Per Randy:
Johnson at center, Beers at guard
Greg Johnson started all 13 games at center last season after spending his freshman season mainly at guard. On Tuesday, the junior was back at left guard, while redshirt junior Ashton Beers took first-team center snaps.
“Greg is just a phenomenal guard,” Fleck said. “We put him at center last year because we needed a center, and he’s really athletic. It helped him learn the entire offense, especially up front. … His natural movement skills, his pad level, his get-off is made for guard.”
Beers, whose nine starts last year all were at guard, is growing into his new role at center, Fleck said.
“[He’s] maybe the most improved lineman we’ve had this spring, especially in his pad level, etc.,”
Fleck said. “I mean, first two practices, you get knocked back by [defensive tackle] Deven Eastern, which most people do. We’re talking 4 or 5 yards in the backfield. And now it’s a battle every single play, where it’s a stalemate or somebody’s winning the line 1 yard on the other side or 1 yard on this side.”
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck says redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey “is playing at a really high level.”
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Go Gophers!!