FSN: Gophers secondary gets stronger with heralded recruiting class

[BleedGopher]

per FSN:

Perhaps one of the strongest areas for the Gophers over the last few years has been their secondary. After the 2013 season, Minnesota saw safety Brock Vereen drafted by the Chicago Bears. In 2014, several Gophers defensive backs had standout seasons. That included cornerback Eric Murray, who was named All-Big Ten Second Team, and fellow cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, whose team-high five interceptions helped earn him All-Big Ten First Team honors.

Neither of those two cornerbacks was particularly heralded when they were recruited by the Gophers. Murray was a two-star recruit out of Milwaukee, while Boddy-Calhoun received both two-star and three-star rankings from various recruiting sites as a junior college transfer. Safety Damarius Travis was in that same 2012 recruiting class as Murray and Boddy-Calhoun and also was given a two-star rating by Scout.com.

Those three were a few of the main cogs in a Minnesota secondary that took yet another step forward in 2014 under Kill and defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel. Now the Gophers have added more players they feel can carry the torch once it's their turn.

"The good thing about where we're at now -- the secondary (and) our guys that we have -- it's a good culture, and these kids come into a good culture and they get a chance to learn from some guys that are very, very good," Kill said. "We may have . . . in the secondary right now, three or four guys that will be all-conference next year or will be some sort of all-conference. There are maybe two or three of them that get drafted. This is a good group to come in and learn from those guys."

http://www.foxsports.com/north/stor...tronger-with-heralded-recruiting-class-020915

Go Gophers!!

 

[GopherinPhilly]

I'm a big fan of our secondary...if we could add some pass rush, I think these guys will move into elite status nationally.

 

[e.bigelow]

Our secondary is scary good for the "start" level of our current players. Credit to Coach Sawvel who is really doing great things with this secondary. The combination of Sawvel & the recruits we get in is going to be interesting to watch going foward.

 

[414GopherFan]

I really like this class of dbs..there an impressive group. I also like what young men like Mr.James & Mr.Myrick bring to the table. Gophers have a chance of being DB U moving foward.

 

[oleboy41]

I really like this class of dbs..there an impressive group. I also like what young men like Mr.James & Mr.Myrick bring to the table. Gophers have a chance of being DB U moving foward.

for most of my lifetime up until the past say 4 years, guys like Myrick would be our #1 corner last year. Now he won't be a starter (if at all) until his senior year. Guys like James would've been thrown to the fire as a true frosh before being ready ie Ryan Collado or even Vereen who was playing #1 WRs as a true frosh. Its a huge luxury to have Myrick and James as our #3 and #4 CBs, two guys who may be top 5 athletes on the team, both are definitely 2 of the fastest guys on the team

 

[MNVCGUY]

I'm a big fan of our secondary...if we could add some pass rush, I think these guys will move into elite status nationally.

Above all else this is probably the most impressive thing about the secondary. Most times an elite secondary goes hand in hand with a strong pass rush. In our case we get very little in the way of a pass rush much of the game yet the secondary is still able to stay with and cover their receivers. When they get burned on a big play more often then not it is because the line puts no pressure on the QB and he has all day to sit back and make a perfect throw.

 

[DoubleB]

interesting our DB's getting the love for a bunch of guys that don't turn around and play the ball.

I for one think there is merit in each way of playing but with the added speed maybe the DB's dont need to play the ball as often.

as long as we continue to still make some type of plays. it has been a pleasure watching our kids make plays rather than just seeing WR's catching the ball in stride all over the place

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Above all else this is probably the most impressive thing about the secondary. Most times an elite secondary goes hand in hand with a strong pass rush. In our case we get very little in the way of a pass rush much of the game yet the secondary is still able to stay with and cover their receivers. When they get burned on a big play more often then not it is because the line puts no pressure on the QB and he has all day to sit back and make a perfect throw.

Just curious as to what you're basing the " line puts no pressure on the QB and he has all day to sit back and make a perfect throw."? Just a personal opinion that you don't think they rack up enough sacks?

Their sack percentage this year was almost double this year (6.43%) what it was last year (3.78%) and in the last 3 games of this season (Neb, Wisky, Mizzou), they were one of the best in the country (12.31%) and that was against 3 pretty decent teams to say the least.

And that doesn't even address the QB pressures or hurries. I really can't recall a ton of situations where QB's routinely had all day to throw the ball, in the pocket especially, against the Gophers defense this year.

I think considering they played without Scott Ekpe most of the season and Alex Keith was extremely limited as well, the line played incredibly well. The youngsters, Richardson/Elmore/Stelter/Moore, should all be markedly better next year and getting Ekpe back should nearly negate the loss of Botticelli and hopefully A. Keith will be healthy all year.

 

[LesBolstad]

Where would have Kyle Theret fit in with our present secondary?

 

[oleboy41]

Just curious as to what you're basing the " line puts no pressure on the QB and he has all day to sit back and make a perfect throw."? Just a personal opinion that you don't think they rack up enough sacks?

Their sack percentage this year was almost double this year (6.43%) what it was last year (3.78%) and in the last 3 games of this season (Neb, Wisky, Mizzou), they were one of the best in the country (12.31%) and that was against 3 pretty decent teams to say the least.

And that doesn't even address the QB pressures or hurries. I really can't recall a ton of situations where QB's routinely had all day to throw the ball, in the pocket especially, against the Gophers defense this year.

I think considering they played without Scott Ekpe most of the season and Alex Keith was extremely limited as well, the line played incredibly well. The youngsters, Richardson/Elmore/Stelter/Moore, should all be markedly better next year and getting Ekpe back should nearly negate the loss of Botticelli and hopefully A. Keith will be healthy all year.

You may want to reread his last sentence stating 'when they get burned...'

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

You may want to reread his last sentence stating 'when they get burned...'

I did look at that, and I was also looking at the previous statement, "In our case we get very little in the way of a pass rush much of the game". Pretty strong statements for a defense that overall was pretty stout against the pass, in a number of different categories.