Post-Spring Review | Quarterback
There is little doubt that UMass improved its quarterback room this offseason for the both the immediate and long-term future.
If there was one position on the roster where UMass simply needed a different level of play entering the spring - there wasn’t…in fact, there were many- but, if there was one, it was quarterback.
And after 15 practices and the spring game, it’s pretty clear the Minutemen found that upgrade.
Pop Watson III entered the offseason as the expected starter and exited the spring firmly cemented as QB1 despite some outside speculation there could eventually be a controversy at the position.
There never really was one, which was apparent when Watson was made available to the media early in the spring.
Watson looked exactly how UMass hoped he would look after transferring back home from Virginia Tech, steady, poised, athletic and noticeably more physically developed than the player many local fans remember from Springfield Central High School.
Watson is clearly thicker than he was when he came into College Football, something that should help him hold up better as a runner over the course of the season. While UMass isn’t going to run QB Power repeatedly, throughout the spring, Watson consistently showed he can create offense with his legs when protection breaks down or plays are extended.
That ability matters because defenses now have to account for him as a legitimate running threat, which should only help open space within the passing game where Watson can really do damage.
More than anything else, Watson was simply consistent.
Not perfect, but very, very good throughout the spring.
There’s also little question how much faith first-year head coach Joe Harasymiak has placed in his new leader. The sense throughout camp was that Watson is being handed the keys to the program and being asked to become the face of UMass Football’s rebuild.
The relationship between Watson and first-year offensive coordinator Max Warner also became increasingly obvious over the course of the spring. Both have strong personalities and clear leadership qualities, but the comfort level between the two developed quickly and consistently stood out during practice settings.
Behind Watson, the expectation remains that fellow transfer RJ Johnson III will open the season as the primary backup.
Johnson arrives after throwing for 2,597 yards and 18 touchdowns against just four interceptions at Florida A&M in 2025 while completing 65 percent of his passes.
The Atlanta native looked capable throughout the spring and gives UMass another experienced, athletic quarterback option if needed.
Still, the long-term intrigue within the room centers around freshman Aedan McCarthy.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder from South Carolina clearly still has work to do adjusting to the mental demands and speed of the college game, which is entirely expected for a true freshman quarterback.
But the arm talent is impossible to miss.
Multiple people around the program and outside of it remain convinced McCarthy possesses Power Four-level ability and there’s already excitement internally about what he could eventually become once the game slows down for him.
Another intriguing piece will arrive this summer in former Drake quarterback Logan Inagawa, who was not on campus for spring practice.
Inagawa threw for 1,393 yards and nine touchdowns while adding nine rushing scores as a true freshman at Drake in 2025, helping lead the Bulldogs to a Pioneer League championship.
Overall, this quarterback room simply feels different than it did a year ago.
There’s more experience, more athleticism, more upside and perhaps most importantly for UMass, much more confidence surrounding the position entering the summer.
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