Jah Joyner and veteran, talent-rich DE room.

[swingman]

Time for Jah to be the man on pass rush.


DE room is loaded. Winston and the Yale/U Conn guy have talent to coach up.

Joyner was a 247 four-star. 4th year now.

Striggow was a high three-star with 247 (89). Fourth-year now.

Logan-Redding was a three-star with a four-star offer sheet (Texas, ND, OkSU, late Mizzou flip, iowa, Purdue, NE, ISU, KSU, more). Fourth year now.

UNC transfer Collins was a Rivals four-star. Sixth year.

Anthony Smith was a consensus four-star. Second year.

 

[beatles]

I believe we return 7 of our top 8 DL? Someone correct me if I’m wrong but up front on D should be a strength next year.

 

[Shiv0014]

Wow - I didn’t realize we had that much talent coming back; my observation has been a lackluster d line last year, would be rad if we could get some consistent pressure.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Would be nice to see some natural pass rush from the line.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Would be nice to see some natural pass rush from the line.

Viva Willie!

 

[Cobra]

A potent pass rush can really enhance what the secondary is doing.
Defense is going to be stacked for 2023.

 

[swingman]

I believe we return 7 of our top 8 DL? Someone correct me if I’m wrong but up front on D should be a strength next year.

Lose only Thomas Rush from last year's d-line two deep.

Interior d-line returns starters Trill Carter (year 5) and Kyler Baugh (year 5).

Carter was HM All-Big in '22 and has been starter for two years, contributor for three years. State champ game MVP in Georgia with offers from Ark, Ga Tech, IN, UNC, South Carolina, Wake, and KY.

Baugh was a two-year starter at Houston Baptist before transferring here. Started every game in '22. Also earned All-Big HM.

Darnell Jefferies (year 6) will compete again with Trill. After four years playing at Clemson, Jefferies made the move north and played in all 13 games in '22. Offers out of high school from Bama, LSU, Ohio State, ND and pretty much all the ACC and SEC.

Deven Eastern, four-star composite recruit out of Shakopee will be in year 3 and will push Carter and Jefferies.

Logan Richter from Perham returns to push Baugh, he played in 11 games last year.Richter gray shirted in 2018 so this is year 6, another mature, big body in the trenches.

Jacob Schuster out of Wahington is a 247 four-star heading into year three. Got some run last season and will push Baugh and Richter.

Defensive line is talent rich and experienced.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

I'll believe any of this matters once I see them on the field. I dont care about their recruit rankings. The Gophers havent had a great d'line since FDR was in office.

The player in the headline has 2.5 sacks and 16 tackles in his career. Thats THE guy?

 

[SamSquatch]

I'll believe any of this matters once I see them on the field. I dont care about their recruit rankings. The Gophers havent had a great d'line since FDR was in office.

The player in the headline has 2.5 sacks and 16 tackles in his career. Thats THE guy?

This is how I feel also. The Gophers have not had a really good rush end since Karon Riley. Vandesteeg had his moments. Otemewu and Mafe made the league on measureables. Bonkers how terrible our pass rush has been the past few decades. Just incredibly impotent.

Joyner really the hope there. Striggow not fast enough. Would be a major plus for this squad if a pass rush can come into existence.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

This is how I feel also. The Gophers have not had a really good rush end since Karon Riley. Vandesteeg had his moments. Otemewu and Mafe made the league on measureables. Bonkers how terrible our pass rush has been the past few decades. Just incredibly impotent.

Joyner really the hope there. Striggow not fast enough. Would be a major plus for this squad if a pass rush can come into existence.

Striggow likely not really an end. Interior pressure would do wonders as well. He also outperformed Joyner by leaps and bounds last year.

It doesn’t matter where the pressure comes from. There just needs to be pressure.

Coughlin had 9.5 sacks as a junior. That is excellent production.

 

[jonnyganas]

Viva Willie!

Willie Van De Steeg is a legend. He had 10.5 sacks in a single season and 44.5 career TFLs (may still be a Gopher record)

My friends referred to him as "bar fight" due to his assault arrest in 2007.
Although I think the fight took place outside a liquor store, not a bar.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Willie Van De Steeg is a legend. He had 10.5 sacks in a single season and 44.5 career TFLs (may still be a Gopher record)

My friends referred to him as "bar fight" due to his assault arrest in 2007.
Although I think the fight took place outside a liquor store, not a bar.

Absolutely -one of my favs

A bad ass DE and IMO you need one to go to the next level - the DBs need a break from time to time

 

[Dakota2]

This is how I feel also. The Gophers have not had a really good rush end since Karon Riley. Vandesteeg had his moments. Otemewu and Mafe made the league on measureables. Bonkers how terrible our pass rush has been the past few decades. Just incredibly impotent.

Joyner really the hope there. Striggow not fast enough. Would be a major plus for this squad if a pass rush can come into existence.

Striggow is plenty quick and as good as Joyner. Both will be good this year.

 

[USAF]

Time for Jah to be the man on pass rush.


DE room is loaded. Winston and the Yale/U Conn guy have talent to coach up.

Joyner was a 247 four-star. 4th year now.

Striggow was a high three-star with 247 (89). Fourth-year now.

Logan-Redding was a three-star with a four-star offer sheet (Texas, ND, OkSU, late Mizzou flip, iowa, Purdue, NE, ISU, KSU, more). Fourth year now.

UNC transfer Collins was a Rivals four-star. Sixth year.

Anthony Smith was a consensus four-star. Second year.

FTR, Joyner was a 3 star.

 

[swingman]

FTR, Joyner was a 3 star.

FTR:

 

[Shiv0014]

Does anyone know the latest in Trey Bixby?

 

[Gophers_4life]

Lose only Thomas Rush from last year's d-line two deep.

Interior d-line returns starters Trill Carter (year 5) and Kyler Baugh (year 5).

Carter was HM All-Big in '22 and has been starter for two years, contributor for three years. State champ game MVP in Georgia with offers from Ark, Ga Tech, IN, UNC, South Carolina, Wake, and KY.

Baugh was a two-year starter at Houston Baptist before transferring here. Started every game in '22. Also earned All-Big HM.

Darnell Jefferies (year 6) will compete again with Trill. After four years playing at Clemson, Jefferies made the move north and played in all 13 games in '22. Offers out of high school from Bama, LSU, Ohio State, ND and pretty much all the ACC and SEC.

Deven Eastern, four-star composite recruit out of Shakopee will be in year 3 and will push Carter and Jefferies.

Logan Richter from Perham returns to push Baugh, he played in 11 games last year.Richter gray shirted in 2018 so this is year 6, another mature, big body in the trenches.

Jacob Schuster out of Wahington is a 247 four-star heading into year three. Got some run last season and will push Baugh and Richter.

Defensive line is talent rich and experienced.

So ... is the talent-rich, deep room the DT room or the DE room, as the thread title says?


Would appreciate this similar, excellent analysis for the ends. Thank you!

 

[paulser21]

Every year we hear the rumblings of “This is the year” for our DEs to finally take that next step. Only to receive underwhelming results in regard to the pass rush. Yes we have sent several players to the NFL, and that is fantastic, but it wasn’t due to their prowess at getting to the QB.

 

[MNVCGUY]

With all due respect I think a lot of you need to take a look at how you evaluate DL play. We gave up 13.8 points a game last year and had one of the best rushing defenses in the conference. You don't have a great rush D without really strong play from the DL.

Everyone keys in on sacks and assumes that because we don't get a ton of them it means the DL and specifically the DE are not good.

Don't get me wrong, would love to see a Karon Riley type emerge who is a sack machine. But you can't have a strong D without a good DL and our defense has been very good the past few seasons.

 

[SamSquatch]

With all due respect I think a lot of you need to take a look at how you evaluate DL play. We gave up 13.8 points a game last year and had one of the best rushing defenses in the conference. You don't have a great rush D without really strong play from the DL.

Everyone keys in on sacks and assumes that because we don't get a ton of them it means the DL and specifically the DE are not good.

Don't get me wrong, would love to see a Karon Riley type emerge who is a sack machine. But you can't have a strong D without a good DL and our defense has been very good the past few seasons.

They aren’t getting pressure on the QB. Happy the defense is good statistically but that should be even better if we were closing. The rush also seems to be absent during the most crucial times.

The pass rush has been bad and I hope it gets better next year but I’m not sold on why it should.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

Looking back at how bad our defense had been under prior coaches and sheer madness and frustration felt for decades I have no complaints about that side of the ball. There were many many years our offense would need to score 35+ points a game for us to have a reasonable shot at winning. We had teams that didn’t know how to tackle. We now play excellent fundamental defense and players get better as the season progresses- I won’t be whining about that.

Thought I read somewhere our defense is projected top 15 in the country this coming year.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

With all due respect I think a lot of you need to take a look at how you evaluate DL play. We gave up 13.8 points a game last year and had one of the best rushing defenses in the conference. You don't have a great rush D without really strong play from the DL.

Everyone keys in on sacks and assumes that because we don't get a ton of them it means the DL and specifically the DE are not good.

Don't get me wrong, would love to see a Karon Riley type emerge who is a sack machine. But you can't have a strong D without a good DL and our defense has been very good the past few seasons.

Defense has been good but in CFB land it seems consistent DL pass rush is largely limited to the top teams. For whatever reason that's how it is.

I don't blame anyone for hoping to see some of that ... even if it is "man I'd like to go to a game where they do that more".

 

[mggoph]

Does anyone know the latest in Trey Bixby?

I believe I read that he medically retired? But don't quote me.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Defense has been good but in CFB land it seems consistent DL pass rush is largely limited to the top teams. For whatever reason that's how it is.

I don't blame anyone for hoping to see some of that ... even if it is "man I'd like to go to a game where they do that more".

Like I said....I would love to see more sacks as well....I just think some get caught up in evaluating D-Line only by the sack total and that doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Shiv0014]

I believe I read that he medically retired? But don't quote me.

I thought I saw that too, like an autoimmune disorder that made him “allergic” to his own sweat or something…sounds terrifying

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Every year we hear the rumblings of “This is the year” for our DEs to finally take that next step. Only to receive underwhelming results in regard to the pass rush. Yes we have sent several players to the NFL, and that is fantastic, but it wasn’t due to their prowess at getting to the QB.

This is the year

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Defense has been good but in CFB land it seems consistent DL pass rush is largely limited to the top teams. For whatever reason that's how it is.

I don't blame anyone for hoping to see some of that ... even if it is "man I'd like to go to a game where they do that more".

I saw an interview with Saban one time and he opined that great DL (who can get to the QB consistently) are the hardest to recruit, as there simply aren’t that many of them -elite athletes who are big, strong and quick- that’s an amazing trifecta and everyone wants them.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I saw an interview with Saban one time and he opined that great DL (who can get to the QB consistently) are the hardest to recruit, as there simply aren’t that many of them -elite athletes whose are big, strong and quick- that’s an amazing trifecta and everyone wants them.

Tracy Claeys said the same thing.

He said even you find a guy, the moment word gets out every top team will be all over him.

 

[tjgopher]

Striggow likely not really an end. Interior pressure would do wonders as well. He also outperformed Joyner by leaps and bounds last year.

Anyone who was paying attention to what Jah was doing in the final 4ish games last year when he got his chances to play has no choice but to be excited. He became an absolute factor when he got his chances.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

Anyone who was paying attention to what Jah was doing in the final 4ish games last year when he got his chances to play has no choice but to be excited. He became an absolute factor when he got his chances.

Extrapolate those 4 games over a 12 game season and he’s at 4.5 sacks. Assuming all 1.5 came in those games. Sacks aren’t a great stat though.

I think he’ll be good. But until production exists I can’t make threads about his quality.