Defensive Ends......check this out

[99Gopher]

Great list! I liked Kill a lot (not Claeys) but love Fleck. I don't get why so many folks dis Jerry. Thanks for posting.

That was a great list of draftees that came from Jerry's recruiting. However, the reason so many people dis Jerry is the QB position. The DL is critical, but the QB is still the most important position on the field. The single biggest failure by Jerry was his inability to out recruit Leidner for the QB spot. Mitch was a tough hardnosed kid, but was a well below average passer at the Big Ten level. In 4 yrs Jerry could not find a way to recruit someone better than Mitch, again his biggest failure. If he could have even recruited a passer in the top half of the Big Ten we could have had some really good years.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

They started to go to more of a 5-3/3-4 because they were having problems recruiting DL.

To hear TC tell it, you got the impression they were pretty fatalistic about recruiting the DL…at all.

 

[hungan1]

Defense wins championship as Bear Bryant would say.

I am glad that the Gophers are paying attention to the Defense. I am hopeful that they will place importance on the Special Teams.

I'd like to see the Gophers return punts and kickoffs. PJ Fleck seems to go conservative at times.

 

[FormerFatOL]

Defense wins championship as Bear Bryant would say.

I am glad that the Gophers are paying attention to the Defense. I am hopeful that they will place importance on the Special Teams.

I'd like to see the Gophers return punts and kickoffs. PJ Fleck seems to go conservative at times.

I think this year's conservative approach, including returner personnel, was influenced by the injury situation.

 

[hungan1]

I think this year's conservative approach, including returner personnel, was influenced by the injury situation.

I never thought of that. It’s a balancing act. If they want to become champions, they cannot afford to be afraid of injuries.

 

[btowngopher]

To hear TC tell it, you got the impression they were pretty fatalistic about recruiting the DL…at all.

It’s never good when a coach puts their own limitations on what the program can accomplish.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I never thought of that. It’s a balancing act. If they want to become champions, they cannot afford to be afraid of injuries.

The kick return situation was definitely influenced by injury issues. Pretty clear the guy they trusted to run back kicks was Irving and once the RB depth chart got decimated they abandoned the idea of running kicks back.

In the Wisconsin game Irving was back deep again and actively trying to run it out.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

It’s never good when a coach puts their own limitations on what the program can accomplish.

I dunno, coaches also have to be realistic… assuming their perception of reality is accurate, it’s fine.

PJ could spend all his time on 5* croots… and come up with nothing signing day. That has happened at some programs.

 

[kg21]

I dunno, coaches also have to be realistic… assuming their perception of reality is accurate, it’s fine.

PJ could spend all his time on 5* croots… and come up with nothing signing day. That has happened at some programs.

I believe there were 23, five star recruits this year.

They are rare.

Also, only about 55% of the 5 stars are even drafted in the NFL. So basically, if you get one, half of them don't live up to it.

 

[noamfromm]

Cockran was as well. And the other two did most of their development under Kill’s staff.

In the oft cited was Fleck inheriting a 9 win team debate most Fleckers cite the fact that AWJr would have probably transferred if Fleck wasn't able to convince him to stay. Same goes for Kill and Hageman. Without Kill he probably would have flamed out even before he made the league.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

In the oft cited was Fleck inheriting a 9 win team debate most Fleckers cite the fact that AWJr would have probably transferred if Fleck wasn't able to convince him to stay. Same goes for Kill and Hageman. Without Kill he probably would have flamed out even before he made the league.

9 win team….. where you have to beg the walk on QB to come back to play :O