BleedGopher
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per Athlon:
5. Minnesota
Minnesota enters coach P.J. Fleck’s third year as a program on the rise for 2019. The Golden Gophers closed out the 2018 campaign by winning three out of their last four games, including a rivalry matchup against Wisconsin and the bowl contest versus Georgia Tech. Fleck’s 2019 team features one of the Big Ten’s deepest backfields. Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith return from injury to team with a promising freshman tandem from ’18 in Bryce Williams and Mohamed Ibrahim. Receiver Tyler Johnson might be one of college football’s most underrated players after catching 78 passes for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He’s joined outside by a trio of talented receivers who saw major snaps as freshmen in 2018, including Rashod Bateman (51 catches). Quarterbacks Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad showed promise as freshmen and will compete for the job in spring practice. Left tackle Donnell Greene and center Jared Weyler leave big shoes to fill up front, but freshmen Daniel Faalele and Blaise Andries provide a foundation to build around in 2019. Minnesota’s defense played better after Joe Rossi assumed the play-calling duties in November and will have a chance to build off that finish next fall. Linebacker Blake Cashman is the biggest loss on this side of the ball, but Carter Coughlin (15 TFL) is back, and safety Antoine Winfield returns after missing nearly all of 2018 due to injury. Minnesota has a favorable crossover with home games against Penn State and Maryland, along with a road trip to Rutgers on tap. Road matchups at Purdue, Iowa and Northwestern are slated for next fall, but Wisconsin and Nebraska come to Minneapolis.
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-predictions-early-2019
Go Gophers!!
5. Minnesota
Minnesota enters coach P.J. Fleck’s third year as a program on the rise for 2019. The Golden Gophers closed out the 2018 campaign by winning three out of their last four games, including a rivalry matchup against Wisconsin and the bowl contest versus Georgia Tech. Fleck’s 2019 team features one of the Big Ten’s deepest backfields. Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith return from injury to team with a promising freshman tandem from ’18 in Bryce Williams and Mohamed Ibrahim. Receiver Tyler Johnson might be one of college football’s most underrated players after catching 78 passes for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He’s joined outside by a trio of talented receivers who saw major snaps as freshmen in 2018, including Rashod Bateman (51 catches). Quarterbacks Tanner Morgan and Zack Annexstad showed promise as freshmen and will compete for the job in spring practice. Left tackle Donnell Greene and center Jared Weyler leave big shoes to fill up front, but freshmen Daniel Faalele and Blaise Andries provide a foundation to build around in 2019. Minnesota’s defense played better after Joe Rossi assumed the play-calling duties in November and will have a chance to build off that finish next fall. Linebacker Blake Cashman is the biggest loss on this side of the ball, but Carter Coughlin (15 TFL) is back, and safety Antoine Winfield returns after missing nearly all of 2018 due to injury. Minnesota has a favorable crossover with home games against Penn State and Maryland, along with a road trip to Rutgers on tap. Road matchups at Purdue, Iowa and Northwestern are slated for next fall, but Wisconsin and Nebraska come to Minneapolis.
https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-predictions-early-2019
Go Gophers!!