BleedGopher
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Per Brad:
10. Darius Taylor, Minnesota Golden Gophers
A P.J. Fleck-coached offense is always going to have a centerpiece running back, and after Minnesota Golden Gophers' all-time legend Mohamed Ibrahim exhausting his eligibility, the only question was, "Who will it be?"
The answer, surprisingly, has been true freshman Darius Taylor.
The former 4-star prospect from Walled Lake, Michigan, was a big get for the Golden Gophers in the 2023 class, and it hasn't taken long for him to establish himself as a future star for the Big Ten West program.
So far, throughout three games, Taylor has run 56 times for 336 yards and a couple of scores. That's a very solid 6-yard average, and when you throw in the fact the 2-1 Gophers already have played North Carolina and Nebraska, that's no small feat.
Really, Taylor only played two of those games. He ran just once in the season opener for 3 yards against the Cornhuskers. But Fleck inserted him against Eastern Michigan, and he ran 33 times for 193 yards. In a loss to the Tar Heels, Taylor was a force again, finishing with 138 yards.
Plenty of runners were higher-rated than Taylor, but he is the perfect example of talent meets opportunity. It appears the Gophers have identified a playmaker for many years to come, and he's making his mark as a top runner early in '23.
Go Gophers!!
10. Darius Taylor, Minnesota Golden Gophers
A P.J. Fleck-coached offense is always going to have a centerpiece running back, and after Minnesota Golden Gophers' all-time legend Mohamed Ibrahim exhausting his eligibility, the only question was, "Who will it be?"
The answer, surprisingly, has been true freshman Darius Taylor.
The former 4-star prospect from Walled Lake, Michigan, was a big get for the Golden Gophers in the 2023 class, and it hasn't taken long for him to establish himself as a future star for the Big Ten West program.
So far, throughout three games, Taylor has run 56 times for 336 yards and a couple of scores. That's a very solid 6-yard average, and when you throw in the fact the 2-1 Gophers already have played North Carolina and Nebraska, that's no small feat.
Really, Taylor only played two of those games. He ran just once in the season opener for 3 yards against the Cornhuskers. But Fleck inserted him against Eastern Michigan, and he ran 33 times for 193 yards. In a loss to the Tar Heels, Taylor was a force again, finishing with 138 yards.
Plenty of runners were higher-rated than Taylor, but he is the perfect example of talent meets opportunity. It appears the Gophers have identified a playmaker for many years to come, and he's making his mark as a top runner early in '23.
Go Gophers!!