ESPN

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.

Boston College’s ACC football schedule is now set for the next decade-plus, through the 2024 season.

Starting in 2014 -- when Louisville replaces Maryland after the Terps leave for the Big Ten -- the Eagles will face each of their six Atlantic Division foes (Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, NC State, Syracuse and Wake Forest), their primary Coastal Division opponent (Virginia Tech) and one rotating Coastal Division opponent each season.

Every ACC team will play three home and three road games against divisional opponents, and the two cross-divisional games will be on a home and away schedule (if the game against the primary crossover opponent is at home, the game against the rotating crossover opponent will be away and vice versa).

The rotating schedule is on a 12-year loop, with each school playing rotating opponents twice (once at home, once on the road) in that span. Those games will not be in consecutive years.

In 2014, BC’s rotating opponent will be Pittsburgh. From 2015 on, BC’s rotating opponent schedule looks like this: at Duke (2015); Georgia Tech (2016); at Virginia (2017); Miami (2018); at Pittsburgh (2019); North Carolina (2020); at Georgia Tech (2021); Duke (2022); at Miami (2023); Virginia (2024).

If there’s a downside to the trend of permanent crossover opponents created by expansion, ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich wrote Tuesday, it’s that while it preserves some traditional rivalries it leads to long gaps between other matchups.

For instance, after playing Miami each of the past two seasons (first in Miami, then in Chestnut Hill) the Eagles won’t play the Hurricanes again under the new formula until 2018 and won’t host them in Alumni Stadium again until 2023. That will be more than a decade between Chestnut Hill visits for Miami.

Junior defensive tackle Max Ricci has left the Boston College football team, the school confirmed Tuesday. Ricci is the third potential starter to leave the Eagles since the end of last season, after wideout Johnathan Coleman and running back Rolandan “Deuce” Finch.

George Craan, a sophomore running back, and Eddie Meredith, a red-shirt sophomore offensive lineman, also have left the team.

A Groton, Mass., native, Ricci finished his Eagles career with 26 tackles (18 solo) in 24 career games played in 2011 and 2012.

The Eagles struggled mightily on the defensive line in 2012, using seven different starters at the defensive tackle position and finishing last in the nation among FBS teams with six total sacks. With Bryan Murray graduating and Ricci leaving, Steve Addazio’s team will be thin at the defensive tackle position.

Dominic Appiah, Kaleb Ramsey, Jaryd Rudolph and Connor Wujciak all started at the position in 2012, and will have to hold up if the unit is to improve under new defensive coordinator Don Brown in 2013.

Without Coleman, who finished second on the Eagles with 33 catches for 489 yards and four touchdowns in 2012, Chase Rettig will rely even more heavily on senior Alex Amidon and junior Spiffy Evans (especially with Bobby Swigert likely to redshirt due to his knee injury).

And in the run game, it’s Andre Williams’ job to lose without Finch in the backfield. David Dudeck and Tahj Kimble are the only other running backs on the spring roster.

Help should be on the way there, however, as the 2014 recruiting class is led by Marcus Outlow, a four-star running back from Norwich Academy in Norwich, Conn.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

The spring session completed, University of Massachusetts football coach Charley Molnar can now turn his full attention to recruiting.

But instead of future players, Molnar and the Minutemen are setting their sights on future fans. The school has planned events in the Greater Boston area and Western Mass. through June, hoping to drum up enthusiasm about UMass football at the FBS level headed into Year 2.

Molnar knows it’ll be a hard sell after his program went 1-11 in Year 1 in the Mid-American Conference.

“I think we’re light years ahead of where we were a year ago as a football team,” Molnar said by phone Wednesday. “We still have some areas of concern. The biggest thing now is lack of depth at certain positions.”

The head coach pointed to offensive line and wide receiver as two trouble spots. Molnar said he usually likes to have between 12 and 14 wideouts on the roster, with 10 or 11 of those players on scholarship. At the moment, he said, the latter number is more like 7 or 8.

“I can’t create depth overnight,” he said. “We’re going to have to play young players at a lot of positions again this year.”

That includes the O-line, a clear position of need for the Minutemen after they struggled to both run the ball and protect the quarterback consistently in 2012.

“The improvement was good, the depth again is an area of concern,” Molnar said of the offensive line. “You’re talking about an influx of new football players at that position. How many guys are going to be ready to be quality backups remains to be seen.”

The Minutemen haven’t added just players, bringing in four new coaches in the offseason (including the first strength and conditioning coach dedicated solely to football in the school’s history). It’s all geared toward reaching two goals: success on the field and in the stands.

UMass averaged 10,902 fans at its five home games in 2012, down from more than 13,000 in its last FCS season in 2011. Two of the five games at Gillette Stadium drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with a low of 6,385 in the season-closing loss to Central Michigan.

Molnar said people, recruits and fans alike, have been receptive to UMass. And he expects the more than $34 million construction project underway at McGuirk Stadium, upgrading the facility to meet MAC standards and building a new “performance center” to house the football locker room, weight room and coaches offices under one roof, to enhance the Minutemen’s status going forward.

“Right now our facilities would have to rank at the very, very bottom of 1-A football,” he said. “A year from now our facilities will be at the top of mid-major football and better than what many BCS programs have to offer.”

But even with gleaming new digs, there’s no guarantee the product on the field will look a whole lot better in 2013.

“On the inside looking out we could see a lot of signs of progress that fans in the stands couldn’t see,” Molnar said. “The fans only understand wins and losses. … We’ve certainly closed the gap. I wouldn’t say we’ve arrived by any stretch of the imagination.”

When you’re trying to build a program, and a fan base, from the ground up, perspective is important.

“As a fan they’ll look at wins and losses, and so will I,” Molnar said.

But for now, progress will be measured in smaller increments than that.

“Do we turn the ball over less?” the coach said. “Do we have fewer pre-snap fouls? False starts. Illegal formations and substitutions. These are things that go wrong before the ball’s ever snapped. Let’s just get the ball snapped and go from there.”

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

Two years after the most famous player in recent Boston College history won the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the nation’s premier defender, another Eagles linebacker is on the award's preseason watch list.

Steele Divitto was just a sophomore when Luke Kuechly won the award in 2011. He’s a rising senior now, and the 6-foot-3, 238-pound Don Bosco Prep product will be a big part of the BC defense in 2013.

He’s started every game the past two seasons, piling up 92 tackles as a junior in 2012.

The Ridgefield, Conn., native is one of seven ACC players on the initial list of 42. The IMPACT -- which stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity -- award is given to a player deemed to have made the biggest impact both on and off the field.

Manti Te’o won the award in 2012.

BC men's basketball coach Steve Donahue visited "SVP & Russillo" on Thursday to talk about the plight of longtime sports information director Dick Kelley, who is battling ALS.

CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.

For more on Kelley and what he means to the BC family, CLICK HERE and read Pete Thamel's piece on SI.com.

In the video above, new BC head coach Steve Addazio talks about the style of play he plans for the Eagles as well as the difficulties that can come with the first year at a new program.

In the video above, new Boston College head coach Steve Addazio discusses what the day of the Boston Marathon bombings was like on campus. He also talks about what the entire week following the bombings was like and the decision to cancel the spring game.

Also, Addazio was on Mike & Mike this morning, talking about his thoughts on conference realignment, the College Football Playoff, coaching Tim Tebow, the expectations for the Eagles and more. Click here to listen to that interview.

None of them heard their names called during the draft, but all of them will have a shot at an NFL career.

Four former Boston College players signed free-agent deals with teams soon after the final round ended on Saturday. Linebacker Nick Clancy signed with the Atlanta Falcons, offensive tackle Emmett Cleary signed with the Indianapolis Colts, tight end Chris Pantale signed with the New York Jets and offensive tackle John Wetzel signed with the Oakland Raiders.

After finishing his first season as a starter with an ACC-high 145 tackles, Clancy was named first-team All-ACC. Once he signed with the Falcons, the Plainfield, Ill., native tweeted:

So psyched to join the Atlanta Falcons!

— Nick Clancy (@nickclancy54) April 28, 2013

Cleary, who was named an offensive cocaptain and started at left tackle for the Eagles in 2012, will join fellow Boston College alumni Gosder Cherilus and Anthony Castonzo in the offensive line corps in Indy.

Pantale, the other offensive cocaptain in 2012, suffered a foot injury early in training camp and as a result had a subpar senior season after being named to the preseason Mackey Award watch list.

When word of his deal with the Jets spread, one former and now future teammate celebrated the news:

Big shout out to my boy Chris Pantale for signing with the Jets! #WeAreBC #JETS

— Ryan Quigley (@RQuigs46) April 28, 2013

After going undrafted himself after the 2011 season and spending time with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, punter Ryan Quigley signed a free-agent deal with New York prior to this April’s draft.

And while he had to have been at least somewhat disappointed not to hear his name called as he watched the draft from home in Pittsburgh, Wetzel, like his former teammates, has a chance to fulfill his career ambitions after signing with the Raiders.

“I feel good,” Wetzel said by text Sunday. “Oakland was one of the teams who liked me and called me right after the draft to get a deal done.”

The Raiders made the best offer, and now Wetzel is ready to get back on the field.

“I am just looking forward to getting back into football stuff and making the most of the opportunity,” Wetzel said.

The draft may be over, but the NFL dreams aren’t.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

And on the 2013 NFL draft's third day, Harvard tight end Kyle Juszczyk finally heard his name called.

With the 33rd pick in the fourth round, the 130th pick overall, the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens chose the Crimson H-back.

Juszczyk finished his career as Harvard's all-time leader in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,576) and touchdown catches (22) by a tight end, but will likely play more of an H-back role in the NFL.

He was ranked fourth among fullbacks, according to Scouts Inc. But he was the first player taken at the position.

Once the pick was official, Juszczyk tweeted his excitement:

Couldn't be happier to be a Baltimore Raven!Dream come true!Now it's time to work!#PurpleandBlack #NFL

— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) April 27, 2013

Harvard coach Tim Murphy had high praise for his former player, the fourth drafted in Murphy's tenure as head coach, in a statement Saturday.

"Guys like Kyle Juszczyk do not grow on trees," Murphy said. "He will go down as one of the great players in Harvard and Ivy Football history. His rare combination of versatility, toughness, leadership and playmaking ability was one of the major catalysts for the highest scoring offense since the Ivy League was formed in 1956."

Juszczyk is the first Harvard player drafted since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2005, and the 18th overall.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

To watch, or not to watch?

That is the question for potential late-round NFL draft picks like Boston College linemen Emmett Cleary and John Wetzel.

Whether ‘tis better to sit in front of the TV and stew, or to get out and find something to do.

Both Cleary and Wetzel were invited to the combine in February, where they were poked and prodded, questioned and tested. In Scouts Inc.’s full seven-round mock draft, both are projected to be drafted in the final round.

“It’s definitely been interesting,” Cleary said Thursday of the pre-draft process. “It’s been great to kind of go through the whole thing and learn how to comport yourself and treat yourself as a job applicant for the first time.”

The strangest part of the combine for Cleary was during the testing at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It’s so quiet in that dome,” the 6-foot-6, 316-pound left tackle said. “Watching on TV for a couple years, you always expected this is the big thing. Then you get up to the start line and the whole NFL is looking at you ….”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Wetzel, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound right tackle. “I was training at ING in Florida for two months before, and just spent so much time preparing for the things in the combine. And then when you get there, the first two days it was a lot of waiting. You just want to get out there and get it done.

“Then the last day, it just went by so fast. It was a great experience. I enjoyed talking to all the coaches and meeting a bunch of new people there that I’ll be playing with in the NFL later on.”

Neither Cleary nor Wetzel knows exactly what to expect this weekend.

“I heard a lot of stuff,” Wetzel said of where he might be selected. “I heard I could possibly even go [from] three to seven, within that range. … Some teams think real highly of me and really want me and some teams might have a different perspective.”

Cleary doesn’t expect his phone to ring with good news until Saturday.

“I think it’s a crapshoot, honestly,” he said. “I’ll be a late-rounder. Regardless, it’ll be either Saturday or free agency.”

Whatever happens, the Illinois native is keeping his eyes on the horizon.

“My focus is on making a team and making the best of the situation that I have,” he said. “I don’t think [whether I’m drafted or not] really changes my outlook.”

For now, there is no backup plan.

“Geez, I hope I don’t have to worry about that for a couple years,” Cleary said. “This is something I want to do so I’m gonna chase this dream for as long as I reasonably can.”

As offensive linemen from Boston College, Cleary and Wetzel both said they feel some added pressure to continue the tradition the school has established at the position.

“You want to do everything you can to keep that going,” Wetzel said. “It’s something we pride ourselves on. We still think we have some good linemen who can continue that tradition of O-line U at Boston College.”

Anthony Castonzo, who first Wetzel and then Cleary replaced at left tackle in Chestnut Hill, was the latest high-profile lineman to make the successful transition from college to the pros when he was taken in the first round by Indianapolis in 2011 and started as a rookie. Also included in the lineage are players like Marc Colombo, Jeremy Trueblood and former Patriots center Dan Koppen.

That the Eagles have struggled in recent seasons, going 4-8 in 2011 and 2-10 in 2012 under former coach Frank Spaziani, just adds to the pressure.

“Our year last year was terrible,” Cleary said, “but we’re hoping to prove that we’re just as good as those guys who’ve gone before.”

All the workouts now done, the interviews finished, Cleary and Wetzel just have to decide whether or not to watch.

Cleary said he’ll probably watch the first round, but he’s not sure about Friday or Saturday. He said he doesn’t want to be “stuck in front of the TV all day.”

Wetzel, meanwhile, said he might get in a workout instead of watching Thursday night. But the Pittsburgh, Penn., native has a different plan for Rounds 2-7.

“The next two days I’ll be in front of the TV with my family watching,” Wetzel said. “And if I get picked, after that I’ll have a bunch of family and friends over to celebrate.”

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

The City of Boston, Hockey East and Fenway Sports Management announced "Frozen Fenway 2014" on Thursday. The two week series of hockey and ice skating events will including two Hockey East men’s doubleheaders.

On Saturday, January 4, 2014, Merrimack College will face Providence, followed by Notre Dame against Boston College.

On Saturday, January 11, UMass Lowell will play Northeastern University, followed by University of Maine against Boston University.

“Last year, more than 90,000 people came to Fenway Park to watch college and high school hockey or to enjoy free, public skating,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “This generated tens of millions of dollars for local business. I’m confident that top-notch outdoor college hockey at Fenway Park will make for another unforgettable experience, drawing fans from across the region and serving as a major platform to showcase the people, culture, and local businesses that make our city special.”

“After the success of the Winter Classic in 2010 and the Frozen Fenway college games in 2012, hockey and skating are fast becoming winter traditions at Fenway Park,” said FSM President and Red Sox EVP/COO Sam Kennedy. “We welcome back Hockey East and, along with the Mayor, look forward to once again having our beloved ballpark be host to college games, high school games, and to welcome various communities throughout New England to Fenway Park this winter.”

Game times and ticket information for the two doubleheaders will be announced in the coming months.

In addition to the two Hockey East doubleheaders, there will also be two, free public skating days for City of Boston residents. The skates will be on Sunday, December 29, New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1. Information about tickets for the skates will be announced in the coming months.

AMHERST, Mass. -- Gary Menin's last-minute decision to take part in the halftime ceremonies at UMass' annual spring game Saturday wasn't by design.

Menin, a 30-year-old attorney, held back tears as he explained the shock of hearing the news Friday morning of the death of his former roommate of two years in Somerville. He collapsed to his knees and broke down in his Milton home, in shock and disbelief.

Sean Collier, a 26-year-old MIT campus police officer, was slain in the line of duty during the nearly 20-hour manhunt for two suspects connected to Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.

"I didn't know him in the capacity of a cop. I knew him grilling in the backyard. I knew him playing Frisbee in the park by Tufts," Menin began, eyes welling up. "He's a real person, and now a lot of people aren't going to get to know him. They'll read about him, but you don't get to hear his voice, or play 'Rock Band' with him, you know, stuff you do with roommates."

Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, those who were unable to finish Monday's marathon were invited to run a ceremonious "finish" at halftime of the annual intrasquad scrimmage that concludes spring practices. Menin was among the six taking up the offer, running a lap around the perimeter of the gridiron and finishing with a scamper across the 50-yard line, with football players forming a gauntlet along the last 50.

Menin, a UMass alum, was one-tenth of a mile from the finish line when the explosions went off, and found himself circumnavigating around the block another mile to find his family, who were waiting at the finish line at the time.

He may not find closure over losing his former roommate to such senseless violence.

"If this is how I feel, I can't imagine what his family is going through," Menin said.

But he felt honored to be able to partake in today's ceremonious run.

"Unfortunately I found out very last minute I wanted to do this for Sean," he said. "It's nice to have everyone here. Everyone's been so great in Boston, but in Massachusetts and all around the world as well."

Shrewsbury resident Lisa Lunt, 30, was stopped a few miles back from the finish line when the explosion went off, and Saturday wielded an American flag during the lap -- just as she did for the entire race on Monday, as a tribute to servicemen deployed overseas.

"I'm a UMass alum, and today I really wanted to be a part of it," Lunt said. "If people can die overseas for our country, I can carry a flag for 26 miles. It's a small price to pay."

Players also paid tribute to Collier and the three victims who lost their lives in Monday's bombing by placing the full names of each on their nameplates on the backs of their jerseys. Defensive back Randall Jette wore the nameplate of Collier; he was joined by linebacker Stanley Andre (Martin Richard), wide receiver Klysmann Afonso (Krystle Campbell), tight end Brandon Howard (Lu Lingzi), and tight end Rob Blanchflower, who wore a "#BostonStrong" nameplate.

"I know how it is growing up in Dorchester," says Andre, who hails from the same part of Boston as Richard, the 8-year-old who lost his life in Monday's bombing. "Dorchester is a tough neighborhood. Not to see him grow, it's tough to experience and witness. It's really an unfortunate tragedy."

Afonso, a midyear walk-on from Medford, grew up on the city's Lawrence Street, a short distance from the 29-year-old Campbell's Park Street residence. And while he didn't know Campbell or her family personally, he knew folks that were close to her.

"I know some of my friends who have worked with her family and said she was just a joy to be around," he said. "I was so proud to have her name even on my nameplate. That was just a huge honor for me to represent Medford, her and the bombing victims."

UMass head coach Charley Molnar called Saturday's event "really high" on the list of most memorable moments of his decades-long coaching career.

"This is was much bigger than I ever thought it would be," he said.

He also said he plans on trying to run for next year's race.

"After the events on Monday, I was absolutely determined that I want to run Boston in 2014," he said. "I'm going to enter my first marathon in Long Branch, N.J., in a few weeks, and just see where I'm at, and maybe get a couple more under my belt to see if I can qualify."

Boston College has canceled all home events for Saturday in light of the massive manhunt underway in and around the city for suspects of the Boston Marathon bombing.

“After consulting with campus, city and law enforcement officials, including the Boston College Police Department, we have decided to cancel all home athletics events scheduled for Saturday, including the spring football game," athletic director Brad Bates said in a statement. "Our first priority is ensuring the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and spectators. Our local law enforcement community has done a phenomenal job this past week, and we do not want our events to serve as a distraction.

“Furthermore, now is a time for reflection to honor those who have been tragically killed and injured this past week and to allow our community to heal. The entire Boston College family stands with those who have been affected by this week's events. Together we will persevere and emerge stronger and more unified than ever.”

Events scheduled for Saturday included an alumni flag football game, a fan fest, the spring football game, a women’s lacrosse game and a women’s tennis match.

Amherst men's basketball team beat Mary Hardin-Baylor, 87-70, to win the Division III national title on Sunday in Atlanta.

It's the second national title for Amherst, the other coming in 2007.

The Lord Jeffs finished the season 30-2, winning their final 24 games.

For more on the game, check out Amherst's website.