UMass Has Built Foundation For 2027 Recruiting, Now Comes The Hard Part

With six commitments already, the Minutemen are hoping an improved 2026 season will help them close.

(UMass Athletics)

UMass fans aren’t the only ones waiting to see what Year 2 under Joe Harasymiak looks like.

Many of the top prospects on the Minutemen’s Wish List for the Class of 2027 are watching closely as well. After an encouraging offseason via the Transfer Portal, UMass believes it has positioned itself to capitalize if the progress behind the scenes begins translating into wins this fall.

Still, the summer didn’t unfold exactly as the Minutemen would have liked.

Last year’s 0-12 record proved to be a more significant obstacle than some inside the program hoped. Several prospects showed genuine interest, some even scheduled official visits and spent months communicating with the coaching staff before ultimately deciding to wait or head elsewhere.

As one source put it simply, “That’s what happens when you go 0-12.”

Still, UMass has quietly assembled a solid foundation.

The Minutemen currently hold six commitments in the 2027 class, each representing a different recruiting win and a different piece of what Harasymiak and his staff hope to build moving forward.

RB Amari Cannon

Cannon gives the class a dynamic offensive playmaker.

The Pennsylvania back seriously considered Temple after taking an official visit there before ultimately choosing UMass. Relationships with Harasymiak and running backs coach Jeremy Larkin played a significant role, but so did the staff’s vision for how he’d fit into offensive coordinator Max Warner’s offense.

Cannon finished his junior season with over 1,000 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for another 320 yards.

Rather than viewing Cannon strictly as a running back, the Minutemen see someone capable of creating mismatches as both a runner and receiver.

Just as important, Cannon repeatedly pointed to Harasymiak’s honesty about where the program currently stands instead of trying to hide from recent struggles.

TE Joel Gomez

If there has been a signature recruiting win so far, Gomez may be it.

UMass identified the New Hampshire tight end before almost anyone else and refused to back away as additional offers arrived from schools like Boston College, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Harasymiak and tight ends coach Matt Layman made Gomez feel like a priority from beginning to end. That persistence paid off.

Winning a recruiting battle after Power Four programs enter the picture is exactly the type of result rebuilding staffs need to establish credibility on the trail.

OL GaVin English

No commitment was more symbolic than the first.

Landing Springfield Central offensive lineman GaVin English signaled exactly what this staff wants to accomplish in Massachusetts. Keeping some the state’s most talented prospects home has become a priority and English became one of the first players to buy into that vision.

The 6-foot-4, 284-pounder spent considerable time with offensive line coach Brian White and Harasymiak before making his decision. He also watched former Springfield Central standouts Pop Watson and Joe Griffin return home to UMass this offseason, reinforcing the idea that staying close to home doesn’t have to mean sacrificing opportunity.

OL Charles Turgeon

Turgeon may ultimately become the class’s biggest developmental success story.

The Canadian prospect arrived at camp expecting to work out as a tight end. But UMass saw an offensive tackle.

Rather than simply offering him, the staff presented a long-term vision built around developing the 6-foot-7 prospect into an offensive lineman. Turgeon embraced the idea almost immediately.

Evaluations like this can often define a recruiting class years later. If Turgeon develops the way the staff believes he can, UMass may eventually look back at this commitment as one of the better projections of the cycle.

DL Trent Small

Few commitments better illustrate what this staff values than Trent Small.

The DeMatha Catholic defensive lineman endured personal challenges throughout his recruitment, but assistant defensive ends coach Kayon Whitaker and defensive line coach Nyeem Wartman never stopped believing in him. Just as importantly, they never overwhelmed him.

Instead, they stayed consistent.

That approach resonated with Small, who committed shortly after his official visit.

Beyond adding another talented defensive lineman, UMass believes it’s bringing in a player accustomed to the expectations that come with one of the nation’s premier high school football programs.

LB Jack Hinspeter

On paper, Jack Hinspeter’s commitment looked like an easy one to explain. His older brother, Timmy, already plays linebacker for UMass.

The reality wasn’t quite that simple.

That connection introduced the Don Bosco Prep standout to the program, but the relationships he built with Harasymiak, linebackers coach Garrett Gillick and defensive coordinator Jared Keyte ultimately made the difference. Even as schools like Delaware, James Madison and UConn pushed for him, Hinspeter consistently came back to the people inside the building.

For a program trying to establish itself throughout the Northeast, adding a player from one of New Jersey’s premier high school programs represents another important regional victory.

A Strong Start, But Plenty Left To Do

It’s a class UMass should feel good about, but one the staff knows is far from complete.

The work now shifts in multiple directions.

The Minutemen will continue evaluating prospects throughout the fall, something they planned to do regardless. They’ll also revisit recruits who showed initial interest before last season’s record caused them to look elsewhere.

Perhaps most importantly, UMass will circle back to prospects who spent the spring chasing Power-4 opportunities that ultimately never proved real. If the Minutemen put together a strong start this fall, many of those conversations could take on an entirely different tone.

For better or worse, Harasymiak and his staff have taken this recruiting class about as far as they could before the 2026 season kicks off.

They’ve identified players who fit their culture, built strong relationships and landed six commitments despite coming off a dreadful season.

Now the recruiting pitch has to evolve.

For months, the staff has sold recruits on where it believes UMass is headed. Beginning this fall, they’ll have the chance to show them.

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