BleedGopher
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per Greder:
Trench turnover
Defensive tackle is the position group with the highest amount of transition on the Gophers’ roster, with Gary Moore graduating, O.J. Smith turning pro and Royal Silver retiring.
Jamaal Teague stepped in to play seven games a year ago as a true freshman and saw his role increase as Smith dealt with concussions. He will be joined by three newcomers expected to contribute — Micah Dew-Treadway, a transfer from Notre Dame; Rashad Cheney, a four-star high school recruit from Atlanta; and Keonte Schad, a coveted transfer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa.
Dew-Treadway, Cheney and Schad are part of 14 early enrollees to join Minnesota in the spring semester, up from a combined seven in 2017 and 2018. This gives those players a head start in getting stronger and learning new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s schemes before fall camp in August.
Who is QB1?
The Gophers entered 2018 with zero experience at quarterback. Last fall, both Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad played in at least eight games.
Annexstad won the starting job out of fall camp and went 3-4 as a starter. He played through an ankle injury and was knocked out of the 53-28 loss to Nebraska late in the first half with an internal midsection injury, and Morgan took over in the second half.
Morgan went 4-2 as the starter, including the 37-15 rout of the Badgers, a program’s first since 2003, and the 34-10 victory over Georgia Tech in the bowl.
“They’re probably going to be the ones at the beginning that get the most reps, but it’s a competition,” Fleck said. “I said that from Day 1 to both of them.”
Morgan led Annexstad in completion percentage (58.6 to 51.9) and QB rating (147.6 to 117.6). They had nearly identical touchdown-to-interception ratios (9 to 6 and 9 to 7).
Four-star quarterback Jacob Clark of Rockwall, Texas, also could insert himself into the mix, along with Cole Kramer, a three-star recruit from Eden Prairie. This is the first time at Minnesota that Fleck has QB depth.
Linebacker
For the second straight season, the Gophers need to replace their weak-side linebacker. In 2018, it was Jon Celestin, an emotional leader and the team’s second-leading tackler. In 2019, it’s Blake Cashman, who had a team-leading 104 total tackles and 15 tackles for lost yards last fall.
A potential candidate is expected to be Thomas Rush, who had five tackles in 12 games as a true freshman. Like Cashman, Rush was primarily used as a special-teams player in his first year.
Fleck moved Carter Coughlin from linebacker to defensive end in 2017. He has been impressive there, with a team-best 9 1/2 sacks last season, but it’s possible the undersized lineman could be moved around as Rossi institutes his defensive wrinkles.
Safety next to Winfield
The Gophers welcome back standout Antoine Winfield Jr. for 2019. After he injured his foot and missed the final eight-plus games last year, Minnesota counted on fellow safety Jacob Huff, a senior, to lead the secondary.
With Huff graduated, the Gophers must fill his spot. Jordan Howden stepped in for Winfield, struggling at the start but he recorded 45 tackles in 13 games, including five starts. Another candidate is Benny Sapp III, who played primarily on special teams in all 13 games as a freshman. He was coming off a series of knee injuries at Eden Prairie and St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Minnesota added only one scholarship player during the traditional signing day in February, safety Gervarrious Owens. He redshirted at Kansas State in 2017 before playing for junior college ball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M last season. The Gophers will have to wait until summer before he joins the safety group.
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/s...ns-watch-gophers-hit-spring-football-practice
Go Gophers!!
Trench turnover
Defensive tackle is the position group with the highest amount of transition on the Gophers’ roster, with Gary Moore graduating, O.J. Smith turning pro and Royal Silver retiring.
Jamaal Teague stepped in to play seven games a year ago as a true freshman and saw his role increase as Smith dealt with concussions. He will be joined by three newcomers expected to contribute — Micah Dew-Treadway, a transfer from Notre Dame; Rashad Cheney, a four-star high school recruit from Atlanta; and Keonte Schad, a coveted transfer from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa.
Dew-Treadway, Cheney and Schad are part of 14 early enrollees to join Minnesota in the spring semester, up from a combined seven in 2017 and 2018. This gives those players a head start in getting stronger and learning new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s schemes before fall camp in August.
Who is QB1?
The Gophers entered 2018 with zero experience at quarterback. Last fall, both Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad played in at least eight games.
Annexstad won the starting job out of fall camp and went 3-4 as a starter. He played through an ankle injury and was knocked out of the 53-28 loss to Nebraska late in the first half with an internal midsection injury, and Morgan took over in the second half.
Morgan went 4-2 as the starter, including the 37-15 rout of the Badgers, a program’s first since 2003, and the 34-10 victory over Georgia Tech in the bowl.
“They’re probably going to be the ones at the beginning that get the most reps, but it’s a competition,” Fleck said. “I said that from Day 1 to both of them.”
Morgan led Annexstad in completion percentage (58.6 to 51.9) and QB rating (147.6 to 117.6). They had nearly identical touchdown-to-interception ratios (9 to 6 and 9 to 7).
Four-star quarterback Jacob Clark of Rockwall, Texas, also could insert himself into the mix, along with Cole Kramer, a three-star recruit from Eden Prairie. This is the first time at Minnesota that Fleck has QB depth.
Linebacker
For the second straight season, the Gophers need to replace their weak-side linebacker. In 2018, it was Jon Celestin, an emotional leader and the team’s second-leading tackler. In 2019, it’s Blake Cashman, who had a team-leading 104 total tackles and 15 tackles for lost yards last fall.
A potential candidate is expected to be Thomas Rush, who had five tackles in 12 games as a true freshman. Like Cashman, Rush was primarily used as a special-teams player in his first year.
Fleck moved Carter Coughlin from linebacker to defensive end in 2017. He has been impressive there, with a team-best 9 1/2 sacks last season, but it’s possible the undersized lineman could be moved around as Rossi institutes his defensive wrinkles.
Safety next to Winfield
The Gophers welcome back standout Antoine Winfield Jr. for 2019. After he injured his foot and missed the final eight-plus games last year, Minnesota counted on fellow safety Jacob Huff, a senior, to lead the secondary.
With Huff graduated, the Gophers must fill his spot. Jordan Howden stepped in for Winfield, struggling at the start but he recorded 45 tackles in 13 games, including five starts. Another candidate is Benny Sapp III, who played primarily on special teams in all 13 games as a freshman. He was coming off a series of knee injuries at Eden Prairie and St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Minnesota added only one scholarship player during the traditional signing day in February, safety Gervarrious Owens. He redshirted at Kansas State in 2017 before playing for junior college ball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M last season. The Gophers will have to wait until summer before he joins the safety group.
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/s...ns-watch-gophers-hit-spring-football-practice
Go Gophers!!