UMass Football Grabs Graduate Transfer Alex Kenney From Penn State

The UMass Minutemen have loved using fifth-year graduate transfers as a way of building FBS experience through their two transition years. Mike Cox and Deion Walker in 2013 were huge parts of the limited success the offense was able to muster and this year's crop of Ricardo Miller, David Osei and Justin Anderson contributed to a marked improvement in the program.

UMass has gone back to the well for the 2014 season, this time in the person of Penn State wide receiver/corner back Alex Kenney, according to Bob McGovern of 247sports.

Despite the lack of a head coach, offensive coordinator or wide receivers coach, the Minutemen were able to secure Kenney based on the success players have had at UMass -- most notably Cox, who now plays for the New York Giants.

"That's one thing that [running backs] coach [Roderick] Plummer had mentioned that caught my attention. I did some research and saw that there have been numerous fifth-year kids that went to UMass and became successful. That was a big part of my decision," he said.

Kenney was listed as the fastest player on the roster for Penn State after posting a 4.43 40-yard dash time last spring. Over the last two seasons he caught 20 passes for 197 yards, with three catches and 25 yards coming in seven games in 2013.

Kenney told McGovern he will bring "speed and maturity" to the program, both of which are sorely needed at the wide receiver position. His 17 catches and 127 yards in 2012 would have ranked third on the team had he played on UMass in 2013 behind Tajae Sharpe and Rob Blanchflower.

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