Inside Gopher football spring practice - Practice style, Best QB, Players to watch...

and much more. I got to attend my 1st practice this spring, but Daniel House has been to quite a few, and I basically let him just break it all down for you. We couldn't cover everything in this one, so will do another next week - please feel free to comment with any questions about players, coaches, or anything you want us to cover!

<a class="embedly-card" href="http://www.1500espn.com/gopherhole-2/2017/04/inside-gopher-football-spring-practice-ep-20/">Inside Gopher football spring practice (ep. 20) - 1500 ESPN Twin Cities</a><script async src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

Also, here are some clips from Robb Smith addressing the media at practice:
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Is Gary Moore practicing at defensive tackle?

Daniel has great things to say about Tyler Johnson, Melvin Holland, Eric Carter, Rashede Still.

He says the one on one instruction from Matt Simon is NFL level. We will be lucky to keep him.

Daniel very impressed by Croft passing ability.

He says Kamal Martin looks incredible as do Coughlin and Devers.

Says Kiondre looks like Murray and Shenault looks improved.

He says Winfield is phenomenal.

Daniel and Fleck impressed by Merrrick Jackson hustle level in practice. Also says Richardson and Stelter look good.

Daniel says the special teams coaching is incredible. The organized chaos and pressure situations created in practice combined with the incredible attention to detail will make special teams so good, and will carry over to entire team.

The motivation level and energy level and buy in to the culture is obvious, he says.

We were lucky Getting mastermind Kirk Ciarrocca to come here, reports Daniel. His passing offense will allow our run game to be explosive.

swingman said:

Is Gary Moore practicing at defensive tackle?

Daniel has great things to say about Tyler Johnson, Melvin Holland, Eric Carter, Rashede Still.

He says the one on one instruction from Matt Simon is NFL level. We will be lucky to keep him.

Daniel very impressed by Croft passing ability.

He says Kamal Martin looks incredible as do Coughlin and Devers.

Says Kiondre looks like Murray and Shenault looks improved.

He says Winfield is phenomenal.

Daniel and Fleck impressed by Merrrick Jackson hustle level in practice. Also says Richardson and Stelter look good.

Daniel says the special teams coaching is incredible. The organized chaos and pressure situations created in practice combined with the incredible attention to detail will make special teams so good, and will carry over to entire team.

The motivation level and energy level and buy in to the culture is obvious, he says.

We were lucky Getting mastermind Kirk Ciarrocca to come here, reports Daniel. His passing offense will allow our run game to be explosive.

Click to expand...

Yes, Moore has been playing inside, but the DL is really rotating, so it's hard to get a solid grasp.

swingman said:

Is Gary Moore practicing at defensive tackle?

Daniel has great things to say about Tyler Johnson, Melvin Holland, Eric Carter, Rashede Still.

He says the one on one instruction from Matt Simon is NFL level. We will be lucky to keep him.

Daniel very impressed by Croft passing ability.

He says Kamal Martin looks incredible as do Coughlin and Devers.

Says Kiondre looks like Murray and Shenault looks improved.

He says Winfield is phenomenal.

Daniel and Fleck impressed by Merrrick Jackson hustle level in practice. Also says Richardson and Stelter look good.

Daniel says the special teams coaching is incredible. The organized chaos and pressure situations created in practice combined with the incredible attention to detail will make special teams so good, and will carry over to entire team.

The motivation level and energy level and buy in to the culture is obvious, he says.

We were lucky Getting mastermind Kirk Ciarrocca to come here, reports Daniel. His passing offense will allow our run game to be explosive.

Click to expand...

Gotta up my expectations to National Championship next season after reading about how amazing our players are. [emoji41]

MennoSota said:

Gotta up my expectations to National Championship next season after reading about how amazing our players are. [emoji41]

Click to expand...

Or at least 4th place in the West.

MennoSota said:

Gotta up my expectations to National Championship next season after reading about how amazing our players are. [emoji41]

Click to expand...

Richardson, Stelter, Jackson, Celestine, Engen, Calhoun, Wright, McGhee (when he is not serving 1/2 game suspensions) are seniors, many of whom will be replaced by
RS freshmen or true freshmen, so you might want to move it back a year. Hopefully we'll be better in a year, but we will really be young, especially if we are playing a true freshman at QB.

corcoran1 said:

Richardson, Stelter, Jackson, Celestine, Engen, Calhoun, Wright, McGhee (when he is not serving 1/2 game suspensions) are seniors, many of whom will be replaced by
RS freshmen or true freshmen, so you might want to move it back a year. Hopefully we'll be better in a year, but we will really be young, especially if we are playing a true freshman at QB.

Click to expand...

But...but the amount of incredible players we have in Spring practice is too exilerating. I cannot hold back my visions of a Gophers National Championship trophy in January 2018. [emoji471]

corcoran1 said:

Richardson, Stelter, Jackson, Celestine, Engen, Calhoun, Wright, McGhee (when he is not serving 1/2 game suspensions) are seniors, many of whom will be replaced by
RS freshmen or true freshmen, so you might want to move it back a year. Hopefully we'll be better in a year, but we will really be young, especially if we are playing a true freshman at QB.

Click to expand...

I assume you are talking Fall 2018, not 2017. Odds are we are playing a redshirt junior in Croft, not a true freshman. Croft has a lot of talent, and was as highly recruited as any freshman or commit we have. People gave up on him way too soon based on a short appearance when Jerry put him in a terrible situation his freshman year. That was all on coaches.

This isn't on you, but generally, it's kind of comical how excited people get about recruits and forget about kids who have been in the system 1-3 years who they were excited about previously. Just because it takes a kid a couple of years to develop doesn't mean they can't be a very good to outstanding player.



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Ozzy&Ray said:

I assume you are talking Fall 2018, not 2017. Odds are we are playing a redshirt junior in Croft, not a true freshman. Croft has a lot of talent, and was as highly recruited as any freshman or commit we have. People gave up on him way too soon based on a short appearance when Jerry put him in a terrible situation his freshman year. That was all on coaches.

This isn't on you, but generally, it's kind of comical how excited people get about recruits and forget about kids who have been in the system 1-3 years who they were excited about previously. Just because it takes a kid a couple of years to develop doesn't mean they can't be a very good to outstanding player.



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Click to expand...

Awesome post. Spot on!


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MennoSota said:

Gotta up my expectations to National Championship next season after reading about how amazing our players are. [emoji41]

Click to expand...

have you ever had a positive thought...or just smart alecky BS

DanielHouse said:

Yes, Moore has been playing inside, but the DL is really rotating, so it's hard to get a solid grasp.

Click to expand...

I see this as a good thing. Many posters hang on the lack of specifically recruited DTs. These guys have talent, can move around, and develop at other positions.

Halsey Hall said:

have you ever had a positive thought...or just smart alecky BS

Click to expand...

Let's discuss why this bothers you. Shall we?

MennoSota said:

Let's discuss why this bothers you. Shall we?

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Mad Men!

Ozzy&Ray said:

I assume you are talking Fall 2018, not 2017. Odds are we are playing a redshirt junior in Croft, not a true freshman. Croft has a lot of talent, and was as highly recruited as any freshman or commit we have. People gave up on him way too soon based on a short appearance when Jerry put him in a terrible situation his freshman year. That was all on coaches.

This isn't on you, but generally, it's kind of comical how excited people get about recruits and forget about kids who have been in the system 1-3 years who they were excited about previously. Just because it takes a kid a couple of years to develop doesn't mean they can't be a very good to outstanding player.



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Click to expand...

Ryan Burns said on his most recent podcast that starting Croft may change things with Armstrong. I think that may be what Cocoran1 is basing his opinion on. I get the feeling Burns may be misjudging the information he was given. Armstrong in his interview with GH said he was going to be "handed the keys to the offense" which is what I think Burns has heard. I can't see that translating to him starting as a true freshman though. Armstrong is going to be a good QB but starting that early really only happens with the 5* can't miss prospects.

Hopefully Croft is successful and he can start for 3 years which would mean Armstrong could in potential start as a redshirt sophomore. That should be acceptable and is a little earlier than a lot of QBs at the P5 level seem to be named the starter.

GopherNuts said:

Ryan Burns said on his most recent podcast that starting Croft may change things with Armstrong. I think that may be what Cocoran1 is basing his opinion on. I get the feeling Burns may be misjudging the information he was given. Armstrong in his interview with GH said he was going to be "handed the keys to the offense" which is what I think Burns has heard. I can't see that translating to him starting as a true freshman though. Armstrong is going to be a good QB but starting that early really only happens with the 5* can't miss prospects.

Hopefully Croft is successful and he can start for 3 years which would mean Armstrong could in potential start as a redshirt sophomore. That should be acceptable and is a little earlier than a lot of QBs at the P5 level seem to be named the starter.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Ideally, you always develop a player for a couple years. I can't imagine the staff made any promises, and if they did it would really make me question our coaching staff. In football, more than any other sport, it is really difficult to project a player from HS to college as competition and complexity of offense and defense changes so much.




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GopherNuts said:

Ryan Burns said on his most recent podcast that starting Croft may change things with Armstrong. I think that may be what Cocoran1 is basing his opinion on. I get the feeling Burns may be misjudging the information he was given. Armstrong in his interview with GH said he was going to be "handed the keys to the offense" which is what I think Burns has heard. I can't see that translating to him starting as a true freshman though. Armstrong is going to be a good QB but starting that early really only happens with the 5* can't miss prospects.

Hopefully Croft is successful and he can start for 3 years which would mean Armstrong could in potential start as a redshirt sophomore. That should be acceptable and is a little earlier than a lot of QBs at the P5 level seem to be named the starter.

Click to expand...

Burns did seem to imply that playing Croft instead of Rhoda could impact Armstrong. It was strange. There are really only two ways to view this situation:

(1) Armstrong is delusional. If he really thinks that he is going to be handed the starting gig at a Big 10 school on Day 1, he's delusional. Why ignore Croft, Seth Green, and Tanner Morgan? Those guys all were similar recruits with more experience in the system and more experience in the college weight room. I wouldn't be shocked if Armstrong pushed for PT right away, but for it to be handed to him is absurd. I couldn't imagine a P5 program with as much of an opportunity for a QB to recruit to see early PT, but it won't be handed to him.

OR

(2) Burns read the situation incorrectly. By "keys to the offense", I would imagine Fleck was telling him that it is a QB friendly system that allows the QBs to really run the show (audibles, call plays, not predetermined checkdowns, etc.)

#2 seems WAY more plausible to me. Frankly, if #1 is true, I'm not super concerned with losing the kid.


Our depth chart next season, IMO, is going to be Croft/Morgan/Rhoda - - Rhoda will play a similar role to last year. If Croft is going to miss significant time, it'll be Morgan. If it's just for 1 game or a spell, it'll be Rhoda. From what I hear, Seth Green is behind Morgan but he still flashes WOW moments. He's only a FR, so it could be interesting if Fleck can harness more of those WOW moments in the future. Green would also make quite the TE, I'm just saying.