All Things Kaden Johnson Recruitment Thread (Class of 2020, top rated MN HS recruit)

We've developed enough depth that it will be extremely rare to see a true freshman play. They only guys that won't redshirt this year are special teamers (Nubin, Lantz, Weeks).

Generally, I agree with this. However, if we have any position where a true FR could push for PT next year it is LBer.
 

We've developed enough depth that it will be extremely rare to see a true freshman play. They only guys that won't redshirt this year are special teamers (Nubin, Lantz, Weeks).

Has Nubin already burned his RS? That’s kind of a shame, but understandable considering the safety depth.
 

Generally, I agree with this. However, if we have any position where a true FR could push for PT next year it is LBer.

I guess this is true. I could see it at RB or WR too especially with guys like Daniel Jackson and Ky Thomas coming in.
 

Kaden Johnson, we'd love to have him. I don't know what is holding him back.
 

Generally, I agree with this. However, if we have any position where a true FR could push for PT next year it is LBer.

I agree, and that was the original point of my message, I just didn’t go in depth. With Barber, Martin and Coughlin each leaving, we are left with Rush and Sori-Marin as juniors, and the RS-So Oliver with the most experience. Gordon may push for time, but linebacker will arguably be the least experienced position on the field next year. If Kaden is “the real deal,” I’m sure Fleck would play him and the opportunity is clearly going to be there.


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I haven’t see Kaden play. Would people who have or know more rate him as high as Coughlin? Sure would be nice to see another really good player like him choose to be a local legend.
 

I doubt if one key win or loss makes that much of a difference.
If he was there, the game day environment maybe helped, but I don't think these decisions are made on impulse on one game.

A productive season might help validate something a coach has said, but again, I wouldn't expect anyone to change their opinion on a single game.
Either you want a holistic approach to becoming a better person or you don't. Or if you do, you want to do it here, or you don't.

We've gone from a team that some predicted to finish 6th in the West.....playing in a 75% full stadium at the beginning of the year.....to a top ten team in the playoff conversation.....with a sold out stadium and a pumped up crowd beating the #4th ranked team with a field storming afterwards.

I think you are WAY downplaying the potential impact....not only of this season so far....but also of this game. If Johnson knows that he can come in and play on a team that will compete with the best? In a stadium where people come and watch and are loud and engaged? Hmmm....I don't know. Maybe that's not why he was potentially leaning towards Wisconsin. :cool:
 

I guess this is true. I could see it at RB or WR too especially with guys like Daniel Jackson and Ky Thomas coming in.

I doubt that we burn Jackson's redshirt. I think we're set at receiver for now. Behind Bateman and Bell....we still haven't seen Jornell Brooks. Mike Brown-Stephens is a freshman this year. So is Nnamdi Adim-Madumere. And Madumere….had offers from Alabama, Baylor, Boise State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, etc. Not a super highly rated guy. Mid three-star....87 ranking. But he's 6'3" 226lbs. That's huge for a receiver. No wonder a bunch of teams wanted him. Just look at how excited Coach Fleck is....

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Wouldn’t call Nubian a special teamer although some of the games he’s solely participated in that capacity. He’s definitely in the line for major time next year.


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Nubin has played in 8 games this year on special teams. That’s what I would call a special teamer.

And yes, he will be a starting safety next year.
 





I doubt that we burn Jackson's redshirt. I think we're set at receiver for now. Behind Bateman and Bell....we still haven't seen Jornell Brooks. Mike Brown-Stephens is a freshman this year. So is Nnamdi Adim-Madumere. And Madumere….had offers from Alabama, Baylor, Boise State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, etc. Not a super highly rated guy. Mid three-star....87 ranking. But he's 6'3" 226lbs. That's huge for a receiver. No wonder a bunch of teams wanted him. Just look at how excited Coach Fleck is....

8465826.jpg

If Jackson is a good receiver, I agree. If Jackson is comparable as a freshman to Bateman as a freshman, I'm playing him. He probably wouldn't stay 5 years anyway.
 

I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.
 



I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.

Assuming you mean Mr. Johnson...
 

per Oliver:

Nebraska football is trending for linebacker target Kaden Johnson

Nebraska football is the favorite to land one of the best linebackers in the 2020 class. That's the opinion of several recruiting analysts across the country.

Kaden Johnson, a 4-star prospect out of Minnesota hasn't announced his favorite school yet. That hasn't stop prognosticators from believing he's got a heavy lean towards the Huskers.

On 247Sports, several experts put in new "Crystal Ball" predictions for the Huskers. The Crystal Ball is the way these experts illustrate where they think a player is going to end up.


Go Gophers!!
 


It might depend on what DC he wants to play for.
Right now objectively WI has the best defensive backfield of the three and a multiyear NFL safety as DC.
Frost and Fleck seem like more vibrant personalities than Chryst but WI has a far better record of getting defensive players in the NFL.
 

I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.

Those same high expectations are heavily desired by a lot of parents (who understand the bigger picture) who have a huge influence and a lot of potential student athletes on their own too. Many high quality people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. These expectations differentiate Minnesota which is a good thing.
 


It might depend on what DC he wants to play for.
Right now objectively WI has the best defensive backfield of the three and a multiyear NFL safety as DC.
Frost and Fleck seem like more vibrant personalities than Chryst but WI has a far better record of getting defensive players in the NFL.

OK Wiscy troll. Fleck had 8 guys drafted from G5 Western Michigan in the 2016-2018 drafts compared to Wisconsin's 10 in the same period. Getting guys drafted has been one of his strengths and probably a big factor in his hiring. We'll see how this all plays out over the next few years.
 

Thing with Wisconsin, and it appears Nebraska now too, is they run 3-4 defenses. So Kaden would project to be a stand-up DE in those defenses, I believe.

If he doesn't want that, in other words if he wants to be a true outside linebacker not on the LOS, then Minnesota's defense would be a better choice.
 



I watched Kaden closely during the Prep Bowl. Really really impressed with how he handles himself on the field. Not just as a really good player but how he helps people up after plays, makes sure opponents are OK, etc.

I'd love to see him be a Gopher. I really think he would be huge for us.

I should note that I had family playing for Rocori against him. Post-game his parents and him were complimentary of how Johnson (and others, Suggs for example) acted on the field, post-game, etc.
 
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Thing with Wisconsin, and it appears Nebraska now too, is they run 3-4 defenses. So Kaden would project to be a stand-up DE in those defenses, I believe.

If he doesn't want that, in other words if he wants to be a true outside linebacker not on the LOS, then Minnesota's defense would be a better choice.
3/4 is a great recruiting tool for LB's. More on the field and ability to play sooner. If he projects to grow into a DE body then it's a great system for development. Hope we get him.
 

I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.

It's equally possible that those guys who don't choose to play for coach Fleck just don't like coach Fleck. The truest thing that Fleck has ever said is that he isn't for everyone. I know, everybody loves winning. But nobody wins more than Urban Meyer and even he didn't win every recruiting battle.

I don't like to see Gopher fans denigrating the character of kids who choose a different school, and your post seems pretty close to that.
 

3/4 is a great recruiting tool for LB's. More on the field and ability to play sooner. If he projects to grow into a DE body then it's a great system for development. Hope we get him.

Yeah, that is beneficial in terms of recruiting LBers.

WI LBers do a lot of things (blitz, cover, etc.). It isn't the same guy blitzing from the same location on every play like Kevin Green back in the day for the Steelers.

Those LBers (the ones who can blitz and cover), get drafted earlier and make more in the NFL.

The Nebraska/WI schemes will help their recruitment of Kaden Johnson.
 

I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.
TMI
 

I don’t have any inside poop but it seems like P.J. puts lots of non-football demands on these young men. He demands that they become great students and citizens as well as athletes. There are a lot of HS athletes to whom this is just more than what they are willing to commit. To many of these young men living in a high perched atmosphere college is a step into the NFL and not a step into the real world.

To these a move Into Fleckdom is not a very attractive option. I’m not saying that’s the case with our Mr. Jackson, but I’m sure it is with a lot of athletes and the higher the ranking, the higher the likelihood this is the case.

He wants to mold young people into opposite of Colin Kaepernick and I see nothing wrong with that.
 





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