The UMass football team started the new year by making its first signing during the NCAA football transfer portal window period, which opened Jan. 2, on Monday afternoon. The Minutemen brought in defensive back Chris Stanley, per the team’s Twitter/X account, who reportedly held 19 Division I offers and came on a visit to Amherst this past weekend.
Stanley most recently played at Garden City Community College, a JUCO program in Garden City, Kan. The sophomore appeared in seven games this past season.
In his limited playing time, Stanley tallied 14 tackles, along with one interception and four pass breakups at the cornerback position.
Over the course of his freshman season at Feather River College in Quincy, Calif., Stanley totaled 19 tackles, one interception, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Stanley boasts a 6-foot, 180-pound frame and projects to be in the running to see some playing time on the outside at corner as the Minutemen’s first transfer recruit of the cycle.
Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Stanley should be the first of a sizable group of new additions to the roster for UMass.
The team currently has 23 players who entered the transfer portal after being on the roster last season, along with 25 graduates and one medical retiree (Dean Shaffer). With a large chunk of the program’s main contributors out the door, success in the portal will be necessary if they hope to not replicate the results from the 2025 season.
UMass’ coaching staff still has some holes to fill as former offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian’s replacement has yet to have been hired . Although, the vacant offensive line coaching job, which came to be following Kurt Anderson’s departure to Boston College, seems to have a top candidate.
The Twitter/X account @TheCursiveU reported that UMass is expected to promote offensive analyst and assistant offensive line coach Brian White to become the team’s new head offensive line coach.
Prior to joining the Minutemen last season, White was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Delaware State. He also spent seasons at Hampton University, Rose-Hulman, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Maryland and Hargrave Military Academy.
The news of White’s supposed promotion has yet to be confirmed, with the initial report coming back on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Just two days later, on Jan. 1, UMass has reportedly agreed to bring in Brandon Bowie as the football program’s new director of high school recruiting.
Bowie makes the trip to Amherst after spending three years at the University of Pittsburgh as the program’s senior player personnel and recruiting analyst.
Prior to his time with the Panthers, Bowie spent time as a recruiting assistant at Western Michigan. During his time in college at Southern Mississippi, Bowie worked as a football recruiting and video production student assistant until his graduation in 2022.
With some experience at both the power four level at Pitt and in the Mid-American Conference with the Broncos, the Minutemen are hoping Bowie can be another part of what helps turn things around.
Hood, Belcher depart program
UMass will also be looking to fill a new roster spot at running back, with the team’s leading rusher from 2025, Brandon Hood, entering his name into the transfer portal on Monday.
Hood spent his redshirt freshman season in Amherst, appearing in all 12 games for the Minutemen. He rushed for 368 yards and two touchdowns, with 11 receptions for 88 yards through the air.
Along with the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach openings, the offensive coaching staff will be looking to replace Drew Belcher, who served as an offensive analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach.
Belcher was hired by Tennessee Tech to take over as their offensive coordinator on Monday, after just one year with the Minutemen.
Stonehill to play UMass in 2026
The Minutemen will have another FCS opponent on the schedule next season as the Stonehill Skyhawks unveiled on its official Twitter/X account last week that it’ll play UMass next fall.
Stonehill will play in Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Minutemen will host FCS Sacred Heart the week before on Sept. 12.
Because UMass is scheduled to play at Hawaii later in the season, NCAA rules allow teams to add a 13th game regular-season game to the schedule, to offset the costs of traveling to Oahu, in the form of extra ticket revenue.