Presser Points: P.J. Fleck and the Gophers begin Fall Camp

DanielHouse

Active member
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
594
Reaction score
248
Points
43
The Gophers kicked off their fall camp by hosting media day in the Twin Cities. Head coach P.J. Fleck and several players took questions and previewed the upcoming season. Minnesota will begin the 2019 campaign on Aug. 29 against South Dakota State at TCF Bank Stadium.

For a full set of videos, here is a link to GH's video thread: http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/showthread.php?89126-Video-Thread-from-Media-Day-Availability-(July-30th-2019)

Here are some quick notes from the press conferences:

P.J. Fleck

- To begin camp, the quarterbacks will split reps at a 50/50 clip. Fleck said nobody has really witnessed everything Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad can do. Last year, they were learning through experience, so now they can work on tweaking the system to maximize their potential. He mentioned the growth he has noticed from Jacob Clark and Cole Kramer, but they still are learning.

- Running back Rodney Smith is medically cleared, but Shannon Brooks is still recovering from the knee injury he sustained in mid-October. It sounds like Brooks' injury was a little different than Smith's. "[Brooks] will be very shortly at some point, but he was behind Rodney because the injury he had was a little bit different than Rodney's," Fleck said. "But he will be ready at some point."

- Fleck said Tyler Johnson's leadership has taken over the WR room, Chris Autman-Bell has developed, Demetrius Douglas is the swiss-army knife and Rashod Bateman has physically added weight this offseason.

- Fleck wrapped up a meeting with Antoine Winfield Jr. before his presser. He said he has challenged Winfield to be the leader of his position group. Fleck wants him to be the guy who takes over the secondary. Fleck mentioned Thomas Barber and Carter Coughlin's impact in their position groups, but he wants someone to step up in the defensive back room.

- Out of all the position groups, Fleck said cornerback is one of the competitions he is most anxious to watch. He also indicated the door is wide-open for someone to emerge in the starting safety role next to Antoine Winfield Jr. Fleck said Chris Williamson has put together a great offseason, but the starting nickel cornerback role is up-for-grabs, too.

- Fleck is noticing this squad becoming a player-led team and hard working players are setting the tone. He also likes the current set of coaches, players, recruiting staff and administration at Minnesota. He said it takes some time to get it exactly where you want it. He added, "I love coaching this group of guys."

- P.J. Fleck said the Gophers use analytics, but it's important to combine instincts with numbers. He mentioned how a coach needs to understand and trust what his players do best.

Thomas Barber:

- Thomas Barber highlighted the detail-oriented mind of Joe Rossi. He said that's what makes him special as a defensive coordinator. Barber also said he worked with strength coach Dan Nichol to lose some weight this offseason. It was something he identified would be important if he wants to take his game to the next level.

Mohamed Ibrahim:

- Ibrahim said there was no question he was going to give his mother the Quick Lane Bowl MVP trophy and his game jersey from his 224-yard performance in Minnesota's 34-10 victory over Georgia Tech.

Carter Coughlin:

- Carter Coughlin said he's been focusing on adding diversity to his rushing arsenal. He's worked on a bull-rush and inside moves to complement his best rushing move -- the speed rush. He also took away key coaching points from Denver Broncos edge rusher Von Miller at his pass-rushing summit. This offseason, Coughlin joined other college pass rushers and visited Miller's camp in California.

Rodney Smith:

- Rodney Smith said he learned how to read the demeanor of a team while being in a "player coaching" role last season. He saw how coaches teach and approach the game from working alongside running backs coach Kenni Burns. Smith also believes the running back room has the tightest set of relationships on the team.

- Smith is excited to return, but said he won't feel like he's back and comfortable until he takes his first hit. Last season, he was "grandpa," so this season he has nicknamed himself, "great-grandpa."

Rashod Bateman:

- Rashod Bateman said he has added weight this offseason. He arrived at Minnesota weighing 173 pounds, but noted he would be 201 pounds if he stepped on the scale right now. He said gaining weight and speed this offseason was a big focus. Bateman has cut fried foods out of his diet and is eating healthier. He never really ate salads, but he is doing it now.

- Bateman said the entire wide receiver room has benefited from the leadership of Tyler Johnson. His mentality has rubbed off on the entire group.

Tyler Johnson:

- Tyler Johnson said he received calls this offseason from the receivers about how to approach specific route running details. He said when they need advice, the wide receivers are coming to him.

- Johnson noted the importance of having a mentality that emphasizes starting fast, accelerating in the middle and finishing strong.
 

Great summary, many thanks Dan!
 

Thanks for the post!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


I'm looking forward to seeing a faster Bateman.
 


Fast start, accelerate in the middle, and finish strong.

What if you start at your fastest? How do you accelerate?
 

Fast start, accelerate in the middle, and finish strong.

What if you start at your fastest? How do you accelerate?

Assuming we’re talking WR route running, you would indeed want to accelerate past the DB in the middle of the route, so guess they teach not to get to abs max speed too early.
 

Assuming we’re talking WR route running, you would indeed want to accelerate past the DB in the middle of the route, so guess they teach not to get to abs max speed too early.

Depends on the type of coverage (press vs soft mom, straight zone, 2 deep with man under etc) and the type of route being run.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 








Top Bottom