AMHERST — It didn’t take long for Sadiq Palmer to steer the conversation toward Andy Isabella.
Palmer was answering a question about quarterback Andrew Ford when he pivoted the conversation to what he’s learned from Isabella over the past three years. Isabella caught 65 passes for 1,020 yards last season, so all the receivers are fixated on him when Isabella takes a repetition in practice.
“Just seeing him do routes and certain stuff just helps your game and (shows) you what you need to do,” Palmer said. “He’s always open. He just came off a 1,000-yard season, so he’s always someone you can watch and grow off.”
Isabella is the quiet leader of the UMass offense, letting his play on the field and his work ethic in practice set the tone for what could another explosive year for the Minutemen’s aerial attack. He said he understands the burden placed on him within a position group that features just one other upperclassmen (Palmer).
“I know all the eyes are on me,” Isabella said. “They’re all looking at what I do, so I’ve got to show them and go out there every play. I can’t be lounging around, I’ve got to be first to the drill, I’ve got to be the first to everything so they can follow and see that they need to keep working hard and hopefully they can do the same thing.”
The challenge for Mark Whipple and his staff is trying to harness Isabella’s intensity during the preseason workouts. In addition to wanting to get his younger receivers more reps this week as the Minutemen install their offense, Whipple wants to make sure Isabella doesn’t overexert himself before the season begins.
It’s not a new problem for Whipple, who said Isabella’s work ethic and skills compare favorably with some of the best receivers he has coached. It’s a balancing act that will continue until UMass shifts its focus to the Aug. 25 opener against Duquesne.
“It’s the same way (former UMass wideout) Tajae (Sharpe) was when he was here and all the really good receivers that I’ve had,” Whipple said. “(Isabella’s) probably the hardest worker on the team, so you’ve got to worry about him doing too much. As we go, we need to make sure we temper some of the plays for him because he goes all out all the time.”
Isabella’s leadership is vital this year, in particular, as UMass tries to replace the production it lost with Adam Breneman’s graduation. The tight end caught 64 passes last year for 764 yards and four touchdowns. The Minutemen’s next best wide receiver — Palmer — had 35 grabs for 518 yards and a score.
Palmer will almost certainly see more passes thrown his way this season, as will sophomores Jessie Britt and Brandon Dingle. He said he’s been preparing for his extra workload by fine-tuning his first steps after the snap to create the separation necessary for Ford to feed him the ball.
“I’m just trying to work on my releases mainly and getting off the ball,” Palmer said. “I’m focused on catching the ball and tucking it before trying to get those extra yards.”
The UMass offensive veterans have all had high praise for their younger teammates who will need to step up into larger roles this season. Palmer said the underclassmen have matured well with a full spring and summer under their belts and isn’t worried about having to replace Breneman’s targets.
Running back Marquis Young, who was the Minutemen’s fourth-leading receiver last year with 35 receptions, said he believes UMass has plenty of playmakers to be dangerous, but that it will take a full team effort for the unit to be successful.
“On offense, you need all 11 guys out there to win a game,” Young said. “Adam Breneman was a big part of our offense, but we have a lot of other guys like Sadiq Palmer and Andy Isabella, Brandon Dingle, that can help us win some games.”
Josh Walfish can be reached at jwalfish@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshWalfishDHG.