Analyzing the Latest Gophers Recruiting Moves

DanielHouse

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The Gophers are winning recruiting battles to bolster talent and depth on the defensive line. Friday night, head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff picked up their second four-star defensive tackle of the 2019 class. Memphis, Tennessee defensive tackle Kristian Williams chose the Gophers over offers from Missouri, Memphis, Indiana, Tennessee and others. At 6-foot-3, 297 pounds, Williams is the perfect candidate to play three-technique defensive tackle in Minnesota’s defense. He will probably continue trying to add weight to peak at around 305 pounds. Considering his current size and 6-foot-3 frame, his player profile aligns with the typical three-technique prototype.

Out of all the defensive tackles in this class, Williams might be asked to play the most extended role immediately. He flashes the type of power and quick feet that pass rushing specialist Marcus West can develop. When he becomes more nuanced as a rusher, there is enough versatility in his skill-set to occasionally tweak his alignments inside. He’ll need to refine his overall technique, but has the skills to make an instant impact in Minnesota’s defense.

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The Gophers have significantly bolstered a major position of need through this recruiting cycle. The addition of defensive tackles Rashad Cheney Jr. and Williams inject two four-star talents into the depth chart. Not only that, JUCO transfer Keonte Schad received plenty of interest from programs like Mississippi State, UCF, Georgia and Tennessee. They also have a commitment from Georgia DT DeAngelo Carter, who is one of the more underrated players of the class. Many people also forget Perham, Minnesota defensive tackle Logan Richter will be considered a member of this class after counting as a greyshirt last year. They also managed to keep defensive end MJ Anderson in the class and have the chance to add one more talented edge player before Wednesday’s early signing day. Minnesota also managed to redshirt defensive end Mayan Ahanotu this season and he could emerge as a big contributor in 2019, too. Not only that, but another year of development from defensive end Esezi Otomewo will pay dividends. The Gophers are winning many big recruiting battles against talented programs and it's elevating the caliber of players they are adding at key positions.

The defensive line was a major area the Gophers needed to improve through the 2019 class. After addressing other areas last season, Minnesota's staff clearly prioritized the trenches in this cycle. When P.J. Fleck and his staff arrived, they had to determine which position groups needed immediate priority. They chose wide receiver, offensive line and a hint of defensive back talent in 2018. All of those areas showed growth over the course of this season. Now, they have shifted the focus into adding depth at those spots, while emphasizing the defensive line and team speed in the secondary. The roster building strategy is starting to take shape as P.J. Fleck begins adding recruiting cycles to the depth chart. By next year, the staff will start layering depth across the roster to create a rotation throughout all position groups. The latest defensive line additions will help the scheme because everything starts inside. Managing to stop rushing attacks with good gap integrity will help the Gophers slow offenses in the Big Ten. It will also assist the overall scheme versatility, especially if they can rotate players to keep them fresh. I'm a proponent of building a defense from the inside out and it appears Minnesota is taking this path.

In addition to the Williams commitment, the staff added three-star kicker Michael Lantz on Friday. He chose the Gophers over an offer from Washington State. Kicker Camden Lewis was previously committed to the 2019 class, but is taking a visit to Oregon. Minnesota decided to move swiftly with Lantz, who was on their radar dating back to last year. Lantz, a kicker from Fayetteville, Georgia, made 13 of his 18 field goal attempts during his senior season.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/7145598/5beb95a08cdeea15b00b28d9' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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The Gophers are winning recruiting battles to bolster talent and depth on the defensive line. Friday night, head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff picked up their second four-star defensive tackle of the 2019 class. Memphis, Tennessee defensive tackle Kristian Williams chose the Gophers over offers from Missouri, Memphis, Indiana, Tennessee and others. At 6-foot-3, 297 pounds, Williams is the perfect candidate to play three-technique defensive tackle in Minnesota’s defense. He will probably continue trying to add weight to peak at around 305 pounds. Considering his current size and 6-foot-3 frame, his player profile aligns with the typical three-technique prototype.

Out of all the defensive tackles in this class, Williams might be asked to play the most extended role immediately. He flashes the type of power and quick feet that pass rushing specialist Marcus West can develop. When he becomes more nuanced as a rusher, there is enough versatility in his skill-set to occasionally tweak his alignments inside. He’ll need to refine his overall technique, but has the skills to make an instant impact in Minnesota’s defense.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/7913746/5bf1df94b01a480b0815f492' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Gophers have significantly bolstered a major position of need through this recruiting cycle. The addition of defensive tackles Rashad Cheney Jr. and Williams inject two four-star talents into the depth chart. Not only that, JUCO transfer Keonte Schad received plenty of interest from programs like Mississippi State, UCF, Georgia and Tennessee. They also have a commitment from Georgia DT DeAngelo Carter, who is one of the more underrated players of the class. Many people also forget Perham, Minnesota defensive tackle Logan Richter will be considered a member of this class after counting as a greyshirt last year. They also managed to keep defensive end MJ Anderson in the class and have the chance to add one more talented edge player before Wednesday’s early signing day. Minnesota also managed to redshirt defensive end Mayan Ahanotu this season and he could emerge as a big contributor in 2019, too. Not only that, but another year of development from defensive end Esezi Otomewo will pay dividends. The Gophers are winning many big recruiting battles against talented programs and it's elevating the caliber of players they are adding at key positions.

The defensive line was a major area the Gophers needed to improve through the 2019 class. After addressing other areas last season, Minnesota's staff clearly prioritized the trenches in this cycle. When P.J. Fleck and his staff arrived, they had to determine which position groups needed immediate priority. They chose wide receiver, offensive line and a hint of defensive back talent in 2018. All of those areas showed growth over the course of this season. Now, they have shifted the focus into adding depth at those spots, while emphasizing the defensive line and team speed in the secondary. The roster building strategy is starting to take shape as P.J. Fleck begins adding recruiting cycles to the depth chart. By next year, the staff will start layering depth across the roster to create a rotation throughout all position groups. The latest defensive line additions will help the scheme because everything starts inside. Managing to stop rushing attacks with good gap integrity will help the Gophers slow offenses in the Big Ten. It will also assist the overall scheme versatility, especially if they can rotate players to keep them fresh. I'm a proponent of building a defense from the inside out and it appears Minnesota is taking this path.

In addition to the Williams commitment, the staff added three-star kicker Michael Lantz on Friday. He chose the Gophers over an offer from Washington State. Kicker Camden Lewis was previously committed to the 2019 class, but is taking a visit to Oregon. Minnesota decided to move swiftly with Lantz, who was on their radar dating back to last year. Lantz, a kicker from Fayetteville, Georgia, made 13 of his 18 field goal attempts during his senior season.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/7145598/5beb95a08cdeea15b00b28d9' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

Appreciate the analysis Daniel.

To add on to your DL point, also remember that the Gophers already have a commitment from 2020 Winona DE Aaron Witt. He had offers from Iowa and Iowa State already in the recruiting process.
 

Nice writeup as always. Don't we also have D'vion Harris, another DE from the St. Louis area?
 

I realize Williams is going to be a DT, but his highlights on offense are nasty.
 

Hopefully this means we can move Coughlin to linebacker.
 





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