15 JUCO Transfers to Watch in the Big Ten for 2017 (MN: McLaurin, Silver)

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BleedGopher

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Neil McLaurin, QB, Minnesota
Replacing Mitch Leidner at quarterback is one of Minnesota’s biggest offseason question marks for new coach P.J. Fleck. Former walk-on Conor Rhoda (8 of 16) is the most-experienced option, but redshirt freshman Seth Green and junior Demry Croft return for 2017. McLaurin committed to Minnesota under former coach Tracy Claeys and enrolled in time to compete during spring practice. The Mississippi native threw for 964 yards (52.8%) and eight scores and added 440 yards and six touchdowns in 2016 at Southwest Mississippi Community College. McLaurin ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 172 junior college recruit in the 247Sports Composite.

Royal Silver, DT, Minnesota
Minnesota’s line needs a few reinforcements for 2017 with the departure of Hendrick Ekpe (28 tackles) and Scott Ekpe (17 tackles). Tackle Steven Richardson should push for All-Big Ten honors next year, but this unit needs more depth and help off the edges and on the interior. Silver should help plug some of the gaps in the middle, as the 285-pound lineman heads to Minneapolis after two years at Iowa Western Community College. In 2016, Silver recorded 63 tackles (11 for a loss) and 4.5 sacks. He’s rated as a three-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite.

http://athlonsports.com/college-football/15-junior-college-transfers-watch-big-ten-2017

Go Gophers!!
 

I love how all the experts on GopherHole have McLaurin transferring or switching positions. He's the odds on starter at quarterback, folks.
 


All I am basing this off of is Fleck's tone of voice/excitement about McLaurin at the Signing Day Social, but I think I might help the Gophers more over the next two years. I hope I'm wrong, but Fleck didn't exactly sell us very well on McLaurin.
 

John Galt said:
Not a chance. I'll be shocked if he ever lines up behind center for a single play in his Gopher career. He obviously wasn't Fleck's guy, he was Claeys guy.
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There was a story posted here previously. Fleck wrote off one of his QBs early on at WMU... eventually picked him.
 


highwayman said:
I love how all the experts on GopherHole have McLaurin transferring or switching positions. He's the odds on starter at quarterback, folks.
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Not a chance. I'll be shocked if he ever lines up behind center for a single play in his Gopher career. He obviously wasn't Fleck's guy, he was Claeys guy.
 


John Galt said:
Not a chance. I'll be shocked if he ever lines up behind center for a single play in his Gopher career. He obviously wasn't Fleck's guy, he was Claeys guy.
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Honest question. . .

This isn't specific to McLaurin, but do you get the impression that Fleck is going to strongly favor "his" guys? To me, if McLaurin is the best QB, he should be playing. The idea that you strongly prefer to play "your" guys just feels so incredibly shortsighted.

Is there something you've read to make you think that's the case with Fleck?
 




Bob_Loblaw said:
Honest question. . .

This isn't specific to McLaurin, but do you get the impression that Fleck is going to strongly favor "his" guys? To me, if McLaurin is the best QB, he should be playing. The idea that you strongly prefer to play "your" guys just feels so incredibly shortsighted.

Is there something you've read to make you think that's the case with Fleck?
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Fleck wants guys that have completely bought into his culture and way of thinking. I can't remember the exact number, but in his 1st year at Western Michigan he played a ridiculous amount of true freshman. I wouldn't be surprised if we play 10+ true freshman next year. From his comments, I think Fleck is more concerned about getting the right pieces in place to win the West in 3 years than maximizing our wins next year. Just my impression from listening to him.

Regarding McLaurin, Fleck's silence at the recruiting banquet spoke volumes of what he thinks about him. Plus I think we have multiple other options that are better than McLaurin. Time will tell.
 

John Galt said:
Fleck wants guys that have completely bought into his culture and way of thinking. I can't remember the exact number, but in his 1st year at Western Michigan he played a ridiculous amount of true freshman. I wouldn't be surprised if we play 10+ true freshman next year. From his comments, I think Fleck is more concerned about getting the right pieces in place to win the West in 3 years than maximizing our wins next year. Just my impression from listening to him.

Regarding McLaurin, Fleck's silence at the recruiting banquet spoke volumes of what he thinks about him. Plus I think we have multiple other options that are better than McLaurin. Time will tell.
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Fleck's complaint about his QB at WMU... that he didn't buy into his system... still ended up picking him.
 


John Galt said:
can you elaborate?
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Someone had an article (I think posted here but I might be thinking of another place) where Fleck himself said he decided one of his QBs at WMU, who was a quiet laid back dude... just wasn't a Fleck kinda guy, he thought the QB didn't buy into his system.

Then he saw the kid tossing the ball around in practice and changed his mind. He also later said he just misinterpreted the kid's attitude and etc.

Also at the press conference PJ outright said you NEVER know about a QB until you work with them for a while. So I doubt Fleck is all that set on who he likes or doesn't.

It's not like he has a choice either.
 



John Galt said:
Not a chance. I'll be shocked if he ever lines up behind center for a single play in his Gopher career. He obviously wasn't Fleck's guy, he was Claeys guy.
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In Fleck's time at WMU, he never started a QB that he recruited.
 


Heard Fleck on the radio with KFAN yesterday and he said he was pleasantly surprised by the amount of buy he has gotten from the current team or something similar to that. He's not walking into a WMU situation in that he needs to totally change the culture. He is coming into a group that performed well, have some talent, are high character guys and want to win. They will become his guys between now and spring.
 

highwayman said:
I love how all the experts on GopherHole have McLaurin transferring or switching positions. He's the odds on starter at quarterback, folks.
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Extremely doubtful. Odds are basically 100% that he wouldn't even be on the roster if Fleck had been hired before JuCo signing day. It would be overwhelmingly shocking if he ever sees the field at QB, let alone starts.
 

highwayman said:
I love how all the experts on GopherHole have McLaurin transferring or switching positions. He's the odds on starter at quarterback, folks.
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My money is on green but at this point it is up for grabs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

#coacheslivesmatter
 

The Mississippi native threw for 964 yards (52.8%)

The completion percentage is the reason he will be playing another position. That is terrible for a CFB QB.
 


dpodoll68 said:
Extremely doubtful. Odds are basically 100% that he wouldn't even be on the roster if Fleck had been hired before JuCo signing day. It would be overwhelmingly shocking if he ever sees the field at QB, let alone starts.
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Fleck's comments about him at the signing social were very telling. "I haven't watched much on him, but I'm excited to get to know him....ok who's next?" was essentially how his breakdown went. Lol. I agree. I doubt he ever sees time at QB.

That completion percentage and yardage thrown is also pretty garbage, but that's just extra fuel for the fire.
 

joshvanklomp said:
In Fleck's time at WMU, he never started a QB that he recruited.
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By "Fleck's guy" I don't mean that he is going to only play or even necessarily favor his own recruits. McLaurin is primarily a read-option QB, which isn't even remotely the kind of skill set required for Fleck's offense. Rhoda, Green, and Croft all have a solid shot at being the starting QB vs Buffalo.
 

beavergopher said:
The Mississippi native threw for 964 yards (52.8%)

The completion percentage is the reason he will be playing another position. That is terrible for a CFB QB.
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Especially considering most of his passes are of the shorter variety. I don't know what the McLauren backers are basing their opinion on. If there is tape out there that shows something different than what's widely available on the web, I'd like to see it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

John Galt said:
By "Fleck's guy" I don't mean that he is going to only play or even necessarily favor his own recruits. McLaurin is primarily a read-option QB, which isn't even remotely the kind of skill set required for Fleck's offense. Rhoda, Green, and Croft all have a solid shot at being the starting QB vs Buffalo.
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I think you can add Morgan to that mix too. As a true freshman the edge he has is being enrolled. As stated, Fleck likes to play true freshman. McLaurin is the 5th guy...pretty hard to get practice reps for 5 guys.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Extremely doubtful. Odds are basically 100% that he wouldn't even be on the roster if Fleck had been hired before JuCo signing day. It would be overwhelmingly shocking if he ever sees the field at QB, let alone starts.
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Not saying you're wrong but given that Fleck has shown he can pick a QB that wasn't of his recruiting I think McLaurin at least gets a look at spring ball. Interesting to note that ESPN (which I don't think is better than other recruit assessment sites) rates both MsLaurin and Estes well above the highly touted (on this board) Morgan!
 

We love to debate QB selection on this board - and often question the coach's motives.

Barring any real evidence to the contrary, I choose to believe that the coaching staff will play the QB that they consider to be the best, and who gives the team the best chance to win. Ergo, whoever starts the season opener is #1 on the depth chart.

I suppose one question involves Morgan. Does Fleck want to red-shirt him, or will Morgan play if they think he gives the team the best chance to win?

I don't pretend to have a clue who the best QB is. I'll know when I see the starter for the 1st game of the season. Now, things can change. The starter in week #1 may not be the starter by week #6. Players get hurt - and sometimes they play themselves into a job, or out of a job, based on how they do in practice, and their attitude.

I will say I'm very interested to see how Fleck's system looks in person - and how well it translates to the major conference level.
 

Wow, a roster full of guys that couldn't beat out Leidner, but you're going to write off the only guy with a bunch of game play experience. That's why GopherHole doesn't set the stating lineup. Let's revisit this in August.
 

highwayman said:
Wow, a roster full of guys that couldn't beat out Leidner, but you're going to write off the only guy with a bunch of game play experience. That's why GopherHole doesn't set the stating lineup. Let's revisit this in August.
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He has zero Big Ten playing experience, as much as any other QB on the roster except Rhoda and Croft.

No one said that GopherHole sets the "stating" lineup, whatever that is. Message boards are for discussion and speculation. If that's a problem for you, find a different hobby.
 

highwayman said:
Wow, a roster full of guys that couldn't beat out Leidner, but you're going to write off the only guy with a bunch of game play experience. That's why GopherHole doesn't set the stating lineup. Let's revisit this in August.
Click to expand...

ROTFLMAO........ who can argue with this! He was a legend at southwest Mississippi valley community! Tons of real game experience that is bound to lead to a successful career in the B1G.

We probably won't be revisiting it in August because no one will remember that McLaurin was a one-time QB recruit.
 

Couple of people suggesting that Fleck will favor "his" guys? Well, I doubt that means he'll put a true freshman in where a former starter is, unless its obvious the frosh is the better player. He might favor a new recruit, one of his guys, over a former backup that didn't win the starting position in the past, for whatever reason, but when it comes to JC transfers, they are similar to former starters, not on the same level, but closer to that level than either TC's recruits or former back ups, who were TC's guys but who couldn't win the starting spot.

Not suggesting that McLaurin will be the starter or the #1 contender, but I just don't think his being one of TC's guys will hurt his chances as much as it might a new recruit or a former back up.


One thing is, he is enrolled, so it is unlikely he will transfer out before first going through spring practice. So if he does, it will likely be because he didn't measure up to the other QBs in spring practice and was sat down by the coaches and given the advice to transfer out for his own best interests, as long as the Gophers.

It's not like he can get into school anywhere else before the summer at the earliest, and he could do that after going through spring practice first if he wants to.
 

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