UMass football: Minutemen sign five athletes from high school ranks on opening day of spring signing period

Joe Harasymiak speaks as the new UMass head football coach during a December press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center in Amherst. PHOTO BY DAN LITTLE

Staff Report

Published: 02-05-2025 3:35 PM

Coach Joe Harasymiak and the UMass football team have been busy on the recruiting trail.

The Minutemen announced on Wednesday — the first day of the spring signing period — that they had signed five high school recruits: offensive lineman Garrett Cooper, linebacker Dinos Drossos, running back Elijah Faulkner, wide receiver Elijah Pedro and offensive lineman Gavin Wilson.

Cooper is a 6-foot-5, 290 pound offensive lineman from Delmar High School in Delaware. A 3-star recruit according to 247Sports, he was a Second Team All-State selection at offensive tackle and defensive tackle this past fall.

Drossos is a 6-foot-2, 210 pound linebacker from Tucson, Arizona. A 3-star recruit and the 19th ranked player out of the Grand Canyon State according to 247, he attended Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson where he finished with 142 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and three interceptions. Drossos also competed in track where he holds the Salpointe Catholic record in the long jump and discus. He also held an offer from Nebraska.

Faulkner is a 5-foot-9, 185 pound back out of Pittsburgh. He attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, the same school that produced NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. He played in 27 games as a junior and senior at Central, producing 3,076 yards and 45 touchdowns.

Pedro is a 6-foot-1, 180 pound receiver out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Attending Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School just outside of Washington D.C., he finished with his career with over 150 receptions. This past fall, Pedro hauled in 29 passes for 522 yards and seven scores, which helped him earn First Team All-State honors.

Wilson is a 6-foot-6, 300 pound offensive lineman out of Greenville, South Carolina. A 3-star recruit and the 43rd ranked player out of South Carolina according to 247, Wilson is credited with 48 pancake blocks this past fall.

The Minutemen have now brought in nine high school recruits to go along with 28 transfers as Harasymiak reshapes the roster in his first year at the helm.

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