Top 2026 DB Orion Saunders Feeling Love From UMass
Top 2026 Massachusetts prospect Orion Saunders has been in Amherst twice already this year and is planning to return soon.
Other schools are beginning to see what UMass spotted much earlier.
Orion Saunders can play.
The 2026 Massachusetts defensive back landed an offer from first-year UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak in early-January. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Saunders has since added offers from schools like Syracuse and Tulane among others, but the Minutemen still have the Middlesex School star’s attention.
“I was there for both Junior Days,” Saunders says of a pair of trips to Amherst already this year.
“I love it. I love it over there, man.”
Saunders notes the change he’s felt with the new staff in place.
“The energy, you can just feel as soon as you step in the building,” says Saunders. “All of the coaches there really just showed my family a lot of love and a lot of appreciation. I have a lot of appreciation for all of them when I'm down there.”
UMass defensive backs coach Donald Celiscar has made a strong impression early.
“Coach Celiscar put me under his wing when I was down there and really just showed me around,” Saunders says. “He is really down to earth, really humble. He's a guy who really wants to develop me and make me the best corner I can be and just fit me in the defense as well as he can.”
Harasymiak has made a similar impact.
“I love Coach H,” Saunders says. “He's been super vocal in his recruitment with me. He's been really upfront. He's never really hiding anything. He is an open book. He's just a great person to be around and I'm excited to continue to get to know him and the rest of the staff.”
Despite visiting twice already in 2025, Saunders isn’t finished yet.
“I'll be there again soon, probably for another spring practice or the spring game,” he says.
“I just want to see how the team is reacting to all the changes with the staff and whatnot. I just want to see the energy at practice. I know it's going to be crazy, so I'm just excited to see it in person.”
He’s got some other trips in mind as well.
“During my school's March break, I'm going to be going to a lot of places,” he says. “I'm going to be at Buffalo, at Syracuse, at Tulane and Old Dominion.”
Saunders is honored by the offers that continue to come his way.
“I'm just blessed, really,” he says. “That's the only thing I can say. 10-year-old me is just proud and it's great to see and great to feel. Every opportunity is a great opportunity. I'm just looking for where I can really fit in on the field and off the field with the guys, the coaching staff, the trainers, everybody.”
He’s hoping to cut his list in the coming months, but isn’t certain what happens after that.
“I want my decision process to be narrowed down by the summer for sure. I don't know yet what that'll look like. I'm still deciding about camps and whatnot for this summer. So, by the summer I definitely want to have it narrowed down for sure.”
CHECK OUT SAUNDERS’ JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS HERE
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