Phil Steele Names 10 Minutemen To 2023 All-Independent Teams

AMHERST, Mass. - Ten University of Massachusetts football players were named to Phil Steele's 2023 Postseason Independent All-Conference Teams, including Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (First Team RB), Anthony Simpson (First Team WR), Cole Garcia (First Team OG), Gino Campiotti (Second Team TE), Josh Atwood (Second Team C), Billy Wooden (First Team DT), JB Brown (Second Team DE), Tyler Rudolph (Second Team S), Greg Desrosiers Jr. (Second Team KR) and Ethan Dumont (Second Team LS).

Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams
Lynch-Adams played in all 12 games in 2023, carrying the ball 236 times for 1,157 yards as the team's leading rusher, adding 12 touchdowns on the ground. His 1,157 rushing yards ranked 20th in FBS. He also caught 20 passes for 118 yards. He registered a career-high 234 rushing yards on 34 attempts, while scoring a career-best three touchdowns, including a 34-yard touchdown, at Army (10/28). His 234 yards marked the first time since 2015 a Minuteman achieved 200-plus rushing yards in a single contest. Lynch-Adams recorded four games with 100-plus rushing yards on the year. The Warren, Ohio, native became the second UMass player, behind former Minuteman Ellis Merriweather, to post 1,000-plus yards rushing in a single season in the FBS era.

Anthony Simpson
Simpson competed in 12 games for the 2023 season, tallying a team-leading 792 receiving yards on 57 catches with three touchdowns. He also rushed for 93 yards on 11 attempts with a touchdown. He recorded 100-plus receiving yards in four contests, including a career-best 140 yards, including a career-long 71-yard reception, with a career-high matching seven receptions against Toledo (10/7). The Bloomfield, Connecticut, native, caught his first touchdown pass at Auburn (9/2), while registering his first rushing touchdown at New Mexico State (8/26).

Cole Garcia
Garcia, a key member of the offensive line, played in all 12 games in the 2023 season. He aided the offense to 1,706 rushing yards and 2,569 passing yards over the year.

Gino Campiotti
Campiotti appeared in 12 contests for the Minutemen during the 2023 season, totaling 289 receiving yards with 21 catches and a team-high four touchdowns. He tallied a career-high five receptions, including a 30-yard catch, for a career-best 85 yards at Liberty (11/18), adding a career-high two touchdowns on the day. The Manteca, California, native, had his first career reception touchdown at Eastern Michigan (9/16), posting 52 yards with three catches.

Josh Atwood
Playing in all 12 games in the 2023 season, Atwood started as center and served as a game captain in all 12 games. He helped the offense to 1,706 rushing yards and 2,569 passing yards over the year. The Natick, Massachusetts, native, added three rushing yards of his own on a fumble recovery against New Mexico (9/23).

Billy Wooden
Wooden appeared in 12 games for the Minutemen during the 2023 season, recording 51 total tackles with 24 solo and 27 assisted takedowns. He registered a team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss for 62 yards and the most sacks on the team with 6.5 for 51 yards. He added a team-best seven quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Against New Mexico (9/23), the Towson, Maryland, native, had a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss, including a career-high 1.5 sacks, and tallied eight total tackles with four solo, while forcing on fumble.

JB Brown
Brown competed in 12 games in the 2023 season, posting 37 total tackles with nine solo and 28 assisted. He recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, while adding four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. The Long Beach, California, native, matched a career-best six take downs against Arkansas State (9/30), at Penn State (10/14) and at Liberty (11/18).

Tyler Rudolph
Also member of the 2022 Phil Steele Postseason Independent All-Conference Second Team, Rudolph had 40 total tackles with 23 solo and 17 assisted. He registered two tackles for loss, a sack, two fumble recoveries, an interception, one quarterback hurry and a team-leading five pass breakups. The Waterbury, Connecticut, native, recorded his first career sack at New Mexico State (8/26) and had his first career fumble recovery at Penn State (10/14).

Greg Desrosiers Jr.
Desrosiers Jr., a second-year member of the Phil Steele Postseason Independent All-Conference Second Team KR, competed in 11 games as the primary kick returner for Massachusetts, totaling 597 return yards, including a season-long 33-yard return, on 31 returns for a 19.3 average. His 597 combined kick return yards ranked 14th in FBS. The Lawrence, Massachusetts, native, also tallied 301 rushing yards on 37 carries. Against Merrimack (11/4), Desrosiers Jr., recorded a career0best 162 rushing yards on a career-high 10 carries and added a career-high three touchdowns.

Ethan Dumont
Dumont played in 11 games during the 2023 season, totaling two tackles with one solo and one assisted.

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