Curtis Dunlap Jr has entered the transfer portal...again

Bigger bummer for next year than this year I’d say.

Anyone have a way-too-soon projection of what the o-line will look like next year?
Assuming Faalele and JMS leave for the draft:

LT - Guedet
LG - Axel Ruschmeyer (covid 6th year senior)
C - Boe (?) / Shaw (? - this is the transfer from Utah State)
RG - Shaw (?) / Cooper
RT - Ersery

Tyler Cooper could be an interior guy as well. Beier is an interior guy, but hasn't done jack here and wouldn't be surprised to see him move on. There is Lewis and Lawrence from Ersery's class. Those three all look like tall Tackle bodies to me. Then just a bunch of freshmen.


It will be very different, that's for certain. I put Ersery simply because he started a game (I think?) at RT last year as a true freshman. Axel started last year at LG, with a lot of folks out.


Would not be surprised to see some transfer portal. As well as Fleck begging on his hands and knees for Faalele and/or JMS to stay for their extra covid senior seasons.
 


Bigger bummer for next year than this year I’d say.

Anyone have a way-too-soon projection of what the o-line will look like next year?
Just a guess, but I think Benhart will be playing in his home State next season.
 


Just a guess, but I think Benhart will be playing in his home State next season.
Given the way he has performed for Nebraska that isn't a terribly reassuring proposition.
 




You mean that it happened right after breakfast? That’s not strange. That’s when PJ has his tough conversations.
Required photo:

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You have no idea what is going on in this Curtis's life that is leading him to this decision, so who are you to judge him making this decision?
What I do know is that he is quitting on his teammates. I will continue to think this until told otherwise.
 







The lack of consistency in OL play this season has been maddening, which could be because they have been rotating guys in and out throughout each game. This strategy can work well on DL but not so much on the OL. Maybe with one less player to rotate, our line can settle into a consistent rhythm.
New RBs have to be in rhythm with the OL too.
 



We don't know what's happening in his life right now, but it looks like last year he was talked into staying by the coaching staff and/or his friends and family. Perhaps it was a "Well, you're injured, give it one more year where you're able to play and maybe things will be different" type situation and now we're halfway through the season and he still feels like he wants to leave.

Sad to see him go, but I support his decision no matter what the root cause is.
Yep, my post of not inviting him back wasn't intended to make me sound like I don't support his decision. I just think it's best for both parties to move on. It's never a good idea to try to talk someone into not breaking up with you. His heart or head are clearly not here and that happens. It doesn't make him a bad person, it's just not a good fit here.
 

Bigger bummer for next year than this year I’d say.

Anyone have a way-too-soon projection of what the o-line will look like next year?
It really depends upon what some of the COVID 6th year guys decide.

Of the 6th year guys, I think that possibly only Axel Ruschmeyer and JM Schmitz (less likely) return.

OT: JJ Guedett - Seemed to play with the backups against Colorado
OG: Ruschmeyer
OC: Schmitz
OG: Boe - He got a lot more run last year and played decent
OT: Ersery

Depth: Karter Shaw, Tyler Cooper (both played with backups against Colorado). The rest are pretty much unknowns (Lewis, Terrell, Beier)

Obviously this changes a lot if Andries or Big Dan return (unlikely) or if Axel or Schmitz don't return. We will also hit the transfer portal hard.
 

This is disappointing in a number of ways. I was so excited when Curtis Dunlap committed to the U. He was a big time recruit for us and I was thrilled that he wanted to play his college football at Minnesota. He, and Faalele, and Andries, and....were going to give us the best offensive line ever. But...the last couple years have been the opposite. He just doesn't seem to want to be here* and that is unfortunate (*I thought the COVID year was an aberration and was so excited when he decided to come back...turns out it wasn't likely a COVID decision after all). I think he'll play in the NFL some day soon but it appears that it will be after he goes somewhere else. I hope he has a great NFL career and so wish that his college career would have been 100% as a player at Minnesota! #RTB #SKIUMAJH Good luck, Curtis!
 

I know this is dreaming, but Faalele needs another year to be NFL ready.
It's not easy to teach quickness. Faalele will have a problem in the NFL because DEs will be around him in two steps in pass protection. He'll have to lose 40-50 lbs and then his run blocking will suffer.

I, too agree he needs to stay in college.

But Fleck might think having an OLineman drafted helps the program's reputation more than what he brings the team with another year in town.
 

I know this is dreaming, but Faalele needs another year to be NFL ready.
Perhaps, but I doubt he doesn't get Senior Bowl and combine invites. He'll be drafted somewhere.

You don't think JMS is gone, too? This is technically his senior season as well, though he has another year for covid if he wants (Faalele as well).

Andries is gone as well, though again he is technically in the same boat as Faalele and JMS.
 

It really depends upon what some of the COVID 6th year guys decide.

Of the 6th year guys, I think that possibly only Axel Ruschmeyer and JM Schmitz (less likely) return.

OT: JJ Guedett - Seemed to play with the backups against Colorado
OG: Ruschmeyer
OC: Schmitz
OG: Boe - He got a lot more run last year and played decent
OT: Ersery

Depth: Karter Shaw, Tyler Cooper (both played with backups against Colorado). The rest are pretty much unknowns (Lewis, Terrell, Beier)

Obviously this changes a lot if Andries or Big Dan return (unlikely) or if Axel or Schmitz don't return. We will also hit the transfer portal hard.
Aww, it's so cute that Bob pretends he doesn't see my posts, and then plagiarizes mine here without giving me any credit.
 

When we finally have enough OLs it's both a blessing and a curse.

The team wants consistency with OL play. There are only so many starting spots.

Curtis wants to be a starter. Unfortunately, someone else catapulted ahead of him.

If he was patient, he will be a starter next season. I think that he is torn emotionally between his team and elsewhere closer to home.

IMHO, it would have benefitted him and the team if he waited until the end of the season to enter the portal.

It could be as simple as how the coaches handle him in practices. Maybe he is not amenable to the coaching style.

I just think that he will flourish here by being patient. Maybe it's something else that we are not privvy to.

I honestly wish him well.
 

When we finally have enough OLs it's both a blessing and a curse.

The team wants consistency with OL play. There are only so many starting spots.

Curtis wants to be a starter. Unfortunately, someone else catapulted ahead of him.

If he was patient, he will be a starter next season. I think that he is torn emotionally between his team and elsewhere closer to home.

IMHO, it would have benefitted him and the team if he waited until the end of the season to enter the portal.

It could be as simple as how the coaches handle him in practices. Maybe he is not amenable to the coaching style.

I just think that he will flourish here by being patient. Maybe it's something else that we are not privvy to.

I honestly wish him well.
Thing is, Dunlap & Faalele were the 2019 starters on the right side.

Olson was the starting center. But when Andries was hurt for the Neb game, JMS got to start at center and Olson moved to left guard, and we saw how good JMS was. He played a significant amount the rest of the year, started a couple move games at center when various people were out, and might have started for the bowl game as well (don't recall).

2020, Dunlap is out with injury and Faalele opts out. Then Axel Ruschmeyer gets a shot and does a pretty good job.


So now comes 2021, and Olson and Schlueter should have graduated, but covid, so they come back to be super-super-seniors, and now we have seven guys who played a bunch in 2019 and/or 2020.


I think Dunlap wasn't having it.
 

When we finally have enough OLs it's both a blessing and a curse.

The team wants consistency with OL play. There are only so many starting spots.

Curtis wants to be a starter. Unfortunately, someone else catapulted ahead of him.

If he was patient, he will be a starter next season. I think that he is torn emotionally between his team and elsewhere closer to home.

IMHO, it would have benefitted him and the team if he waited until the end of the season to enter the portal.

It could be as simple as how the coaches handle him in practices. Maybe he is not amenable to the coaching style.

I just think that he will flourish here by being patient. Maybe it's something else that we are not privvy to.

I honestly wish him well.

I'm wishing him well, but I'm fairly certain there is more going on here than PT.
 

Assuming Faalele and JMS leave for the draft:

LT - Guedet
LG - Axel Ruschmeyer (covid 6th year senior)
C - Boe (?) / Shaw (? - this is the transfer from Utah State)
RG - Shaw (?) / Cooper
RT - Ersery

Tyler Cooper could be an interior guy as well. Beier is an interior guy, but hasn't done jack here and wouldn't be surprised to see him move on. There is Lewis and Lawrence from Ersery's class. Those three all look like tall Tackle bodies to me. Then just a bunch of freshmen.


It will be very different, that's for certain. I put Ersery simply because he started a game (I think?) at RT last year as a true freshman. Axel started last year at LG, with a lot of folks out.


Would not be surprised to see some transfer portal. As well as Fleck begging on his hands and knees for Faalele and/or JMS to stay for their extra covid senior seasons.
On radio show Fleck says he’s had conversations with players around transfer portal and potential of players leaving. He ended by saying that they have a pretty good handle on what players will do and that people will be surprised by some that leave and by some that will return.
 

On radio show Fleck says he’s had conversations with players around transfer portal and potential of players leaving. He ended by saying that they have a pretty good handle on what players will do and that people will be surprised by some that leave and by some that will return.
If all three of Andries, Faalele, and JMS return for their super-super-senior covid years, that would be amazing. I don't see it, but I'm happy to be wrong on that!
 




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