UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak struggled to hold back his emotions as he delivered devastating news about wide receiver Dallas Elliott. Football suddenly meant very little. Elliott, who had spent years fighting for his place with the Minutemen, was now facing a battle far bigger than anything he had encountered on the field. And this time, no game plan could fix it.

“UMass HC Joe Harasymiak announces that WR Dallas Elliott is done for the year after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Harasymiak is noticeably choked up,” reported Minuteman Command on X.

For fans who had not noticed Elliott missing, the timeline fills in the gap. His last game was against Eastern Michigan on October 3, when he caught one pass for 10 yards. He then sat out the Miami (Ohio) and Buffalo games, and he was ruled out on the pregame availability report for UConn. The announcement from his head coach explained what the absences meant.

“Harasymiak says Elliott began treatment at Dana-Farber this week in Boston and encourages fans and University to provide him and his family with support and to keep his story in mind from walk-on to starter,” Minuteman Command reported on X.

Elliott came to UMass from The Williston-Northampton School and made his college debut in September 2023 against New Mexico. It took time to turn that into a role. In 2025, he played all 12 games, mostly on special teams, and caught three passes for 32 yards, including a 14-yarder against Western Michigan.

That is the kind of run that rarely makes a highlight reel, but it is also how a player earns a spot. The 6-foot-3 athlete earned a bigger role this fall, appearing in five games and catching six passes for 58 yards, including a season-long 17-yard reception against Sacred Heart. He had three catches for 26 yards in the opener against Rutgers on September 3. Still, for a player who had gone two seasons without a catch, those receptions meant something.

There’s a similar story at Clemson, though the two are separate. Defensive tackle Hevin Brown-Shuler said back in May that he would sit out the season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

On October 22, he finished his last round of chemo and rang the bell at the hospital. He plans to come back to Clemson and play in 2027, and head coach Dabo Swinney called the moment a win.

“There’s been unbelievable breakthroughs in research and medicines and treatments and all this stuff over the years so a guy like Hevin can have great treatment and hopefully be able to be cancer-free and go live a great healthy life,” Swinney said.

Elliott’s situation is at a much earlier point. According to Minuteman Command, Harasymiak said Elliott began treatment at Dana-Farber this week, and nothing has been shared about a return to football. For now, the focus is on his health and his family.

While Elliott has been dealing with his health situation, his team has also been having a hard time on the field. Last week, UConn beat the Minutemen 35-16, their fourth straight loss, dropping them to 4-4. UMass opened with a 13-play drive of nearly eight minutes that ended in a 24-yard field goal by Derek Morris. After that, UConn took over.

Kalieb Osborne threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, and Cyncir Bowers broke off a 70-yard touchdown run on his way to 131 yards. William “Pop” Watson III hit Curtis Kimmons IV for a fourth-quarter touchdown before Justin Williams-Thomas scored on a six-yard run for UMass.

UMass plays again Wednesday night, November 4, hosting Ball State at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Elliott will not be in the lineup, but his teammates and coaches will take the field knowing what he is facing.