Draft Scout Massachusetts Player News, College Football: Massachusetts

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Massachusetts

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07/20/22 - Ellis Merriweather, rSr/2023, Massachusetts + More +

2022 PRESEASON MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST: Ellis Merriweather, Massachusetts,...As a redshirt junior running back for UMass in 2021, Ellis Merriweather was the Minutemen's first 1,000 yard rusher in the FBS era. He finished season with 1,138 all-purpose yards, and six touchdowns, had 218 consecutive carries without any fumbles, led UMass to their first victory of the season, totaling a career-high in carries (39), for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Merriweather established a new school single-season record of seven games with 100 or more rushing yards, recording 749 yards in the last five games alone. - Massachusetts Football

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RB Ellis Merriweather, Massachusetts
News Source: Massachusetts Football
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05/28/22 - Taisun Phommachanh, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

Taisun Phommachanh's path to the field at Georgia Tech won't be easy. In transferring from Clemson, the former four-star quarterback will contend with Jeff Sims, the Yellow Jackets' two-year returning starter. His role on the roster will be to add depth at the quarterback position and to push Sims on the practice field. But Phommachanh likely isn't coming to Tech to watch from the sidelines. He just as easily could have done that at Clemson. "In the end, it was an opportunity to compete and play," Phommachanh's high-school coach, Pierce Brennan, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He felt he wasn't getting that at Clemson. He did what he needed to do there; he grew as a player, he graduated, he got a degree, and now it's time for something new." Phommachanh went into the transfer portal in December at the end of his third season with the Tigers.

In those three seasons, he appeared in 13 games. He spent the first two of the seasons backing up Trevor Lawrence, an All-American and eventual first overall NFL draft pick. After Lawrence's departure, Phommachanh was passed by D.J. Uiagalelei. A torn Achilles injury suffered in Clemson's 2021 spring game, from which Phommachanh made a stunning recovery to be able to play last fall, didn't help. But he did appear in six games last season, completing 11 of 19 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception. When he went into the portal, his plan was to transfer between semesters to be able to participate in spring practice at his new school. California, Florida State, South Carolina and Pittsburgh were among schools that showed interest, according to a report in December by the Connecticut Post. "Cal was the big one," Brennan said. "Cal was the one that I thought it was going to be a done deal with." - Atlanta Journal Constitution

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QB Taisun Phommachanh, Massachusetts
News Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
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05/24/22 - Brayden Rohme, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

After a promising initial playing stint in the covid-shortened 2020 season, redshirt soph right tackle Brayden Rohme suffered a debilitating injury in spring ball last season. Rohme made a fairly quick comeback and was able to play in nine games in the 2021 season, including starts against Arizona and Stanford. Though he wasn't back at 100% then, he's much closer now after wrapping up a healthy spring ball session last month. "It's been good," said Rohme. "The trainers really took care of me. I tore all the ligaments in my ankle last spring so it's nice to be out here finally. It's my first full spring I've been healthy so it's nice to be out here with the guys. I haven't had any problems with it after all the rehabbing with the trainers. I haven't had any pain with it all, so it's been awesome."

Players who tear ligaments often have to relearn techniques and get used to the physicality of the game and trust their bodies to stay healthy. "The first couple months after coming back, it's all about trust," said Rohme. "You're kinda scared about it coming back and a little stiff but now it almost feels better than my other ankle after all the work." Most spring or fall sessions see significant missed time for offensive line units because of injuries or just giving guys time off to stay healthy but this spring saw an unusally healthy unit, with only a few missed practices by redshirt frosh guard Bastian Swinney, who eventually returned the last week of practice. The ability to keep a unit together virtually the whole month allowed the line to build cohesiveness and gave the younger linemen like Swinney, redshirt soph guard Everett Johnson and Rhome the critical reps they needed to continue to develop and improve their games. - Bearinsider.com

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OT Brayden Rohme, Massachusetts
News Source: Bearinsider.com
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05/18/22 - Taisun Phommachanh, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

Former Clemson quarterback Taisun Phommachanh announced he is transferring to Georgia Tech. The Connecticut native entered the transfer portal on Dec. 3, the same day as receiver Frank Ladson. Phommachanh announced the news Monday, more than five months after entering the portal. Prior to the transfer, Phommachanh appeared in six games, went 11-for-19 throwing with one interception and a touchdown for 131 yards. Midway through the season, his playing time was upped from a snap against Syracuse on Oct. 15 to two series on the road against Pitt the next week.

The first series was positive, with the redshirt sophomore completing a 14-yard pass then taking off for a 17-yard run before B.T. Potter made a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The next drive was a three-and-out as the Tigers fell 27-17. When D.J. Uiagalelei suffered a PCL sprain against Louisville on Nov. 6, Phommachanh came in and was primarily used to boost the running game, totaling 33 yards on four carries with one pass attempt. - The State

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QB Taisun Phommachanh, Massachusetts
News Source: The State
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05/16/22 - Taisun Phommachanh, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

On Monday, Clemson quarterback Taisun Phommachanh announced he would be transferring to Georgia Tech to play for head coach Geoff Collins. There's a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Atlanta, meaning Phommachanh will have a fresh opportunity to impress and possibly start for the ACC program. Phommachanh made appearances during all three of his years at Clemson but all were in the latter stages of games. He completed 11 of his 29 career throws, adding one passing touchdown. Being the dual-threat quarterback he is, Phommachanh also added 19 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Coming out of high school, Phommachanh was a four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. He ranked as a top 10 quarterback in the country at No. 9 and was the No. 2 player from his home state of Connecticut. If Phommachanh is able to win the starting job with Georgia Tech, he would open the season against his former school. The Yellow Jackets are set to play against Clemson on Monday, Sept. 5 on the road in Death Valley. - On3.com

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QB Taisun Phommachanh, Massachusetts
News Source: On3.com
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02/28/22 - Jalen Mackie, rSr/2023, Massachusetts + More +

2021 FIRST TEAM ALL-IVY LEAGUE (COACHES): Jalen Mackie, Dartmouth (Sr., LB - Miramar, Fla.),...As good as the offense was, the defense was even better, leading the conference in both scoring defense (14.7 points per game) and total defense (271.0 yards per game). The 6-1, 240-pound senior Mackie from Miramar, Florida, spearheaded the unit by leading the league in tackles per game (9.6) with 86 stops in nine contests. He also had the most tackles for the Big Green in seven contests, including a career-high 13 against Columbia and again in the 31-7 victory over Princeton that pulled Dartmouth into a first-place tie with the Tigers. The two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week added 8.0 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sacks, an interception that he returned 28 yards, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. - Dartmouth Football

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ILB Jalen Mackie, Massachusetts
News Source: Dartmouth Football
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12/11/21 - Tyler Rudolph, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

Former Penn State defensive back Tyler Rudolph entered the transfer portal on Nov. 24. Now, he has found a new home. Rudolph announced Friday morning on Twitter that he committed to Massachusetts. The four-star defensive back hails from Oakdale, Connecticut, and was ranked the third-best 2018 prospect in the state, per 247Sports. Rudolph had five tackles against Ball State and appeared in the team's first four games of the year. He played in five games in 2020 and three in 2019. - Centre Times

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SS Tyler Rudolph, Massachusetts
News Source: Centre Times
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12/05/21 - Frank Ladson Jr., rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

Clemson starting receiver Frank Ladson Jr. and backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh are leaving the program. Team spokesman Ross Taylor said Friday the pair have entered the NCAA transfer portal. Ladson is a 6-foot-3 junior from Miami who started the first four games. He did not play the final seven games of season for the 22nd-ranked Tigers and eventually had season-ending groin surgery. Ladson's best season was in 2020 when he had 18 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Ladson had 31 catches for 440 yards and nine touchdowns in his three seasons. Phommachanh was behind starting passer D.J. Uiagalelei this season, playing in six games. Phommachanh, a 6-3 sophomore from Bridgeport, Connecticut, finished the year completing 11 of 19 passes for 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception. - AP College Football

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WR Frank Ladson Jr., Massachusetts
News Source: AP College Football
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10/10/21 - Ellis Merriweather, rSr/2023, Massachusetts + More +

Ellis Merriweather carried 39 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns and UMass ground out a 27-13 win over UConn in a battle of previously winless Bowl Subdivision independents on Saturday. Merriweather carried on 10 of the 12 plays on the Minutemen's opening drive, punching in from the 9 to make it 7-0, but the Huskies came back to take a 10-7 lead on a 34-yard Steven Krajewski-to-Keelan Marion touchdown pass and 38-yard Joe McFadden field goal. Cameron Carson kicked a pair of second-half field goals to put UMass back in front, 13-10 and Merriweather and Zamar Wise each ran for second-half touchdowns to put the game away. The Minutemen (1-5) ran for 247 yards and Brady Olson added 162 yards on 10-of-22 passing. Krajewski was 13-of-24 passing for the Huskies (0-7), but was picked off twice. Nathan Carter carried 20 times for 136 of UConn's 163 yards rushing. - UMass/AP College Football

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RB Ellis Merriweather, Massachusetts
News Source: UMass/AP College Football
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08/13/21 - Tim Baldwin Jr., rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

As Indiana began fall football camp Friday, so too did the competition to find a feature running back to replace departed starter Stevie Scott III. Sophomore Tim Baldwin is currently listed first on the depth chart, but IU running backs coach Deland McCullough said that's not set in stone for IU's opener Sept. 4 at Iowa. "The great thing is you have a bunch of guys in there that understand what's at stake," McCullough said. "It's going to be an opportunity for all of them to get a chance to show what they can do. At some point somebody had to go off first. You had to write somebody in the depth chart. But those guys know that that doesn't mean that's what is going to happen as we go through the competition." McCullough said several running backs - including returning third-year sophomore Sampson James, USC transfer Stephen Carr and third-year sophomore David Ellis - will get opportunities behind the first-team offensive line the next three weeks.

He also made clear he's looking for a complete back, someone who takes care of the ball and excels in pass protection. One of Scott's best attributes was his ability to pick up the blitz, which was why IU surrendered the least average sacks per game in the Big Ten last season, at 1.25. "I don't want to be in a position where we have to pass and I can't trust this guy in pass protection," McCullough said. "Or we got a situation where, man, I really don't trust him. He's a great runner, but he fumbles every 20 carries or so. Those are things - he's got to be a complete back. He's got to be able to do everything." - Indianapolis Star/News

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RB Tim Baldwin Jr., Massachusetts
News Source: Indianapolis Star/News
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08/12/21 - Taisun Phommachanh, rSr/2025, Massachusetts + More +

Ever since Clemson's on-campus media day on July 20, Swinney has mentioned redshirt sophomore QB Taisun Phommachanh's progress. His recovery has been quicker than expected after he tore his Achilles during the April spring football game. As a glimpse of how quick his return might be, the Connecticut native was out and got reps during practice. He did what he could and threw a few balls, but didn't compete in 11-on-11 drills. "It's just amazing how he has responded to the treatment...What went from an immediate, horrible mindset in the spring to, in the summer, came along and is like wow," Swinney said. "Excited that he will have an opportunity to be back." - Rock Hill Herald

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QB Taisun Phommachanh, Massachusetts
News Source: Rock Hill Herald
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08/11/21 - Sammy Faustin, rSr/2024, Massachusetts + More +

Michigan's football team had one less defensive player when it began preseason camp on Friday. Sammy Faustin, a reserve defensive back who was set to enter his redshirt sophomore season, has left the team due to medical reasons, spokesman Dave Ablauf told MLive. Faustin, of Naples, Fla., was the only returning scholarship player not listed on the team's 2021 roster released Friday morning. A message to Faustin was not immediately returned. "Sammy decided to step away from the team and will reevaluate after this year," Ablauf said in a text message. "He will remain on athletic aid." Faustin appeared in 10 games for Michigan during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, primarily on special teams. He totaled just two tackles. Michigan moved him from safety to corner last year to help with depth, but he appeared in only one game. - Ann Arbor News

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CB Sammy Faustin, Massachusetts
News Source: Ann Arbor News
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07/12/21 - Marcus Cushnie, rSr/2023, Massachusetts + More +

Florida State added another piece to its remodeled defense with the addition of transfer Marcus Cushnie, an edge rusher from Alabama A&M. The Palm Beach product committed to the Seminoles over the weekend after de-committing from Purdue when entering the transfer portal on July 11. Cushnie appeared in 12 games in 2019, finishing with 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks. In four games last season, he led the team in tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (7). He becomes the seventh defensive player to join FSU's roster through the transfer portal this offseason. The Seminoles finished near the bottom of the ACC in total defense last season, allowing 36 points and 456 yards per game. The unit was last in the conference in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (49), forcing second-year coach Mike Norvell and his staff to dive into the transfer market in search of some much-needed help on the defensive front. - Orlando Sentinel

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DE Marcus Cushnie, Massachusetts
News Source: Orlando Sentinel
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05/03/21 - Larnel Coleman, rSr/2021, Massachusetts + More +

UMass offensive lineman Larnel Coleman became the third Minuteman to be selected in an NFL Draft over the last three years on Saturday, as he was taken at No. 231 overall by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round. Coleman joins cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who was was selected in the sixth round by the Indianapolis Colts last year, and wide receiver Andy Isabella, who was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, as the most recent UMass draftees. As a redshirt senior, Coleman started in all four games for the Minutemen at left tackle, and was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, which is awarded to the top interior lineman in the FBS. He was the only UMass offensive lineman to start all 12 games during the 2019 season, while spending his redshirt sophomore year as the starting right tackle. - The Republican

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OT Larnel Coleman, Massachusetts
News Source: The Republican
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04/25/21 - Avien Peah, rSr/2022, Massachusetts + More +

Avien Peah is the strongest member of UMass' defensive line. The senior wasn't shy about declaring it. When the unit is in the weight room, his sets have more plates on the bar. "For the most part. Sometimes the guys tell me 'hey, slow down a little bit, slow down,'" the Providence, R.I., native said Thursday. "We always push each other." Peah has assumed a leadership role of the unit after switching positions from offense last season. He also overcame knee injuries to establish himself as one of UMass' leading tacklers and backfield disrupters last season. Peah led the Minutemen with six tackles for loss and had a sack.

"That's part of what makes Avien special is he's been through a lot of adversity. From the ability to handle adversity and persevere and go through tough times and come out on the other side as one of our team leaders is huge," UMass coach Walt Bell said. "No only does he provide the physical leadership piece of doing things the way they're supposed to be done, but he has earned that respect from his teammate, so now he can provide some vocal leadership, and it's much needed as well. Really hope, really pray he can stay healthy and continue to be the leader that he is for us." - Daily Hampshire Gazette

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