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PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle on WCCO Radio on Sunday, June 3.
Sid: are you Happy with the way the 2019 recruiting is going?
PJ: we are happy so far. trying to fill a lot of needs. we're in camp season right now, so coaches are travelling around country going to different camps, and running our own camps. June is a big recruiting month. got some Official Visits scheduled next month.
Sid: Vic V leaving - what's up with that?
PJ: I think it's a compliment in terms of Morgan and Annexstad. everybody got same amount of reps in spring camp, had an equal opportunity to win the starting job. I have not named a starter. but young people see they're at the bottom of the depth chart, want to go somewhere else where they have a chance to play. going into spring had 3 QBs, and they have not thrown a pass in a D1 game. we held an open spring battle. people got to see where they fit. if you don't see yourself as one of the top 2, then some people would rather go play somewhere else. we'll have 2 QB's on roster. Keep Seth at TE - he can be emergency QB. next year will add 2 more QB on scholarship. we're rebuilding the position. really excited about Tanner and Zach. Fans saw the spring game. we have two really good QBs. both very young. will be fun to watch them develop.
Sid: 9 Scholarship seniors on team.
PJ: that is very real. it's a race to maturity. we are young and inexperienced. that is not an excuse - just the way it is. most teams with success have upperclassmen leading the way. we have 15-16 total scholarship JR's. 24 total scholarship upperclassmen. we will need young players to play a lot. need to grow up faster. I like playing young players with a new culture, new program. guys are able to develop within the culture. then, they can help young guys as they come in with future classes.
Sid: what can players do now?
PJ: work out - strength and conditioning - summer program Monday thru Friday. players can run their own practices - coaches can't be a part. most players are in summer school, doing internships. proud of our academic progress, highest GPA in history of program. majority of players are all-in in terms of how we do things. making strides forward. I like the development of our team. when we get to training camp, we'll see what we have.
Sid: how do local fortune 500 companies play part in recruiting?
PJ: all of our businesses, our companies can really help with development of student-athletes. can get your pick of jobs right here in your own back yard. here, you can have all of that. one-stop shop for academics, football, future. never know how good you have it until you go different places. we need to show them how to use all the resources available to them.
Sid: what about 2 OL from IMG academy?
PJ: we're going to have to make some decisions going forward. both are special players. we saw that in the spring. I have to make decisions - to play them or red-shirt them. If I play them, will they be one of the best 5? or give them opportunity to come back next year as Red-shirt FR. with lack of depth we still have there at OL, I might be forced to play them. whatever I do, they'll be able to handle it. Also, tomorrow is reporting day for 19 true FR to join those who started early.
Sid: June class - are they all in summer school?
PJ: getting their feet wet, introduced to college life. it's a drastic change going from HS to college, and a drastic change getting into our culture, expectations, demands. learning how to do everything at an elite level. it's a fun time to be a gopher. have to get them adapted.
Max: In recruiting, is it different with being able to sell facilities?
PJ: they have made a difference. show them MN, they have an "aha" moment. cannot believe this is the U of MN. when I got job, one of the hardest part of job was changing other people's perceptions if you haven't been here. show them how it's changing. Athletes Village. one of top 15 facilities in America. doesn't mean you'll get 5* recruit - but help you get a better level of recruit. we have that. there are still other challenges in recruiting, but facilities, we don't hear that anymore. proud to be Gopher Coach. our players appreciate everyone's involvement in making that happen.
Sid: JUCO's will help this year. Are you recruiting more?
PJ: I want to do this with HS players. In 2019 will probably take 4-5 JUCOs. going forward, might not do it as much. lot of guys we bring in are 3 for 2 or 3 for 3, so they can have a RS year. that can go a long way in development. JUCO's are older, more mature, but it still takes time to adapt to a new culture. we have to evaluate all of that. but we will plug some holes with JUCO recruiting for 2019.
Max: transfers. we're seeing schools build programs with transfers in Basketball. do you get inquiries?
PJ: we get a lot more than I did in last 4-5 years. it's an opportunity for young people to take advantage of what's best for them. a young man transfers, that opens up a spot. players feel "I can be a starter somewhere else." the days of just being on one team, those are hard to find. grad transfers - won't see us take a lot. we've got to build our foundation 1st. then you can add a grad transfer once you've built the culture. get to the point where the players lead and take over - we're not at that point yet. players haven't mastered the program. probably won't see us do that (take grad transfers) for a year or two. but we get inquiries almost every day.
Mona: # of scholarships in 2019 class?
PJ: this will be a full class. bring in 24-25. kind of starting over - that's what we're doing. when 2020 comes in, a few of those players might play right away, but I'd like to be able to red-shirt a lot of those 20's. there's a philosophy we want to follow when you're going from year 1, year 2, year 3 and so forth.
Sid: didn't raise ticket prices. Murray's certificate.
PJ: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.
Sid: are you Happy with the way the 2019 recruiting is going?
PJ: we are happy so far. trying to fill a lot of needs. we're in camp season right now, so coaches are travelling around country going to different camps, and running our own camps. June is a big recruiting month. got some Official Visits scheduled next month.
Sid: Vic V leaving - what's up with that?
PJ: I think it's a compliment in terms of Morgan and Annexstad. everybody got same amount of reps in spring camp, had an equal opportunity to win the starting job. I have not named a starter. but young people see they're at the bottom of the depth chart, want to go somewhere else where they have a chance to play. going into spring had 3 QBs, and they have not thrown a pass in a D1 game. we held an open spring battle. people got to see where they fit. if you don't see yourself as one of the top 2, then some people would rather go play somewhere else. we'll have 2 QB's on roster. Keep Seth at TE - he can be emergency QB. next year will add 2 more QB on scholarship. we're rebuilding the position. really excited about Tanner and Zach. Fans saw the spring game. we have two really good QBs. both very young. will be fun to watch them develop.
Sid: 9 Scholarship seniors on team.
PJ: that is very real. it's a race to maturity. we are young and inexperienced. that is not an excuse - just the way it is. most teams with success have upperclassmen leading the way. we have 15-16 total scholarship JR's. 24 total scholarship upperclassmen. we will need young players to play a lot. need to grow up faster. I like playing young players with a new culture, new program. guys are able to develop within the culture. then, they can help young guys as they come in with future classes.
Sid: what can players do now?
PJ: work out - strength and conditioning - summer program Monday thru Friday. players can run their own practices - coaches can't be a part. most players are in summer school, doing internships. proud of our academic progress, highest GPA in history of program. majority of players are all-in in terms of how we do things. making strides forward. I like the development of our team. when we get to training camp, we'll see what we have.
Sid: how do local fortune 500 companies play part in recruiting?
PJ: all of our businesses, our companies can really help with development of student-athletes. can get your pick of jobs right here in your own back yard. here, you can have all of that. one-stop shop for academics, football, future. never know how good you have it until you go different places. we need to show them how to use all the resources available to them.
Sid: what about 2 OL from IMG academy?
PJ: we're going to have to make some decisions going forward. both are special players. we saw that in the spring. I have to make decisions - to play them or red-shirt them. If I play them, will they be one of the best 5? or give them opportunity to come back next year as Red-shirt FR. with lack of depth we still have there at OL, I might be forced to play them. whatever I do, they'll be able to handle it. Also, tomorrow is reporting day for 19 true FR to join those who started early.
Sid: June class - are they all in summer school?
PJ: getting their feet wet, introduced to college life. it's a drastic change going from HS to college, and a drastic change getting into our culture, expectations, demands. learning how to do everything at an elite level. it's a fun time to be a gopher. have to get them adapted.
Max: In recruiting, is it different with being able to sell facilities?
PJ: they have made a difference. show them MN, they have an "aha" moment. cannot believe this is the U of MN. when I got job, one of the hardest part of job was changing other people's perceptions if you haven't been here. show them how it's changing. Athletes Village. one of top 15 facilities in America. doesn't mean you'll get 5* recruit - but help you get a better level of recruit. we have that. there are still other challenges in recruiting, but facilities, we don't hear that anymore. proud to be Gopher Coach. our players appreciate everyone's involvement in making that happen.
Sid: JUCO's will help this year. Are you recruiting more?
PJ: I want to do this with HS players. In 2019 will probably take 4-5 JUCOs. going forward, might not do it as much. lot of guys we bring in are 3 for 2 or 3 for 3, so they can have a RS year. that can go a long way in development. JUCO's are older, more mature, but it still takes time to adapt to a new culture. we have to evaluate all of that. but we will plug some holes with JUCO recruiting for 2019.
Max: transfers. we're seeing schools build programs with transfers in Basketball. do you get inquiries?
PJ: we get a lot more than I did in last 4-5 years. it's an opportunity for young people to take advantage of what's best for them. a young man transfers, that opens up a spot. players feel "I can be a starter somewhere else." the days of just being on one team, those are hard to find. grad transfers - won't see us take a lot. we've got to build our foundation 1st. then you can add a grad transfer once you've built the culture. get to the point where the players lead and take over - we're not at that point yet. players haven't mastered the program. probably won't see us do that (take grad transfers) for a year or two. but we get inquiries almost every day.
Mona: # of scholarships in 2019 class?
PJ: this will be a full class. bring in 24-25. kind of starting over - that's what we're doing. when 2020 comes in, a few of those players might play right away, but I'd like to be able to red-shirt a lot of those 20's. there's a philosophy we want to follow when you're going from year 1, year 2, year 3 and so forth.
Sid: didn't raise ticket prices. Murray's certificate.
PJ: RTB, Ski-U-Mah.