(Confirmed) Looks like Dunlap Jr. will be back next year

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Coming off a major injury it is unlikely the NFL would have much interest in him so I would expect to see him back with the Gophers next year.

Will be interesting to see how the O-Line shakes out for next year but like our odds of fielding a really strong and experienced group with some solid depth as well.
 

Awesome! No doubt he wants to play in the NFL. Needs to start over somewhat and prove himself for next year. I doubt that he was able to work out much as he would like due to his health.
 

#2Gopher said:
Awesome! No doubt he wants to play in the NFL. Needs to start over somewhat and prove himself for next year. I doubt that he was able to work out much as he would like due to his health.
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He might need to do it over a couple of years, unless he is a first team B10 next season.

Lots of competent OL in college football.

Best thing for him and Big Dan, also, to do is to simply put the work in and let the results take care or himself and not worry about the 2022 NFL Draft at this point IMO.
 


Would you be nice if he and Dan could come back healthy enough to contribute. Would give us a nice group to choose from for starters and some solid depth.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Coming off a major injury it is unlikely the NFL would have much interest in him so I would expect to see him back with the Gophers next year.

Will be interesting to see how the O-Line shakes out for next year but like our odds of fielding a really strong and experienced group with some solid depth as well.
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Tough injury for Dunlap to come back from 100%, by the time things heat up in August (pardon the pun). Here's hoping for a full, quick recovery and that he's suited up Week 1. That would be huge for the depth on the OL.

Agree, this could be a really formidable group if a few things break the right way. Maybe I'm just too snake bitten but for some reason I have serious doubts about Dunlap and Big Dan lining up for the Gophers on Week 1. I hope I'm wrong!!
 


Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Tough injury for Dunlap to come back from 100%, by the time things heat up in August (pardon the pun). Here's hoping for a full, quick recovery and that he's suited up Week 1. That would be huge for the depth on the OL.

Agree, this could be a really formidable group if a few things break the right way. Maybe I'm just too snake bitten but for some reason I have serious doubts about Dunlap and Big Dan lining up for the Gophers on Week 1. I hope I'm wrong!!
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We've been Gopher fans for too long, I also always assume the worst.

If Big Dan and Dunlap return next year, this could be a REALLY special group.
 




Gopher_In_NYC said:
He might need to do it over a couple of years, unless he is a first team B10 next season.

Lots of competent OL in college football.

Best thing for him and Big Dan, also, to do is to simply put the work in and let the results take care or himself and not worry about the 2022 NFL Draft at this point IMO.
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The kids is a red-shirt sophomore and coming off major injury. I agree he isn't going pro a year from now. If healthy he will have a couple years. left. Thing is he would have been the 6th OL this year likely.

Schlueter, Andries, Schmitz, Olson, Faalele.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
We've been Gopher fans for too long, I also always assume the worst.

If Big Dan and Dunlap return next year, this could be a REALLY special group.
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Do we have reason to believe they won't be back? Some people seem to read injuries and opt outs as not wanting to be here anymore. I don't think that is the case.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Do we have reason to believe they won't be back? Some people seem to read injuries and opt outs as not wanting to be here anymore. I don't think that is the case.
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I've yet to see anything reliable as far as info on how any of those folks feel about coming back either way... it has all just been rando forum speculation.
 



MaxyJR1 said:
The kids is a red-shirt sophomore and coming off major injury. I agree he isn't going pro a year from now. If healthy he will have a couple years. left. Thing is he would have been the 6th OL this year likely.

Schlueter, Andries, Schmitz, Olson, Faalele.
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NIce points and Mo had an excellent year which shows the line's running blocking was good.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
Would you be nice if he and Dan could come back healthy enough to contribute. Would give us a nice group to choose from for starters and some solid depth.
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Yes indeed. Could end up with some very nice rotations to keep most fresh throughout the season.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Do we have reason to believe they won't be back? Some people seem to read injuries and opt outs as not wanting to be here anymore. I don't think that is the case.
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Agreed, but didn't Dunlap enter his name in the transfer portal last year before returning and then ending up injured? If he was healthy today, I'd be far more worried that he'd transfer than that he'd declare for the draft.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
Agreed, but didn't Dunlap enter his name in the transfer portal last year before returning and then ending up injured? If he was healthy today, I'd be far more worried that he'd transfer than that he'd declare for the draft.
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That had to do with a family situation. He made the decision to enter hastily and I don't think ever actually did. Tweeted he was going to.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Do we have reason to believe they won't be back? Some people seem to read injuries and opt outs as not wanting to be here anymore. I don't think that is the case.
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This. I am really confused as to why people believe they both want to leave. If they opted out of a normal season or didn't play for no reason...sure. But being injured doesn't mean you hate your team or coaches. It means you can't physically play.

My guess is either of them could have played at some point this year but looking at it as 2-3 team, with 2 weeks left, in a weird season...it wasn't worth the risk. Hoping for health next year as they can be really devastating blockers when they are healthy.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Yes indeed. Could end up with some very nice rotations to keep most fresh throughout the season.
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The big thing for me is the depth. An injury means a guy is replaced by someone with a bunch of experience.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Do we have reason to believe they won't be back? Some people seem to read injuries and opt outs as not wanting to be here anymore. I don't think that is the case.
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I have no reason to believe it. It's because I'm a Gopher fan and I expect the worst. I was more commenting on how my years of being a Gopher fan have left me paranoid more so than actually (logically) thinking Dunlap wouldn't return.
 

Taji34 said:
Gopher Football twitter just liked this tweet:
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He's kissing 2020 goodbye - hence the kiss from 2021.

OR

he thought it would be funny to troll a bunch of middle aged white men, who have nothing better to do then try and deceiver a teen ager's tweets.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
He's kissing 2020 goodbye - hence the kiss from 2021.

OR

he thought it would be funny to troll a bunch of middle aged white men, who have nothing better to do then try and deceiver a teen ager's tweets.
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I think it would actually be weirder for a 20 year old with a public twitter to base his tweets off of the known reaction from some middle aged men. It's like setting a thirst trap for old dudes. That's weirder to me than checking a football player's twitter.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Tough injury for Dunlap to come back from 100%, by the time things heat up in August (pardon the pun). Here's hoping for a full, quick recovery and that he's suited up Week 1. That would be huge for the depth on the OL.

Agree, this could be a really formidable group if a few things break the right way. Maybe I'm just too snake bitten but for some reason I have serious doubts about Dunlap and Big Dan lining up for the Gophers on Week 1. I hope I'm wrong!!
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Give them time to heal, and play them toward the back end of the season.

Did they red shirt Big Dan this year?
 


If Faalele and Dunlap are both back, and both are healthy, our offensive line will be very, very good.

And if Ibrahim return as well, it will be pretty tough to defense our run game.
 

coming off an achilles injury, the "big" question could be conditioning. dude was big to begin with. Hopefully he didn't put on too much weight due to inactivity. so, assuming he is returning, first he has to get in shape, and then get in 'football' shape.

given all that, it does seem likely that he will be coming off the bench or be a rotational player for next year.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
coming off an achilles injury, the "big" question could be conditioning. dude was big to begin with. Hopefully he didn't put on too much weight due to inactivity. so, assuming he is returning, first he has to get in shape, and then get in 'football' shape.

given all that, it does seem likely that he will be coming off the bench or be a rotational player for next year.
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I think everyone's conditioning will be a question comming into even springtime.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
coming off an achilles injury, the "big" question could be conditioning. dude was big to begin with. Hopefully he didn't put on too much weight due to inactivity. so, assuming he is returning, first he has to get in shape, and then get in 'football' shape.

given all that, it does seem likely that he will be coming off the bench or be a rotational player for next year.
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Also worried about Big Dan's conditioning. Didn't he go home for the football season? Who is watching his conditioning and weight? Can he afford to get any bigger?
 



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