Current OL Numbers

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Gophergrandpa

Gophergrandpa

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Back when PJ got here, he opined that he likes to have about 18 OL on the roster (including a couple of walk-ons). Just checked the current 2024 roster. We have 13 OL (plus 2 more coming in this fall: F Brett Carroll and Transfer Aluma Nkele; F Nathan Roy, an early enrollee, is already on the roster). This is opposed to 9 TEs currently on the roster--and one of the 13 listed OL on the roster, Spencer Alvarez, came to the Gophs as a TE recruit.

Here's how it played out: From the 2023 roster, Nathan Boe and Karter Shaw exhausted eligibility; Jackson Ruschmeyer appears to have moved on; and JJ Guedet, Tyler Lawrence, Cade McConnell, De'Eric Mister and Logan Purcell, all scholarship holders, entered the transfer portal. That's 8 OL guys out, 3 new guys in. I assume this has allowed PJ to stock up on RBs, WRs and TEs--hoping to rejuvenate the Gophers' offense.

The OL group we have (15 come fall practice) appears to be pretty high quality across the board; few "projects." Nonetheless, while I hadn't really thought of it as a position of need before, I wouldn't be surprised if PJ brought in another experienced transfer OL for depth and support (assuming he has a scholarship available).
 


In Fleck's offense, they use a 'blocking TE' almost as a 6th OL. So for all practical purposes, you could almost count a couple of the TE's as OL - because they perform a similar function.

the other issue - in the portal area, if players don't get playing time by a certain point, they're just going to leave anyway in search of a better situation, so some of that depth is probably never going to see the field. If the team has enough injuries so that they're playing the 3rd-string OT or OG, the season is probably toast, anyway.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Back when PJ got here, he opined that he likes to have about 18 OL on the roster (including a couple of walk-ons). Just checked the current 2024 roster. We have 13 OL (plus 2 more coming in this fall: F Brett Carroll and Transfer Aluma Nkele; F Nathan Roy, an early enrollee, is already on the roster). This is opposed to 9 TEs currently on the roster--and one of the 13 listed OL on the roster, Spencer Alvarez, came to the Gophs as a TE recruit.

Here's how it played out: From the 2023 roster, Nathan Boe and Karter Shaw exhausted eligibility; Jackson Ruschmeyer appears to have moved on; and JJ Guedet, Tyler Lawrence, Cade McConnell, De'Eric Mister and Logan Purcell, all scholarship holders, entered the transfer portal. That's 8 OL guys out, 3 new guys in. I assume this has allowed PJ to stock up on RBs, WRs and TEs--hoping to rejuvenate the Gophers' offense.

The OL group we have (15 come fall practice) appears to be pretty high quality across the board; few "projects." Nonetheless, while I hadn't really thought of it as a position of need before, I wouldn't be surprised if PJ brought in another experienced transfer OL for depth and support (assuming he has a scholarship available).
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Portal is closed and we are full up on scholarships so doesn't seem possible unless there's fuzzy math going on.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
nine TEs seems excessive
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TEs make every offense/player better. TEs are the power forwards of football. Look to Iowa turning out NFL HOF TEs to understand the importance of TEs have on success. Where would the Kansas City Chiefs be without Mama Kelce's baby boy? The Stu Voight era is over. They run/pass block catch passes TEs are the Swiss Army knife of football "with the blade".
 


When the rest of the freshman and transfers are added to the roster we will have close to 20 DL listed on the roster. Wouldn't shock me if there are some potential candidates in that group to flip over to offense at some point.
 

He might want 18 so he has guys developing, but as far as just playing a single season you really only need probably half that number ready to go.
 

Out State Gopher said:
TEs make every offense/player better. TEs are the power forwards of football. Look to Iowa turning out NFL HOF TEs to understand the importance of TEs have on success. Where would the Kansas City Chiefs be without Mama Kelce's baby boy? The Stu Voight era is over. They run/pass block catch passes TEs are the Swiss Army knife of football "with the blade".
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You think it helped the Iowa offense?

/s
 






mngolf said:
You think it helped the Iowa offense?

/s
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I imagine if we had an above average TE in 2019, would we be looking at a NY6 bowl game with a chance at a CFP bid? But yeah, the foundation of a top tier offense is QB and OL. Add two or three skill position stars and you'll win more often than not.
 

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