University of Massachusets Athletics

#MassAppeal22: Minutemen Welcome Newest Additions
May 18, 2022 | Football
Spring 2022 Enrollees - May 19, 2022
AMHERST Mass. -- Massachusetts football head coach Don Brown welcomes eight additions for the 2022 season.
The Minutemen welcome four newcomers to the defense in Jalen Mackie at linebacker, Magnus Von Saldern on the defensive line, as well as Sammy Faustin and Jalon Ferrell in the secondary. Mackie comes to UMass from Dartmouth, Von Saldern makes his way from Berlin, and is the only newcomer to not have played at another institution previously. Faustin joins the Minutemen from the University of Michigan, and Jalon Ferrell comes to Amherst from neighboring UConn.
On offense, Ben Bohnenberger, Cole Garcia, and Connor Vasher will be a part of the offensive line staff, while Tim Baldwin Jr. will join the running backs. Bohnenberger makes his way from Colgate University where he played the past three seasons. Cole Garcia joins the offensive line from Rice University, and Connor Vasher makes the treck to the north from Savannah State University. Running back, Tim Baldwin comes to UMass from Indiana University.

Ben Bohnenberger
OL, 6-5, 325
Mashpee, Ma./Colgate
Before UMass
- 2020-21 - Colgate
- Games/Starts: 2/2
- Position: OL
- 2019
- Games/Starts: 7/5
- Position: OL
- 2018
- Games/Starts: 2/0
- Position: OL
- High School
- Mashpee High School in Mashpee, Massachusetts
- Three-year letterman and senior-year captain under head coach Matt Triveri.
- Position: OL/DL
- Stats:
- 125 pancake blocks, 33 tackles and five TFLs as senior
- For career, credited with 265 pancake blocks, 78 tackles, 22 TFLs and 1 interception.
- Honors:
- South Shore League All-Star
- Massachusetts Prep Stars All-State First Team
- Led Falcons to consecutive state championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017
- Boston Herald All-Scholastic.
- Personal
- Also lettered in lacrosse, National Technical Honor Society.
- Born: Benjamin Bohnenberger in Mashpee, Massachusetts.
- Family: Parents are Joseph and Lisa Bohnenberger, one brother.

Jalon Ferrell
DB, 6-2, 205
Miami, Fla./UConn
Before UMass
- 2019
- Played in 10 games and posted one tackle.
- 2018
- Saw action in two games during his redshirt season.
- High School
- Played free safety for head coach Steve Smith at Miami Killian Senior High School
- Recorded 33 tackles, one interception and one kick return touchdown during his senior season.
- Lettered in track and field.

Jalen Mackie
LB, 6-1, 240
Miramar, Fla./Dartmouth
Before UMass
- 2020
- Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2019
- Reserve linebacker in every game.
- Started the season-opening, 35-6 victory at Jacksonville.
- Collected five tackles on the season, three coming in the 49-7 win at Marist.
- 2018
- Recipient of Dartmouth's Scout Team Award
- Saw action in eight games during the season, primarily on special teams
- Recorded five tackles.
- Began his career with a pair of stops as a linebacker during the final drive in the season-opening, 41-0 shutout win over Georgetown.
- High School
- Broward County 8A-6A honorable mention selection.
- Spent first two years of high school at University School
- Chose Dartmouth over offers from Memphis, Tulane, Appalachian State and Akron among others
- Personal
- Full name is Jalen I. Mackie
- Born on June 25, 2000
- Son of Archie and Claudia Mackie has a brother and sister.

Connor Vasher
OL, 6-3, 290
Savannah, Ga./Savannah State University

Cole Garcia
OL, 6-4, 300
Dallas, Texas/Rice University
Before UMass
- 2021
- Returned to the starting lineup against Arkansas to open 2021 and started the first 11 games before missing the finale against LA Tech.
- Second on the team with 777 snaps after coming into this season with 789 in his career.
- 2020
- Saw action in all five games and started the first three.
- 2019
- Saw action in four games, including a pair of starts, while retaining his redshirt
- Saw action against Wake Forest and UAB before making starts vs. Southern Miss and Marshall
- 2018A
- Member of Mike Bloomgren's first recruiting class who signed during the early signing period M
- Made his playing debut at Wake Forest
- Starting debut at FIU, and remained in the lineup for the rest of the year.
- The first freshman to start multiple games on the offensive line for the Owls since Scott Mitchell in 2007
- Named Player of the Week for the offensive scout team for his work before the Southern Miss contest.
- Honors at Rice
- C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll (2019, 2020, 2021)
- High School
- Garcia was a two-time, TAPPS D1 All-State selection for the Friars under coach Chuck Faucette.
- Bishop Lynch won the 2016 D1 title and advanced to the semifinals in 2017 before falling to Houston's St. Pius X
- Credited with 78 pancake blocks as a senior and 186 in his career
- Competed in power lifting
- Two-time Academic All-State selection and a member of the National Honor Society.
- Personal
- Full name: Cole Garcia
- Born: June 16 at Dallas, Texas
- Parents: Gary and Mary Garcia... (one brother)
- Rice major: Psychology
- Rice College: Duncan

Tim Baldwin Jr.
RB, 6-0, 211
Nokesville, Va./Indiana
Before UMass
- 2021
- Appeared in five games
- Rushed six times for 12 yards at Iowa (9/4)
- Carried eight times for 25 yards against Idaho (9/11)
- Gained 30 yards on nine rushes versus Cincinnati (9/18)
- Carried four times for 35 yards at Western Kentucky (9/25)
- Rushed one time for one yard at Penn State (10/2).
- 2020
- Rushed for 141 yards on 22 attempts (6.4 average) in four games
- carried the ball 16 times for 106 yards (6.6) in the Maryland win (11/28)
- became the 14th IU true freshman to hit the century mark
- Added 18 yards on three carries in his collegiate debut and victory at Michigan State (11/14)
- Collected 17 yards on three attempts in the Outback Bowl against Ole Miss (1/2)
- IU offensive player of the week (Maryland)
- High School
- Running back for head coach Sean Finnerty at Patriot High School
- First-team all-state honoree
- First-team all-region selection was named the region and district offensive player of the year
- Team captain
- Rushed for 1,604 yards on 233 carries (6.9 average) with 25 touchdowns his senior campaign
- Rushed for 1,000 yards as a sophomore, junior, and senior
- Ranked the No. 16 prospect in Virginia and the No. 37 running back nationally by ESPN
- Personal
- Parents are Brittany Baldwin and Tim Baldwin Sr.

Sammy Faustin
DB, 6-2, 200
Naples, Fla./University of Michigan
Before UMass
- 2020
- Appeared in one game on special teams to earn his second varsity letter, Academic
- All-Big Ten honoree
- Contributed on special teams at Minnesota (Oct. 24)
- 2019
- Appeared in nine games on special teams and played defensive back in three
- Contributing two tackles to earn his first varsity letter
- Contributed on special teams against Army (Sept. 7), Iowa (Oct. 5), Michigan State (Nov. 16), Ohio State (Nov. 30), at Illinois (Oct. 12), at Indiana (Nov. 23)
- Played defensive back and special teams against Rutgers (Sept. 28)
- Made one solo tackle playing safety and contributing on special teams against Notre Dame (Oct. 26)
- Assisted on one tackle, playing defensive back and special teams at Maryland (Nov. 2)
- 2018
- Did not see game action
- Prep
- Attended Naples High School (2018) coached by Bill Kramer
- Led his team to the Florida 6A state semifinals
- High School
- Tallied 36 tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups as a senior
- Recorded 39 tackles, one interception, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries during his junior year in 2016
- Honors and Rankings
- Academic All-Big Ten (2020)
- Two-time letterman (2019-20)
- Has appeared in nine career games
- Made two tackles on special teams
- 247.com three-star recruit, ranked No. 564 overall and No. 96 in the state of Florida
- Rivals three-star prospect, ranked the No. 58 cornerback overall and No. 94 player in Florida
- ESPN three-star prospect, rated the No. 49 cornerback nationally and No. 101 player in Florida
- Ranked No. 4 on The Big 15, a listing of Southwest Florida's top recruits, by the Naples Daily News and The News-Press
- Two-time Naples Daily News All-Area first team (2016, '17)
- Personal
- Sammy Faustin was born January 20, 2000
- Native of Turks and Caicos who moved to Florida at age 11
- Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, majoring in sociology

Magnus Von Saldern
DL, 6-4, 260
Berlin, Germany/Friedrich Ebert High School
