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Former Northwestern Wide Receiver Commits to UMass

The ex-Wildcat is reuniting with NU's former offensive coordinator in the MAC.
Gavin Dorsey|
A Northwestern Wildcats football helmet before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Wrigley Field on 11/16/2024.
A Northwestern Wildcats football helmet before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Wrigley Field on 11/16/2024. | Photo: Northwestern Athletics

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After four years at Northwestern, wide receiver Donnie Gray is headed back to the Northeast. The New Haven, Connecticut, native will be transferring to UMass for his final season of collegiate eligibility.

The Minutemen announced Gray's commitment in a social media post on Tuesday, making the wideout UMass' 34th transfer portal signee of the offseason.

Gray redshirted his true freshman season in 2021, then played in 13 games over his final three years in Evanston. Across his Wildcat career, Gray totaled four catches for 42 yards, including two receptions for 20 yards in 2024.

The receiver was a three-star high school recruit and the No. 8 prospect in Connecticut. He played for Deerfield Academy, located just 13 miles from UMass' campus.

Massachusetts, coming off of a 2-10 season, is in the midst of a program turnover once again. Since returning to the FBS in 2012, the Minutemen have never won more than four games in a season, and now the program has brought in Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak to lead the turnaround. Gray is one of 34 incoming transfers, but UMass also has 27 expected departures from last year's squad.

Gray will reunite with former Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian in Amherst, who was hired for the same role in January. Bajakian coached Gray from 2021 to 2023 and held multiple roles at Utah in 2024. Former Wildcat offensive lineman Zachary Franks, who spent the 2024 season at Duke, will also transfer to UMass.

The Minutemen have been independent of a conference since 2016, but will join the MAC in all sports on July 1. UMass played in the MAC from 2012 to 2015, compiling an 8-40 record.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.

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