2021 Offensive Line

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Gophergrandpa

Gophergrandpa

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Took a cut at what our 2021 Offensive Line roster looks like. Assumes Dunlap and Faalele return. This looks to be a very strong position group for 2021 with lots of depth and potential coming up. I think Shaw, transfer from Utah State, could be a starter in 2022 and 2023 on the inside.
 

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Haven't followed what happened with Dunlap and Faalele closely enough, what caused their sidelining this past year, and what makes people think they'll be back?
 

cncmin said:
Haven't followed what happened with Dunlap and Faalele closely enough, what caused their sidelining this past year, and what makes people think they'll be back?
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Dunlap injured (hamstring?); he has essentially said he is returning in 2021. Faalele opted out of the 2020 season for COVID reasons; apparently is taking classes. Could probably be drafted this spring (hasn't opted for draft yet), but much better for his draft chances to play and excel another year.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Dunlap injured (hamstring?); he has essentially said he is returning in 2021. Faalele opted out of the 2020 season for COVID reasons; apparently is taking classes. Could probably be drafted this spring (hasn't opted for draft yet), but much better for his draft chances to play and excel another year.
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Dunlap tore his Achilles, not a hammy injury.
 




Nice to have a good idea of not only what the 2021 line will look like but also the 2022 offensive line won't be as decimated with the Utah State transfer having three years of eligibility, Dunlap likely being back for what would be a senior year and Ersery looking like a potential player down the line. If you can develop one of the 2021 commits (James or the USC flip), the line isn't in shambles after likely losing five starting caliber guys.
 

Ersery looked the part filling in; if Lewis and/or Lawrence are similar that will help...
 

I'm perpetually worried about OL no matter how many folks are returning ... just perpetual.
 




bonin21 said:
You must not watch the Vikings because you'd have a heart attack before every year even starts
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Yeah the years of 'hey let's not address this' kinda killed me... then they tried and still sucked ...
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Yeah the years of 'hey let's not address this' kinda killed me... then they tried and still sucked ...
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Now they have too many holes to address. They're going nowhere with Cousins, and it's not even his fault but he isn't good enough to save them on his own. I can't believe the $ people pay to watch a mediocre team.
 

bonin21 said:
Now they have too many holes to address. They're going nowhere with Cousins, and it's not even his fault but he isn't good enough to save them on his own. I can't believe the $ people pay to watch a mediocre team.
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Bad team and ... they just seem uninspired.

Like the Zimmer era to me is just an era that even when they're good the team just kinda shows up and has no emotion randomly goes all 'awe shucks' for enough games to ruin it all. Even the miracle... happened in the middle of what looked like a lot of "team looks like they don't want to be here" play...
 



A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Yeah the years of 'hey let's not address this' kinda killed me... then they tried and still sucked ...
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It was more of an issue of missing on those choices. In the last 4 drafts, they've spent 9 picks on OL (1st, 2nd (2), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th(2)). That's quite a bit of draft capital at a position. They also through big money at Reiff ($50million+, and Remmers $30million+).

The scary thing is that they've essentially ignored the DL for the last 4 years. We've spent 5 picks on the DL (4th(3) and 6th(2)). This is while letting Griffin, Weatherly, T. Johnson, and L. Joseph all go. It's not that I'm against letting those guys go, but you do need to have a plan for replacements.
 

Thanks.
Will you be doing, or have you already done, linebackers?
 




Burns talking about early enrollees (Spring 2021 semester) in article today: https://247sports.com/college/minne...nrollee-football-recruits-for-2021-159572090/

Had this to say about Shaw:

Utah State OL transfer Karter Shaw

10190540.jpg

(Photo: @ShawKarter)

After redshirting in 2018, Shaw started the past two seasons and has three years of eligibility remaining. The Minnesota connection here is from the Gophers offensive coordinator in Mike Sanford. Sanford was the offensive coordinator for Utah State in 2019 where Shaw started for him at right guard, so the Gophers are very familiar with what he can do.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Shaw has played in 23 games in his collegiate career, including starting the last 19 games for Utah State as an underclassmen at guard. Minnesota taking a transfer offensive lineman with three years of eligibility makes a lot of sense if you look at the 2022 season. They'll lose starting offensive linemen Sam Schlueter and Conner Olson to graduation, plus I don't think it's a guarantee that starters Blaise Andries, John Michael Schmitz and Axel Ruschmeyer come back for their sixth year in 2022. There's a real possibility that Minnesota loses all of their starting interior offensive lineman in 2022, and that's where this Shaw addition makes a ton of sense.

Here's what Shaw said about why he chose Minnesota.
"In the end I just felt like Minnesota was a better fit for me, and my future," Shaw explained to GopherIllustrated. "Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford and offensive line coach Brian Callahan have told me that I'll be working to compete for a spot this year, but there are a lot of returners this year. But if I'm one of the best five guys I will play and that's always the mentality I'm going to go into it with. But if I don't start this year, I will be able to rotate in, continue getting better and stronger so I will be able to start the following two years.

Both coaches also told me that long term, they see me more at center, but with the ability to play guard if that's where I'm needed. Callahan and Sanford said I have a lot of experience, so I can come in and help right away. My best attribute is my mind for the game, and especially having worked with coach Sanford previously he knows who I am as a player, and I fit his scheme very well. My family is really excited for the opportunity, especially being able to go to such a great place like Minnesota. They are already looking for flights to some of the games next year. My current plan is to get my major in communications, and minor in business management while at Minnesota. I'd say my biggest strengths as an offensive lineman are definitely my knowledge for the game, I am a smart player, But technique wise I have really good feet. I'll be moving into Minnesota tomorrow and starting classes on Tuesday, so I'm excited to be a Gopher!"


To me, this makes me think the plan is to have JMS be the starting center and to start Shaw out as the backup center. If he turns out to be as good as JMS at center, then rotate them. Olson and Andries are the starting guards, with Dunlap still on the mend (assuming it will take him some time to come back from an Achilles injury), and Schlueter and Faalele starting tackles. For spring ball, I assume that maybe Faalele won't be back in the states yet (but could easily be wrong) and/or not ready to go? Regardless, I would put Ersery as the starting RT, then.

Let's see what they do. Of course, spring ball rosters can and likely will be different than in the fall.
 

I think that OL has, during PJ’s tenure, gone from bring one of our thinnest position groups to one of our deepest, well stocked for 2021 with plenty of quality depth should the majority of starters graduate and or move to the NFL after the season. PJs working on giving the DL to the same self-replicating ability (depth).
 

Would also say that bringing Shaw in also does not seem promising for scholarship 2018 class players Boe and Beier to crack the rotation.

And then you have Ruschmeyer and Cooper on the interior, as well. The true freshmen in 2020 all seemed to be Tackle body types.
 

Had Faalale and Dunlap played this year, I believe Gophers would have been 5-2 with losses only to Iowa and Michigan. They play a very important part of our offensive success on a consistent basis.
 

Big Dan coming back next year! Sweet!

EDIT: Based on him not being on the NFL Draft underclassmen list
 



I believe the rumor floating around is that Big Dan was intending to play once he had a covid vaccine? Sounds like he really just wanted to avoid getting covid at all costs.
 


MplsGopher said:
(y)
https://www.nfl.com/news/2021-nfl-draft-underclassmen-tracker-who-intends-to-enter

My question is: why did either Bateman or BSJ (particularly the latter) need to be on any type of list? I thought you were allowed to declare for the draft as soon as you were three calendar years out of high school??
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It’s just a list of everybody who declared for the 2021 draft that had eligibility remaining and could have stayed in school.

Not including seniors this year who got an extra year of eligibility granted to them this year, they have a different deadline to declare. Bateman and St Juste could have stayed another year yet declared anyways which is why they are on the list of underclassmen early declarations.
 

die hard gopher said:
It’s just a list of everybody who declared for the 2021 draft that had eligibility remaining and could have stayed in school.

Not including seniors this year who got an extra year of eligibility granted to them this year, they have a different deadline to declare. Bateman and St Juste could have stayed another year yet declared anyways which is why they are on the list of underclassmen early declarations.
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Thanks.

I read the line "The NFL granted special eligibility to 99 underclassmen for the 2020 draft" to meaning something more than what it is.

And was thinking 2020 would've been St-Juste's last season of eligibility in normal circumstance, but that is incorrect. He could've had 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021 season normally.
 

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