Shama: James Johannesson, star of spring game, never played a minute this season

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

James Johannesson, the redshirt running back from Fargo who was one of the stars of the Gophers spring game, never played a minute this season. Minnesota’s top three running backs who played this fall all return in 2017. Johannesson ran for 6,158 yards and 81 touchdowns in high school.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

Would have liked to see him get at least as many cracks as McCrary.
 

I don't think the spring game isn't necessarily supposed to be time for your primary players to shine. You see all sorts of guys out there for all sorts of reasons. Playing against other guys of differing abilities, etc.

Maybe we could wonder about it if we had otherwise bad RBs but that's not the case.
 

Does Shama read Gopherhole and then make a story out of a topic discussed here? Does anyone care if the 4-5 RB didn't play this year? He might be happy as can be learning the game and going to school on a scholarship. Maybe he wants to coach some day. He will transfer or would have already, if he is concerned about playing time.
 

Hope he sticks around. Looks like a good athlete and we were fortunate to have our RBs stay healthy all year. Hope the large number of good backs we have allows JJ to get more creative implementing offense with a more true dual threat QB and positioning the RBs all over the field. Need playmakers on the field.
 


I would think we could give him a shot. Especially with the lead.
 

upnorthkid said:
Hope he sticks around. Looks like a good athlete and we were fortunate to have our RBs stay healthy all year. Hope the large number of good backs we have allows JJ to get more creative implementing offense with a more true dual threat QB and positioning the RBs all over the field. Need playmakers on the field.
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Please lets first find someone who can be on target, on time in the passing game. And be able to do it at consistent 60% completion basis. I don't care if it is pro set, dual threat, pistol, or shotgun. If you have a QB who struggles in the passing game, and you call him dual threat that does make him anything more than a single wing fullback
 

Isn't it odd that he didn't slot in on special teams? He is big and can run. You would think he would be good on kick-off coverage.
 

With players going pro after junior year, we'll need him. He'll get his shot.
 




MaxyJR1 said:
Does Shama read Gopherhole and then make a story out of a topic discussed here? Does anyone care if the 4-5 RB didn't play this year?
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Next up, side line swap controversy from "sources".
 

Some fans love to come up with elaborate theories about why certain backup players aren't playing - with allegations of coaching incompetence or nefarious plots to keep these obviously talented players on the bench.

I tend to see a simpler explanation - the guys playing are better than the guys on the bench.

If the Gopher coaches truly felt playing JJ would give them a better chance to win, he'd be playing.

I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes, football fans tend to over-estimate the ability of recruits. Gasp!
 




short ornery norwegian said:
Some fans love to come up with elaborate theories about why certain backup players aren't playing - with allegations of coaching incompetence or nefarious plots to keep these obviously talented players on the bench.

I tend to see a simpler explanation - the guys playing are better than the guys on the bench.

If the Gopher coaches truly felt playing JJ would give them a better chance to win, he'd be playing.

I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes, football fans tend to over-estimate the ability of recruits. Gasp!
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Bingo.
 


short ornery norwegian said:
Some fans love to come up with elaborate theories about why certain backup players aren't playing - with allegations of coaching incompetence or nefarious plots to keep these obviously talented players on the bench.

I tend to see a simpler explanation - the guys playing are better than the guys on the bench.

If the Gopher coaches truly felt playing JJ would give them a better chance to win, he'd be playing.

I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes, football fans tend to over-estimate the ability of recruits. Gasp!
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NO NO NO!

I'm telling you man. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice version 2 are just riding the bench!
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Some fans love to come up with elaborate theories about why certain backup players aren't playing - with allegations of coaching incompetence or nefarious plots to keep these obviously talented players on the bench.

I tend to see a simpler explanation - the guys playing are better than the guys on the bench.

If the Gopher coaches truly felt playing JJ would give them a better chance to win, he'd be playing.

I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes, football fans tend to over-estimate the ability of recruits. Gasp!
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Fans do this with backups as well, especially QB's. Not sure why football seems to get this more then other sports but the assumption always seems to be that the guy sitting on the bench might be better then the guy on the field. You rarely hear baseball fans calling for the #4 outfielder or utility guy to become a starter, or hockey fans constantly calling for the backup goalie. You also don't tend to hear fans calling for the #7 or #8 guy in the rotation in basketball to become a starter.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Fans do this with backups as well, especially QB's. Not sure why football seems to get this more then other sports but the assumption always seems to be that the guy sitting on the bench might be better then the guy on the field. You rarely hear baseball fans calling for the #4 outfielder or utility guy to become a starter, or hockey fans constantly calling for the backup goalie. You also don't tend to hear fans calling for the #7 or #8 guy in the rotation in basketball to become a starter.
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you must not be watching/following gopher hockey this year :D
 

I don't understand the point of this blurb in the article. How many guys in Spring Games past have looked good and haven't played that year? I can think of a handful off the top of my head.

I guess I trust that if Tracy Claeys and/or Jay Johnson thought James Johannesson would help them win they'd play him. The fact he didn't get put in during mop-up duty and Djam did and that he doesn't play special teams tells me that something is likely up off the field. Maybe he doesn't practice well, maybe he is behind in academics, maybe he's been hurt or ill, maybe he fumbled in practice, maybe he doesn't block. Or maybe he just is that far behind Brooks, Smith, McCrary and Djam.

There's a lot more to getting playing time than just looking good in one meaningless scrimmage which two of the four running backs who saw the field this year did not play.
 

Lakeville Goldy said:
I don't understand the point of this blurb in the article. How many guys in Spring Games past have looked good and haven't played that year? I can think of a handful off the top of my head.

I guess I trust that if Tracy Claeys and/or Jay Johnson thought James Johannesson would help them win they'd play him. The fact he didn't get put in during mop-up duty and Djam did and that he doesn't play special teams tells me that something is likely up off the field. Maybe he doesn't practice well, maybe he is behind in academics, maybe he's been hurt or ill, maybe he fumbled in practice, maybe he doesn't block. Or maybe he just is that far behind Brooks, Smith, McCrary and Djam.

There's a lot more to getting playing time than just looking good in one meaningless scrimmage which two of the four running backs who saw the field this year did not play.
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You could say "I don't understand the point of this blurb in the article." for a lot of shamasportsheadliners.com.... there is a lot of nothing to that site. More nothing than most nothing.


These are like sid's odd short blurbs, but a whole story made out of each one.
 

Maximus said:
Femi-Cole was on Shannon Brooks' spring game team and had a better game running the ball...when's Shama writing about him?
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Agree. I thought Femi-Cole looked better than JJ in the spring game. JJ ended up with more yards running behind the 1's on the line, but F-C looked like the better RB to me.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Some fans love to come up with elaborate theories about why certain backup players aren't playing - with allegations of coaching incompetence or nefarious plots to keep these obviously talented players on the bench.

I tend to see a simpler explanation - the guys playing are better than the guys on the bench.

If the Gopher coaches truly felt playing JJ would give them a better chance to win, he'd be playing.

I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes, football fans tend to over-estimate the ability of recruits. Gasp!
Click to expand...

So we ought to be recruiting the senior QB at Allen Tx that beat out Seth Green?

Brian Smith wasn't better than a rookie Rashad still in 2015? Not likely. Plenty of examples of better players coming off the bench.

This staff seems to like to send symbolic messages. The start they gave to McCrary over the other guys, the position chart nonsense, etc. Maybe Brooks couldn't find his helmet.

There are plenty of reasons guys don't see the field rather than a talent deficit. Johannesson has uber talent; can this staff develop it?
 

This article is more proof that the articles that are written about Gopher football are entirely for casual sports fans who do not know anything about the Gophers (not even a tiny bit).

The Gophers have pretty darn good running backs, including McCrary. McCrary had 1 real opportunity and played really well, in a real game. Two of the better players on our entire team are Brooks and Smith. I don't think anyone who even casually watched the Big 10 this year would come away thinking "geez, the Gophers could really use a spark at RB".

If Johannesson was a QB or WR who tore up the spring game, it would have been an interesting point.
 

Great Plains Gopher said:
With players going pro after junior year, we'll need him. He'll get his shot.
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I would be absolutely shocked if either Smith or Brooks left early. They're good college backs, but way too small to be NFL studs, and would be essentially throwing away college eligibility by leaving early. They'd be drafted 6th or 7th round, if at all. I could see either or both moving up into maybe 4th round territory if they stayed through their senior year. David Cobb was a far more productive college back than both, outweighs both by 20-25 lbs., and still was only drafted in the 5th round.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Off the main topic line but didn't the other QB there not do much better and Green got put back in later at some point?
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Nope. But you can believe it if it makes you feel better. The Jr. was put in for the playoff attack run. There is a reason Oregon backed off.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
So we ought to be recruiting the senior QB at Allen Tx that beat out Seth Green?

Brian Smith wasn't better than a rookie Rashad still in 2015? Not likely. Plenty of examples of better players coming off the bench.

This staff seems to like to send symbolic messages. The start they gave to McCrary over the other guys, the position chart nonsense, etc. Maybe Brooks couldn't find his helmet.

There are plenty of reasons guys don't see the field rather than a talent deficit. Johannesson has uber talent; can this staff develop it?
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How is your Jonke (the 3 star QB who split time with Green in HS) at all on point with this situation? You often recruit guys on upside, Green was a good HS QB, who is significantly bigger, faster, stronger and has a better arm than Jonke. Jonke had been in the system since he was a kid, Green had been there a very months. They are both pretty talented kids (Jonke isn't just a guy who plays QB). It seems completely rationale that a kid like Jonke gave Allen HS a better chance (or as good of a chance) to win as Green, but Green was a far superior recruit.

Whatever reason the staff gave for starting McCrary, I hope they keep doing it. He went for over 10 ypc, 170 yards and 2 TDs. My guess, from watching the game (and the spring game), McCrary was the best RB besides Smith and Brooks.

How do you know Johannesson has uber talent? He looked good in North Dakota football and looked good in the Spring Game. Our staff has seemed to a pretty good job with running backs and our current running backs are pretty good (developing nicely). If Johannesson doesn't develop, wouldn't that be more on him? The evidence suggests our staff can develop RBs.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Nope. But you can believe it if it makes you feel better. The Jr. was put in for the playoff attack run. There is a reason Oregon backed off.
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Naw I'll belive you.

The Oregon part I don't want to belive.

I'm still sticking to my Stole one from Oregon / Closed the borders on a local kid / Stole a highly touted player out of Texas illogical trifecta though.
 


I guess that's why Wisconsin split time for Russell Wilson when he came in as a transfer. The other guy had time in the system. No rational coach plays the less talented player, or are we now arguing with ourselves? Look, 2 plus 2 equals 4 not 3.

Allen's system looked pretty QB friendly.
 

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