Late last month, UMass coach Charley Molnar used the wide receiver position as an example of a position group that lacks depth. The numbers he typically likes to have just aren’t there, he said, and it will take time to get those numbers where they need to be.
On Wednesday, the Minutemen announced an addition they hope helps address that need: UMass has officially added Michigan transfer Ricardo Miller, a 6-foot-4, 226-pounder who will be used at wideout and tight end.
"Ricardo has a great attitude and natural leadership ability,” Molnar said in a statement. “He lights up the room when he walks in and has already made friends with most of the upperclassmen on the team.
“He is a hybrid type of athlete with the speed to stretch a defense vertically, as evident by his recruitment by Michigan as a wide receiver. He's big enough and strong enough to play tight end, so he will be a dual-purpose player for us."
Having already earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan, Miller is eligible to play right away for the Minutemen. The Orlando, Fla., native finished his Wolverines career having appeared in 14 games, though he didn’t have a catch or a special-teams tackle to his name.
Miller will be the second graduate student to transfer from Michigan to UMass, after Michael Cox did so prior to the 2012 season.
Cox, a Dorchester, Mass., native, led the Minutemen in rushing with 710 yards and five touchdowns on 198 carries and was picked in the seventh round by the New York Giants in April’s NFL draft.
UMass enters its second season at the FBS level in 2013, having gone 1-11 in its debut season in 2012.
Molnar and the Minutemen open their season Aug. 31 at Wisconsin. The Badgers won the Big Ten title in 2012, despite finishing the regular season just 8-5 (and 4-4 in the Big Ten), and lost to No. 6 Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
