Rutgers will kick off its 2026 season on Thursday, Sept. 3, and the opener comes with a familiar kind of mismatch: SHI Stadium under the lights, a Big Ten roster with bowl expectations, and UMass arriving in the early stages of another rebuild.
The Minutemen are now in the MAC and into their second year under head coach Joe Harasymiak, the former Rutgers defensive coordinator. The program has been rebuilt heavily through the transfer portal, but the gaps are still obvious.
UMass has won just 26 games since returning to the FBS in 2012, and the 2025 season was a brutal one - 0-12 overall and 0-8 in league play. The offense sat near the bottom of the country in total yards, scoring, and efficiency, while the defense had trouble getting stops, creating turnovers, or holding up late in games.
Harasymiak’s staff spent the offseason trying to add more stability. The Minutemen signed what was described as one of their stronger FBS-era recruiting classes, leaned on local talent, and brought in veteran transfers to patch holes.
The idea is straightforward: add experience, build toughness, protect the football, and chip away at the blowouts that have defined recent seasons. Preseason projections still point to a modest year, with most outlooks landing in the 2-10 or 3-9 range.
On offense, the centerpiece is quarterback William "Pop" Watson III. The redshirt junior is a dual-threat transfer from Virginia Tech and a Springfield, Mass., native who gives UMass something it badly needs: mobility and the ability to create when plays break down. He is not being sold as a finished product, but he does bring a different dimension with designed runs and off-script throws.
The supporting cast around him has been upgraded through the portal. Joseph Griffin Jr., a wide receiver transfer from Wisconsin/Boston College, gives Watson a bigger target with experience and contested-catch ability.
In the backfield, Justin Williams-Thomas - with stops at Tennessee, California, and Marshall - and Jordan Washington from Murray State add experience and burst. Tight end is another area UMass hopes to lean on, with Max Dowling and Reece Adkins offering size and versatility that offensive coordinator Max Warner plans to use heavily.
The offensive line remains the biggest concern. The Minutemen added transfers with size and experience, but the same issues keep hanging over the group: protection, communication, and a reliable push in the run game.
Warner’s offense will try to stay balanced, control the ball, and avoid negative plays that wreck drives. In 2025, UMass struggled to generate explosive plays or sustain possessions, so even modest improvement there would matter.
Defensively, Harasymiak’s background should at least give the Minutemen a better foundation. Linebacker looks like one of the steadier spots, led by Tyler Martin, who posted 103 tackles last season. North Carolina A&T transfer Joshua Iseah and other additions bring more depth and athleticism to that group.
The secondary has also been reinforced, with graduate transfers Isaiah Reed, a corner from UCF/Brown, and safety DD Snyder, who came from Ball State/Illinois. The hope is that those additions help UMass cover better and create more turnovers. Up front, the defensive line has been stocked with experienced portal players for size and pass-rush potential, but generating steady pressure is still a major task after low sack totals a year ago.
There has been attention paid to special teams and depth as well, with a mix of fifth-year seniors, graduate transfers, and younger developmental pieces. That gives UMass more bodies than it has had in recent years, but turning all that movement into chemistry is another matter, especially against physical opponents.
The schedule gives the Minutemen a few chances to build something. UMass has winnable non-conference home games against Sacred Heart and Stonehill, plus a road trip to Sacramento State and eight MAC games.
The early part of the year, outside of Rutgers, offers a chance to avoid another winless season and show some progress. A 3-9 or 4-8 finish would count as a meaningful step forward.
Against Rutgers, though, the challenge is steep. The Scarlet Knights have the talent, depth, and home-field edge to control the game.
Rutgers will likely look to win at the line of scrimmage, run the ball, and make Watson play from predictable passing situations. UMass may have a few moments if Watson or the skill players hit an explosive play, but sustaining that against a bigger, more physical Big Ten defense will be a different story.
For Rutgers, the opener is a chance to set the tone, get young players on the field, and build confidence. For UMass, it is a measuring stick and a learning experience. The Minutemen are not expected to threaten an upset, but the game will still show how far this portal-heavy rebuild has come.
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