nitramnaed
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Per Phil Ervin and Saturday Tradition:
With Minnesota and the rest of the Big Ten about to commence fall camp, the frenzy of preseason prognostication will soon be upon us.
That means questions. The sport is facing a ton of them, from conference realignment to NIL to the transfer portal.
But entering Year 5 of the P.J. Fleck Experience, the Golden Gophers are, too, albeit on a more micro level. We examine 10 burning Goldy-specific questions heading into preseason workouts.
saturdaytradition.com
With Minnesota and the rest of the Big Ten about to commence fall camp, the frenzy of preseason prognostication will soon be upon us.
That means questions. The sport is facing a ton of them, from conference realignment to NIL to the transfer portal.
But entering Year 5 of the P.J. Fleck Experience, the Golden Gophers are, too, albeit on a more micro level. We examine 10 burning Goldy-specific questions heading into preseason workouts.
1. Is P.J. Fleck’s program as “developmental” as he says it is?
It’s Fleck’s fifth season in charge. Anyone on the roster was either recruited by Fleck’s staff or has stuck around long enough to basically be re-recruited by him. The roster has plenty of “super seniors” and is packed with game experience — just one new starter on each side of the ball. Fleck calls his program a developmental one; “We’re going to take kids from high school all the way till they graduate,” he said at Big Ten Media Days. How well have he and his staff developed talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball? We’re about to find out.2. What will Huntington Bank Stadium be like with fans again?
No, it’s not Columbus, Lincoln or even Madison. But a crisp, early-fall Saturday in downtown Minneapolis for college football is hard to beat. What used to be called TCF Bank Stadium is a clean, open venue, and there is actually ample tailgating (the Minnesota State Fair grounds is a well-kept secret in these parts). But this is a more progressive market that’s been very careful with COVID, and with the Delta variant continuing to cause concern, who knows how many folks will actually show up for live events? Huntington Bank Stadium will be at full capacity like most B1G venues. Here’s hoping the relatively small but loyal Gopher fan base is able to thoroughly enjoy it after last year.3. Can someone help Mo Ibrahim shoulder the load?
The reigning B1G running back of the year says he’s fine carrying the ball 70 times during a game if he has to. But he shouldn’t. Backups Cam Wiley and Treyson Potts both earned spot duty behind Ibrahim last season, and at least one of them needs to make a clear impression during fall camp. Ibrahim is an absolute stud, but he’s also a human being. Over a 12-game B1G season, he’ll need some relief in order for this offense to truly hum.4. Who will emerge as a pass catcher behind Chris Autman-Bell?
There’s a similar question at wideout — by far the biggest on an offense that has its entire offensive line back for a second straight season and a 3 1/2-year starting quarterback. Autman-Bell is WR1, but the departure of Rashod Bateman for the NFL leaves a sizeable void. Are COVID freshmen Daniel Jackson and Mike Brown-Stephens ready to step up? How’s Clay Geary going to be with another year of development? What newcomers will come out of the woodwork? Will Minnesota finally cash in on some of its tight end depth and throw those guys the ball a bit more?5. How will the defensive line graduate transfers figure into the mix?
Here come the boys from the south. Defensive linemen Nyles Pinckney (Clemson) and Val Martin (North Carolina State) bring instant depth to a position that desperately needed it coming into the season. Fleck doesn’t like to take a lot of transfers, but these were necessary moves. Can both crack the starting lineup? If not, where will the fit into the rotation? Minnesota’s ailing defense could definitely use a boost up front because …6. Can the linebacking corps take a giant leap forward?
Ballyhooed captain Mariano Sori-Marin and the rest of his linebacker mates got a lot of the blame last season on a defense that finished 10th in the league in total defense (but got better toward the end of a 3-4 campaign). A lot of it was deserved — poor fits, trying to do too much, arm tackles. Nothing too complicated, but quite detrimental. The group has a lot of games under its belt now, though. Is that a good thing? And who will slide in next to Sori-Marin this time around?7. Does Minnesota have a chance Sept. 2 in the opener against Ohio State?
It’s hard to remember a bigger season opener in terms of clout for the Gophers in recent memory. A college football playoff participant from 2020 coming into town on a summer Thursday night? Let’s do it. The Buckeyes will be breaking in a new quarterback. But they’re still loaded with elite talent at seemingly every position on the two-deep. We’re talking probably two echelons ahead of Minnesota. What’s Fleck think? “It couldn’t get much better than that. Right? Have to be grateful for that.”8. How much better can Tanner Morgan be?
Call us crazy, but with a relative lack of quarterback depth across the conference, a couple leaps and bounds from the Gophers’ unquestioned leader could solidify him as the best quarterback in the B1G. Outlandish? Two years ago, he was the league’s top passer and second in passer rating behind a guy named Justin Fields. In 2020, Morgan regressed. But with another spring and a more normal offseason to prepare, how good can the cerebral kid from Kentucky be? He’ll be playing for more than just wins after losing his father to brain cancer this offseason.9. What’s Joe Rossi’s plan for improving a maligned defense?
This speaks to the bigger picture, and we’ll get a good glimpse of it during fall camp. Having coached at Maine and Division III Thiel College in Pennsylvania before holding various roles at Minnesota, Rossi is a case study in molding schemes around the talent he’s inherited and/or helped recruit. The strength of Minnesota’s defense is likely in the secondary, and perhaps up front. How can he put the linebackers — of whom he’s also in charge — in positions where they don’t get left out to dry while also generating a quality pass rush? The Gophers ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten in sacks last season.10. Who’s gonna kick the dang ball?
The “foot” part of Minnesota football has been an issue for multiple years now. It cost the Gophers multiple games in 2020. Punting has left a lot to be desired, to boot. The proposed solutions aren’t completely apparent at present but should be within the next few weeks. At place kicker, a (hopefully) healthy Brock Walker will compete with transfers Will Mobley (Temple) and Matthew Trickett (Kent State). Dragan Kesich has a strong leg and could figure into the mix, particularly on kickoffs. Incumbent punter Mark Crawford will battle Louisiana-Monroe transfer Daniel Sparks.
10 biggest questions I have as Minnesota enters preseason camp
With Minnesota and the rest of the Big Ten about to commence fall camp, we examine 10 burning Goldy-specific questions heading into preseason workouts.
saturdaytradition.com
