BTN: Big Ten West offensive line unit rankings (5. Minnesota)

BleedGopher

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per Dienhart:

5. Minnesota. This group needed an edge. It may have gotten it with JCs Vincent Calhoun (right guard) and Garrison Wright (left tackle). They look good for new line coach Bart Miller. Junior left guard Connor Mayes is a classic mauler. Giant Jonah Pirsig is back to start at right tackle as a senior. He made strides in the spring. Sophomore center Tyler Moore is an emerging talent who was forced into action last year as a freshman.

http://btn.com/2016/06/21/dienhart-big-ten-west-offensive-line-unit-rankings/

Go Gophers!!
 



Are we depending on the 2 JC guys too start?
If so I do not think this is a good thing.
 




They were here in the spring. Also, your'e overcomplicating it. Also, your posts are consistently negative. No silver linings, hope to be found?
 

If this unit stays healthy, really healthy, our new coach will give us a terrific O Line. It's a big "if", but I really like that they are changing their training practices. The will truly be the difference maker for the Gophers this year. Not to mention a determining factor for Mitch being drafted 24th or 165th.
 

They were here in the spring. Also, your'e overcomplicating it. Also, your posts are consistently negative. No silver linings, hope to be found?
Fair enough I was wrong. Still don't like it. So what if I am negative? I could just be realistic. I would rather be that than be the guy who thinks we were better than Wisconsin the last two years.
 



If they do i think they will finish higher than 5th

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If you read the writeups it feels like 2-6 are pretty interchangeable. Really Iowa seems the most solid heading into the year and Purdue looks like a trainwreck. The rest could go one way or the other based on a few key spots along the line, and of course as others have mentioned, health is also the main key because this story only looks at starters and doesn't factor in what may or may not be behind them on the depth chart. We were not deep enough along the line last year, hopefully with the JC kids in the mix our depth holds up better as guys inevitably get banged up over the course of the season.
 

Depending on guys to be 2/5 of the offensive line while only getting 15 practices with the coaching staff has me nervous. (I know there are summer work outs but that is not the same)

They were our two best linemen in the Spring game, wasn't even close.
 





So what does that say about our line?

I'm not following your reasoning. You are saying because they are JUCO-sourced they aren't any good? Or have you evaluated them and feel like they can't play?
 

I think the blocking scheme under a new OC & O-line coach, is different than under limey. So I think they brought in jucos that fit that scheme better, until they can recruit the type of linemen they prefer.

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JCO or not and a new OL coach or not it takes a while for an OL to gel.
They have to play together long enough to learn to trust one another and to know each members strengths and weaknesses.
I doubt if the JCOs were recruited specially to fit a blocking scheme. They just happened to be the best and perhaps the only OL recruits available.
It is true that the depth must be thin to have to recruit JCOS and that is why the injury situation is critical.
 

Derek Burns, a former gopher OL, has stated it doesn't take that long to "gel". What is more important is that the player knows his responsibilities. No reason to think these guys won't be ready to go this fall. Maybe they won't live up to expectations, but IMO it won't be because a) JUCO, or b) too inexperienced.

1-2 weeks, per Burns
http://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/...e-line-blocking-injury-scheme-matt-limegrover
 

This ranking should go up even further if we get Autry and Donnell Greene

LT: Pirsig
LG: Autry Wright
OC: Moore
RG: Calhoun Mayes
RT: Greene

With Connelly, Oseland, Fanning, Weyler, Dovich, Steiber and Leidner rounding out the two's and three's.
 

So what does that say about our line?

That our O-line got better with those additions than it was before.

In 2013, two of our top 4 LB's were JC guys so what did that say about our LB core? And in 2014 our two best LB's were JC guys. Now they are in the NFL. It said that those JC guys were vast upgrades over what we had and turned out to be great players.

Same can be said about our secondary in 2012 and 2013 with guys like Baltazar, BBC and Shabbazz were in the two's. Did it mean we had a poor secondary that year because 3 of our top 8 guys were junior college transfers?

Also it says that we are fortunate to land a guy with a TCU offer, another guy with a Mississippi State offer who was an all american and we would be fortunate to land the #1 JC OG in the country if we get Autry and would also be fortunate to get another big mauler who chose us over Mizzou.
 

If this unit stays healthy, really healthy, our new coach will give us a terrific O Line. It's a big "if", but I really like that they are changing their training practices. The will truly be the difference maker for the Gophers this year. Not to mention a determining factor for Mitch being drafted 24th or 165th.
Correct, less running more power training. The JC guys are bigger and stronger than the young guys they were competing with for starting spots, and they are probably at least as far along in technique development. There was a real gap on our roster in upperclassmen to start, that is why they recruited junior college players. We are very lucky to have them.
 

That our O-line got better with those additions than it was before.

In 2013, two of our top 4 LB's were JC guys so what did that say about our LB core? And in 2014 our two best LB's were JC guys. Now they are in the NFL. It said that those JC guys were vast upgrades over what we had and turned out to be great players.

Same can be said about our secondary in 2012 and 2013 with guys like Baltazar, BBC and Shabbazz were in the two's. Did it mean we had a poor secondary that year because 3 of our top 8 guys were junior college transfers?

Also it says that we are fortunate to land a guy with a TCU offer, another guy with a Mississippi State offer who was an all american and we would be fortunate to land the #1 JC OG in the country if we get Autry and would also be fortunate to get another big mauler who chose us over Mizzou.
Neither of those sound probable anymore. Pretty good chance we get neither I believe.
 

Little early to be penciling in OL starters unless you writing TBD in some of the slots. Lets see who works hard over the summer to earn a spot.
 

There's a post on the 2016 Recruiting thread, claiming that another JUCO OL has committed to the Gophers. Guy is listed as 6'7" 345lbs. This is the guy who was reportedly choosing between the Gophers and Missouri.
 

There's a post on the 2016 Recruiting thread, claiming that another JUCO OL has committed to the Gophers. Guy is listed as 6'7" 345lbs. This is the guy who was reportedly choosing between the Gophers and Missouri.

That's a lot of man meat to add to the line...
 



Where is the official word on Greene?

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So what does that say about our line?

This line will be improved from last year...pretty much can't be worse. Whole line looked better in the Spring game.
 




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