Quarterback Taisun Phommachanh matched all of the specifications that UMass’ head coach Don Brown looks for in a refugee in the NCAA transfer portal.
Phommachanh was a four-star recruit out of prep school and rated in the top 10 at his position by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. Phommachanh gravitated towards two Power-5 college programs with lofty ambitions only to became a depth chart casualty at both places.
Phommachanh had unproductive stints in the ACC at Georgia Tech and Clemson before choosing UMass to make a fresh start with a realistic opportunity of seeing the playing field.
Phommachanh’s perseverance was rewarded on Monday when Brown named him the Minutemen’s starter in the season opener on Saturday night (7) at New Mexico State. UMass lost to NMS 23-13 last season.
“We are going with Taisun,” said Brown. “It was not a scenario where one guy didn’t win the job and the other guy did. It was really just that his play was exemplary and I’m comfortable and happy with the other guys as well.”
The quarterback position was the Minutemen’s overwhelming problem area last season on a team that went 1-11 for the second year in a row. Brown employed six different quarterbacks and none of them could produce a sustained passing attack.
Brady Olson of Bellingham was the most productive, completing 77 of 153 passes for 791 yards with eight interceptions and two touchdowns in nine games. Dual threat QB Dino Campiotti was a distant second and was converted into a tight end in training camp.
Olson had the benefit of incumbency, but it became obvious early in training camp that the competition was between the 6-4, 215-pound, Phommachanh, and Carlos Davis, a 6-2, 225-pound, transfer from Western Carolina.
“He can run, he can throw it and we just made the decision that he was going to get us off on the right foot,” said Brown. “Obviously he has a feel for the position, but the reality is we make our own decisions.
“We just felt at this time he was the guy we were going to go with. In that quarterbacks’ room, they’ve all got each other’s backs. There are good guys in there.”
Phommachanh is from Bridgeport, Conn., and attended Avon Old Farms prep school. He completed 339 passes with 46 touchdowns at AOF.
Phommachanh’s dual-threat capabilities put the run pass option in play, but he will need a sustained ground attack with the threat of play action to get the UMass offense up and running.
Tailbacks Kay’Ron Adams and Gregory Desrosiers, who played scholastically at Belmont Hill, have had their moments running the ball but were not reliable full-time ball carriers.
Adams rushed for 335 yards on 84 carries that included a 66-yard touchdown run against New Mexico State. Derosiers had 223 yards on 44 carries with two touchdowns.
The running backs room got deeper with the addition of Jalen John, a 5-11, 225-pound, redshirt sophomore who spent the last three seasons at Arizona. John played in nine games with three starts for the Wildcats and gained 250 yards on 62 carries.
“We have a number of guys who can carry it,” said Brown. “We are excited and Derosiers has really jumped into the mix and we are really happy with him and Kay’Ron.
“We have a number of guys we are excited about and the one thing is, if we can get out in front of it with the run game. What I told the guys is we are not going to talk about it, we are going to be about it. It is put up or shut up at this time.”