UMass Announces 2025 Captains
Head coach Joe Harasymiak announced six team captains, two on offense, two on defense, two on special teams.
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak announced captains for the 2025 season following practice last week in a video released on the school’s social media feeds.
Harasymiak announced there would be two captains for each phase of the game.
The captains were voted on by the team and the coaching staff had no input on their selections.
“It was pretty overwhelming,” Harasymiak told the squad of the results. “I think we have a feel for each other and a uniqueness of we all start thinking the same way.”
Offensive captains are running back Rocko Griffin and receiver Jacquon Gibson.
Harasymiak has often held up Griffin, who transferred to UMass after time at UTSA and Vanderbilt, as a model for the type of character he wants for his team’s overall culture. Gibson is a redshirt junior from North Carolina who has seen time in 28 games during his career at UMass and appears poised for a breakout.
Defensive lineman Shymell Davis and linebacker Derrieon Craig were announced as captains for defense.
“If you just play the game like this dude,” Harsymiak said before announcing Craig. “I’m telling you, I’ve been a lot of places, if you just play the game like him, you will be fine.”
Craig is a senior from Florida who has played in 28 career games for the Minutemen while Davis is a redshirt senior who spent his previous four seasons at Maine before transferring to UMass this offseason.
Long snapper Jovoni Borbon and punter Keegan Andrews were named captains for defense.
Borbon is a graduate senior who transferred from McNeese State this offseason following stops at SMU and Maricopa CC. Andrews, a senior, is a native of Australia who transferred to UMass this offseason after spending the 2024 season at Texas A&M.
Both seem to have outsized leadership roles for specialists on this year’s squad.
“I’m going to tell you right now, we’re going to separate the game on special teams,” he told his players.
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