House Report: Practice Notes, Fleck and Warinner Address The Media
Practice Notes- 4/11/17
By: Daniel House
– The quarterbacks were tested with more 11-on-11 today and there were some consistency issues. Demry Croft had a few accuracy problems when throwing across the middle and Conor Rhoda was intercepted in an individual session. Both of them had trouble delivering their passes square to the receivers’ frame. The two quarterbacks had some quality throws, but were inconsistent.
– I thought Conor Rhoda made better decisions during the increased team settings today. As I said last practice, the quarterbacks must be evaluated more in 11-on-11 situations. Today, they showed some growing pains, but that’s expected with limited team reps.
– In addition, Tanner Morgan is throwing the ball well. He had a great touch throw in the seam to Ko Kieft. He has inconsistent moments too, but this should be expected early in the process.
– The cornerbacks pressed more at the line of scrimmage and it led to them being a little grabby. They need to do a better job of swiveling their hips and mirroring the receiver. The receivers did a great job of getting separation and exploding out of the break.
– I was specifically impressed with Tyler Johnson’s ability to gain separation and explode at the top of his route.
– Matt Morse has been seeing more reps with the top team units on offense. He has become a very crafty route runner with fantastic hands. He makes all of the grabs and settles into comebacks routes well. Morse is a name to keep an eye on during the Spring game.
– Melvin Holland Jr. also ran a beautiful corner route where he got the cornerback to bite inside as he broke to the corner.
– The Gophers were able to practice with five offensive lineman today, which led to more team reps. They are starting to get familiar with the calls up front and the overall scheme. This is important because continuity is critical as the coaches implement the zone blocking system.
– The five players offensive linemen have on the field are doing a great job of communicating and responding to Ed Warinner’s level of coaching. I love the way the lineman dig their foot into the ground with a strong inside arm, as they use short, choppy steps to settle into their base. They are very fundamentally sound and well-coached. This will help the team try to overcome their depth issues up front.
– Antoine Winfield Jr. continues to make plays on the ball and is creating pass breakups. He had another great one in the team period today. Kiondre Thomas is doing a fantastic job of mirroring the wide receiver as he swivels his hips and embraces contact. He is young and has more polished technique than many experienced defensive backs.
– I like what I see from Winston DeLattiboudere as he continues to develop his pass rushing skills. He is light on his feet and gets inside leverage on the opponent. DeLattiboudere also uses his hands well and attacks the frame of the offensive lineman.
– I like how Bryce Paup is teaching the defensive linemen to use their hands as an advantage. They have legitimate pass rushing moves and gain inside pressure from their footwork. The level of coaching up front on both sides of the ball is impressive. Now, the goal will be to continue recruiting those positions to build up depth.
Fleck Notes:
– Fleck said he likes having people (like students) at practice to simulate the noise and emotion of games. He said the players need to be ready for those situations.
– Shannon Brooks missed practice and was a “knicked a little bit,” according to Fleck. He said he should be back Thursday or for the Spring game.
– Quarterback Neil McLaurin wasn’t at practice and Coach Fleck said they are looking for another destination for him to play.
– Coach Fleck said he liked OL coach Ed Warinner’s experience and called him one of the best offensive line coach’s in the country. He said he could coach for any NFL team. Fleck noted he is doing a great job with the limited depth they have up front. The development of those young guys on the offensive line is coming along, he said.
– Fleck said it was nice to practice with 5 offensive lineman and that they will have 12 total offensive lineman when the position is healthy. He said he wants to have 18 linemen in the future when he recruits the position.
Ed Warinner Notes:
– Warriner said he knew Coach Fleck through some third parties and that he liked his vision and what he wanted to do with the program. That’s why he came here and joined the program.
– He thinks the program is a gold mine because they have resources, support, and a vision.
– Warinner said they have some good offensive lineman here, but due to injuries, they are low on scholarship numbers. He noted the coaches’ challenge is to develop the offensive lineman and get them ready.
– He said when starters from next year come back, they’ll have some great depth.
– He said tackle, guard, or center could be options for JUCO transfer Ben Davis. He noted he is a hard playing, tough, and physical guy. Davis went to a junior college not because he didn’t qualify (academically), but because he wanted to get a bigger offer.
– Warinner said he wouldn’t rule out Blaise Andries playing as a freshman. He said he hasn’t had many freshmen start immediately in the past, but he’s had a couple do it. He said they didn’t bring Andries in to redshirt and that he will contribute.