
Hinspeter credited Harasymiak as well as new defensive coordinator Jared Keyte, who was also on staff at Rutgers, with helping get his new teammates accustomed to a new system.
“I think Coach Harasymiak and Coach Keyte defensively have done a great job with all my teammates, adjusting and they've done a fantastic job of everything they've thrown at us,” Hinspeter said. “The culture they're building here is fantastic.”
As somebody who has played in the system already, Hinspeter has taken it upon himself to help his UMass teammates.
“Absolutely,” he said. “All I want to be is a great teammate.
“Coming in and learning a new defense isn't easy. When I first went to Rutgers and had to learn the system, it wasn't easy. The older guys always took me under their wing to help me out, so I want to do the same thing.”
As important as Harasymiak has been in his development as a football player, that development actually started in high school at Don Bosco.
“On a scale of 1 to 100, 100,” Hinspeter said when asked how his high school program prepared him for college.
“Coach (Dan) Sabella, Coach Markell (Harrison),” he said. “Those guys are unbelievable. I've never had coaches that prepared me better for the college level.”
Hinspeter is putting it upon himself to become a part of the University in Amherst, but is still getting help from others as well.
“You've got to go out and figure out what you like about this place and your friends and your family. My family is a big help too. They're everything to me. They always help me.”
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