Tracy Claeys on Sports Huddle Sunday 5-29-16

Gopher FB coach Tracy Claeys was back on the WCCO Sports Huddle Sunday.

Sid: Predict team wins 8 or 9 games?
TC:Hard to put number on it. Feel like we've got best team overall. Goal is to get to end of Season in talk to play in B1G championship. Going to have to win 8 gms + to be in hunt. Have to play better than we did year ago on OL. Defense give us chance to win.

Sid: What positions concerned about?
TC: depth at OL - younger players need another year, but may get thrown in fire. We have 6 or 7 kids we can win with. Defense - Safety position has to stay healthy.

Sid: Depth at other positions?
TC: AT safety, young depth. CB - feel good. DL lot of guys coming back. Richardson needs to stay healthy.

Sid: how is building coming?
TC: making progress. doing utilities. moving a lot of dirt. look forward to structure going up.
'
Mona: what led you to Jay J as OC?
TC: at Southern ILL, we considered him at that time. I did not know Jay. We watched film of places he's been - liked what they did on offense. Take advantage of defense - play to kid's strengths. He know how to run an offense. great fit for us.
Lot of recruiting experience in south.

Sid: what about Schedule - opening opponent?
TC: don't know a lot. know coach Anderson from Wisconsin. 1 back-spread-it-out type of person. They'll be better than last year. Go back and look at what he did at Utah State. We can put up pretty good idea.

Mona: Thursday night opener?
TC: I like it. get to play a game, give kids a break with school starting next week.

Sid: Wrestling team issue. how do you control players?
TC: Lot of respect for coach Robinson. You can't be with kids all the time. can control that you constantly preach making good decisions. the "M" never comes off - represent the U of M. get in situations where you're uncomfortable - get the hell out.
As coach, kids got to know there's consequences for decisions. we're not afraid to deal with them. all kids make mistakes - part of the job. tough people last - tough times don't.

Mona: any scholarships to walk-ons?
TC: working on that. kids back June 6th. we'll talk about grades. I expect Payton Jordahl will be awarded. extend Ayinde.

Sid: amazing number of walk-ons
TC: no sense in going to recruit another kid (if there is a deserving walk-on). Those kids have made commitment - we will continue to reward them. they've helped us win games.

Thanks SON. Great recap.

I really like this one. TC has a plan.

short ornery norwegian said:

Mona: what led you to Jay J as OC?
TC: at Southern ILL, we considered him at that time. I did not know Jay. We watched film of places he's been - liked what they did on offense. <b>Take advantage of defense - play to kid's strengths. </b> He know how to run an offense. great fit for us.
<b>Lot of recruiting experience in south</b>.

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Thank you, SON. Keep healing.

The CK scores again with a great recap!

Thanks, son.

TY SON

Thanks SON, great report

Super thanks for this.

Thanks SON!!!

Thanks SON. Greatly appreciated!

Thank you sir!

TY SON! You KO'd this one. Much appreciated.

Lot's of storyline for 2016 season:

As goes Leidner's health, so goes the Gopher's season.

O-Line depth & health.

It's show time for Jay Johnson & Bart Miller. We need to hear just as much from the offense as from the defense.

We seem to be quietly building a stronger walk-on program - recipe for success.

Considering all the names we have for OL its odd that he always comments on the lack of depth there. I guess its due to youth. Seems as though the new guys arent ready yet except for the JUCOs

Doc1001 said:

Considering all the names we have for OL its odd that he always comments on the lack of depth there. I guess its due to youth. Seems as though the new guys arent ready yet except for the JUCOs

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Just reading between the lines here - but there was obviously a reason why Claeys replaced his OL coach. He wants to take the OL in a different direction, with a new coach. It's entirely possible that some of the returning players may not completely fit the new direction - hence the need for two JUCO starters to bridge the gap until they can recruit and develop OL that fit the new system. I wouldn't be shocked to see another JUCO lineman next year. It's going to take 2-3 years to get the OL to a point where you've got those 4-and-5-year players making up the bulk of the OL.

thanks

Best part of the football season is the off season.