Fleck on Cam Wiley: “Probably reminds you a little bit of a Laurence Maroney"

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While league media know about senior stars Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, and sophomore Mohamed Ibrahim who led the team in rushing last season, most are not familiar with freshman Cam Wiley. “Probably reminds you a little bit of a Laurence Maroney, probably when he first got here,” Fleck said.

At 6-2, 205 pounds, Wiley is about the same size as Maroney who ranks with the greatest Gophers running backs ever. Wiley didn’t play for his Las Vegas team as a high school junior and had modest stats as a senior, but obviously Fleck is impressed with the potential of his freshman back.

The explosive Maroney was a first team Rivals.com All-American for the Gophers in 2005 and later a first round draft selection of the New England Patriots. In 2018 Ibrahim became the first Gopher freshman to have five rushing games of over 100 yards since Maroney in 2003.

Fleck and the media will likely have some fun bringing up the name of 400-pound sophomore offensive tackle Daniel Faalele. In Minnesota’s spring intra-squad game the creative Fleck put Faalele in the backfield where he ran six yards for a touchdown while bowling over defenders.

Faalele could be college football’s biggest runner in the fall. How will the coach use him? “When people don’t think we will,” Fleck said.

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Go Gophers!!
 

Fleck and the media will likely have some fun bringing up the name of 400-pound sophomore offensive tackle Daniel Faalele. In Minnesota’s spring intra-squad game the creative Fleck put Faalele in the backfield where he ran six yards for a touchdown while bowling over defenders.

Faalele could be college football’s biggest runner in the fall. How will the coach use him? “When people don’t think we will,” Fleck said.
!

I really, really, really don't want to see Big Dan running upright toward a bunch of guys diving at his knees.
 

I really, really, really don't want to see Big Dan running upright toward a bunch of guys diving at his knees.

This is the scary part. Knees will be the target no doubt.
 

89 for 550/6.12/7 TD as a senior. Seeing some 100 meter dash times in the low 11s.
Intriguing athlete even if the stats aren’t elite level. Crystal ball is cloudy on this one although we sure would like him to be Maroney-like.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/10646845/5b96cc2e02bc5a08b8d0f81a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

89 for 550/6.12/7 TD as a senior. Seeing some 100 meter dash times in the low 11s.
Intriguing athlete even if the stats aren’t elite level. Crystal ball is cloudy on this one although we sure would like him to be Maroney-like.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/10646845/5b96cc2e02bc5a08b8d0f81a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tough to tell from highlight videos but I do see a bit of that extra gear Maroney had where it would look like the defender had an angle on him yet somehow he would get by before the defender could reach him.

Breakaway speed is the one thing we don't really have in our current stable of running backs. Would be great to have a guy with that true ability to hit a homerun every time he touches the ball.
 


89 for 550/6.12/7 TD as a senior. Seeing some 100 meter dash times in the low 11s.
Intriguing athlete even if the stats aren’t elite level. Crystal ball is cloudy on this one although we sure would like him to be Maroney-like.

<iframe src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/10646845/5b96cc2e02bc5a08b8d0f81a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

That next gear he shows around the corner is fantastic, hopefully it translates well to college.
 

L. Maroney was my favorite Gopher RB ever. I also liked MB II and III, and Thompson, but Maroney was really something. I had the pleasure of speaking with him at Grand Old Day in St. Paul in 2005, and at TCF when he was honored a couple of years ago.

I had a beer with (walked up and talked to them) LM and Bryan Cupito in the beer garden in the SW corner, and when I told LM that I was in Tulsa in 2005 when he had the two 80 yard plus TD runs and in Nashville the year before vs. Alabama. Cupito high fived me and told LM that he was the best e'ver, just like I just said! That was sort of fun. Cupito was a big fan of L. Maroney as well, and there was some tension with Mason those last couple of years.. (not sure why as the offense was not the problem).

Bryan also gave me some input on the 2006 Kent State game, when we killed them with the LB Davis? playing RB. He ran wild, as Amir Pinnix was out injured. The locker rooms at Kent State were in a small building outside the stadium, and the rabid Kent St. fans were all in the faces of the Gopher players as they exited to get out to the field for the kick off. I re-told this to Cupito, as I met his mother and S.,O. right outside that area (nice beer garden there as well), and Bryan later confirmed that these hayseeds and students getting in their faces in a very non - Big Ten way fired the team up and contributed to the the 44-0 result.
 
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If Rodney, Shannon, Mo, Bryce, Wiley, and Faalele are each to get a full diet of carries we're going to need more footballs
 

Going to have to see it to believe it in this case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




Going to have to see it to believe it in this case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, he looks like an athlete, but the yards per carry leaves a lot to be desired. Maroney and Tevin Coleman were putting up similar or better ypc in the B1G.
 

Bryan also gave me some input on the 2006 Kent State game, when we killed them with the LB Davis? playing RB. He ran wild, as Amir Pinnix was out injured.

It was Alex Daniels, an experiment that did not work. He was replaced in the Cal game by Pinnix which was a good move. Daniels moved back to defense, I think ended up in Mason's dog house and like many had trouble getting out. I think that Wiley's defensive numbers looked a bit better than his offensive ones. Maybe he will end up on that side of the ball.
 




I like his vision and his cut backs are great. sets up his runs well and has that explosion you like to see.
Give this kid a full year in the program and turn him and Mo and Williams loose
 


Good choices in the video, seems decisive but man high school tapes of all things decision making (unless it is terrible) and decisiveness can evaporate when the competition ramps up.
 


Very excited to see how Cam performs on the field over the next couple years. I do think he will red-shirt this year, but likely see some game time during the year to get his feat wet. However, the thing I'm most excited to see thus far is that he is getting out into the community at every opportunity, as he has been pictured in basically all community events that players have done. Great to see for a Freshman getting involved out of the gates!
 



L. Maroney was my favorite Gopher RB ever. I also liked MB II and III, and Thompson, but Maroney was really something. I had the pleasure of speaking with him at Grand Old Day in St. Paul in 2005, and at TCF when he was honored a couple of years ago.

I had a beer with (walked up and talked to them) LM and Bryan Cupito in the beer garden in the SW corner, and when I told LM that I was in Tulsa in 2005 when he had the two 80 yard plus TD runs and in Nashville the year before vs. Alabama. Cupito high fived me and told LM that he was the best e'ver, just like I just said! That was sort of fun. Cupito was a big fan of L. Maroney as well, and there was some tension with Mason those last couple of years.. (not sure why as the offense was not the problem).

Bryan also gave me some input on the 2006 Kent State game, when we killed them with the LB Davis? playing RB. He ran wild, as Amir Pinnix was out injured. The locker rooms at Kent State were in a small building outside the stadium, and the rabid Kent St. fans were all in the faces of the Gopher players as they exited to get out to the field for the kick off. I re-told this to Cupito, as I met his mother and S.,O. right outside that area (nice beer garden there as well), and Bryan later confirmed that these hayseeds and students getting in their faces in a very non - Big Ten way fired the team up and contributed to the the 44-0 result.

DT39!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ePSDQYUduZM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 


It was Alex Daniels, an experiment that did not work. He was replaced in the Cal game by Pinnix which was a good move. Daniels moved back to defense, I think ended up in Mason's dog house and like many had trouble getting out. I think that Wiley's defensive numbers looked a bit better than his offensive ones. Maybe he will end up on that side of the ball.

I thought the same team. He hits with real authority and ferocity, and he has a nose for the ball. Could be an awesome DB and then watch him run with interceptions.
 


Wiley picked up 10 scholarship offers all while sitting out his Junior Year (transfer rules) and having limited Sophomore tape. He had outstanding measurables at a Los Angeles Prospect Camp.

Will be fun to watch and see how he progresses.
 

It was Alex Daniels, an experiment that did not work. He was replaced in the Cal game by Pinnix which was a good move. Daniels moved back to defense, I think ended up in Mason's dog house and like many had trouble getting out. I think that Wiley's defensive numbers looked a bit better than his offensive ones. Maybe he will end up on that side of the ball.

Daniels transferred to Cincinnati where he played on the defensive line. He went to a few professional pre-season camps (Oakland, Dallas, New Orleans) and was tried on both sides of the ball (FB, TE, LB, DE). He ended up playing one season with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL.

Maroney is a pretty high bar for Wiley, but he may develop into a solid change-of-pace guy and that's always valuable.
 


9 year old Daniel Faalele Rugby video!
 


DT39!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ePSDQYUduZM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Wow - Incredible run!
 




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