Mo is coming back!

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WriterGoph said:
Very curious how PJ would play the Tanner situation too? PJ seems like he is honest and direct. Would he say, "love to have you back, but there will be a competition with the guys who have been waiting"? Or would outright he promise Tanner the starting job if he decided to come back?

As much as he clearly loves Tanner and considers him family, I just can't see him doing the latter. Seems like that would go against the kind of drive for competition he always talks about wanting in his program.
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Time to move on! Please do not allow him to come back Fleck.
 

Some guy said:
Will probably return kicks, maybe punts, will play some passing down back, will play some slot
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That, and Mo is unlikely to be 100% at the start of the season so would expect Ky and Irving to get plenty of carries as well. Having Mo back is awesome, but it is a total wildcard right now as to just how close he will be to being pre-injury Mo, especially early in the season.
 



Some guy said:
Will probably return kicks, maybe punts, will play some passing down back, will play some slot
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Hopefully the OC can get more creative with Bucky, clearly the kid is talented. I know passing isnt our thing but put him in a Kamara/Sproles type role makes sense. Return kicks, some handoffs, some split out wide etc. If we put our big boy package out there would be interesting to split him out wide and see if we could get a slower LB matched up on him in the pass game.
 


MNVCGUY said:
That, and Mo is unlikely to be 100% at the start of the season so would expect Ky and Irving to get plenty of carries as well. Having Mo back is awesome, but it is a total wildcard right now as to just how close he will be to being pre-injury Mo, especially early in the season.
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And Williams and Potts maybe too.
some depth there.


people forget Mo had a great 2018 and then was the third back in 2019….

people are willing to play football for a team rather than themselves. I wouldn’t fault a guy for transferring to play more.
I wouldn’t expect a mass exodus
 

leib0039 said:
Hopefully the OC can get more creative with Bucky, clearly the kid is talented. I know passing isnt our thing but put him in a Kamara/Sproles type role makes sense. Return kicks, some handoffs, some split out wide etc. If we put our big boy package out there would be interesting to split him out wide and see if we could get a slower LB matched up on him in the pass game.
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I hope having more depth means less big boy package. I think big bow package hurts us.
 

The life of an NFL running back is typically short. It is very important to put yourself in the best position for an early draft slot to ensure front end money. I'd imagine for him to do this he best show on the field that he is fully recovered.

That being said, the running back room is really set for next season with Ibrahim, Irving, Thomas, Williams and hopefully Potts. Irving and Thomas have really looked good as freshmen.
 

die hard gopher said:
Zero chance Irving redshirts.

He is too dynamic and fulfills a role that the others don’t. He will get plenty of snaps next year.
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He only gets about 25%(? less than half) of the carries this year, with only one healthy RB ahead of him. Next year will have two healthy RB's (at least) ahead of him.

"Plenty" is arbitrary.


Is having him play special teams in 2022 worth not having him for 2025 as a super-star redshirt senior?
 





MplsGopher said:
He only gets about 25%(? less than half) of the carries this year, with only one healthy RB ahead of him. Next year will have two healthy RB's (at least) ahead of him.

"Plenty" is arbitrary.


Is having him play special teams in 2022 worth not having him for 2025 as a super-star redshirt senior?
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yep.....100% yep....You are making a ton of assumptions on just how healthy Mo will be next year, and if the OC is doing his job (I know this will be debated non-stop) he will find a way to use all the weapons at his disposal.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Like to have Bryce back, too. Recent history shows that a deep RB bench is a nice thing to have.
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I'd be fine with having just 4 RB on scholly, instead of five. If we somehow lose 3 RB to season ending injury, again (doubt that has ever happened in the history of modern football like that, in back to back years) then you can say you told me so.

Evans could potentially serve the same role as Irving is this year, in that case.
 



MNVCGUY said:
he will find a way to use all the weapons at his disposal.
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Not the point. And proven by true freshman usually not playing.

Otherwise, if it was like you were saying, then every true freshman would play. Why not? "Using all the weapons at your disposal"
 

Word said:
I think Maroney left early?
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Ha, you are correct!

Figures, ask a message board, someone will pull out the answer.


So you think Irving is the next Maroney? You can already see that, based on him getting 25% of the snaps now? Hmmm ... maybe.
 

XMan said:
Great news for Mo and the Gophers. How many players return to top form after this kind of injury?
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Take it for what it's worth but this is what I found.
www.healio.com

Most football players returned to NFL after Achilles tendon repair

About 73% of players returned to the NFL after Achilles tendon repair, according to a recently published study in Foot and Ankle International. “Achilles tendon injuries in the NFL are common season-ending injuries that require a surgical repair,” Joshua D. Harris, MD, told...
www.healio.com www.healio.com
 


MplsGopher said:
Ha, you are correct!

Figures, ask a message board, someone will pull out the answer.


So you think Irving is the next Maroney? You can already see that, based on him getting 25% of the snaps now? Hmmm ... maybe.
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I was just answering your question. Nothing more.
 

WriterGoph said:
I think people are assuming we are losing the entire OL, but may not be the case. While Big Dan, Olson and Schleuter are gone, I think older Ruschmeyer is likely back. Schmitz and Andries are gonna come down to draft feedback, but would not be shocked to see one or both back.

I also think Mo is the first domino to fall and we will see more announcements next week. I heavily believe CAB will be back (similar situation to Mo as far as NFL stock being sidetracked this year by injuries). And in what will likely be the most divisive topic this offseason, Morgan may very well return.
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IMO, Andries is our best OLineman. I think he's a rd 3/4 NFL guy.

But it would be a pleasant surprise if he's back.
 

MplsGopher said:
Ha, you are correct!

Figures, ask a message board, someone will pull out the answer.


So you think Irving is the next Maroney? You can already see that, based on him getting 25% of the snaps now? Hmmm ... maybe.
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Irving needs to bulk up a bit IMO, but he has the potential.
 

Doesn’t Mo know how bad our OC is? Apparently he’s not as knowledgeable as GH posters.
 

Word said:
I was just answering your question. Nothing more.
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As I thought, you don't agree we can already tell Irving is on the Maroney track, otherwise you would've said so.

Indeed, Maroney was a feature back from day 1. Irving was 5th down on the depth chart, at the start of the season.

Doesn't mean he doesn't have the potential.
 

MplsGopher said:
Not the point. And proven by true freshman usually not playing.

Otherwise, if it was like you were saying, then every true freshman would play. Why not? "Using all the weapons at your disposal"
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True freshman are different. Irving won't be a true freshman next year. So yeah, they could try to sit him to get that extra year back....or.....knowing what he can do they could try to find ways to be creative and use him as the weapon he proved he can be this season when forced into duty as a true freshman due to injuries....

I'm going to go with try to get him on the field as much as possible next year and let him be the quality player he proved he can be...but that is just me....I would rather play for 2022 than hold back a guy I KNOW can help me now for some mythical season 3 years away.
 

MNVCGUY said:
True freshman are different.
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Seems arbitrary.

MNVCGUY said:
So yeah, they could try to sit him to get that extra year back....or.....knowing what he can do they could try to find ways to be creative and use him as the weapon
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Again, coaches would use all true freshmen exactly the same way -- the ones that prove they can be weapons, in fall camp and fall practice.

But some choose to sit them out as redshirts, anyway. Even if they could help the team, even just on special teams.

MNVCGUY said:
I'm going to go with try to get him on the field as much as possible next year and let him be the quality player he proved he can be...but that is just me....I would rather play for 2022 than hold back a guy I KNOW can help me now for some mythical season 3 years away.
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You've made your opinion very clear, and you're not wrong at all.

Coaches could be exactly the same mind as you.


I've made my position known too -- I'd try to redshirt both Irving and Evans. I'm not wrong either.

Likely Mo and Thomas get 95+% of carries so long as they're healthy. Can easily find another dynamic guy to return kicks.
 

With the injury I believe Mo's route to the NFL will be as a FB like CJ Ham. He has been a devastating lead blocker for our QB runs and believe he can continue to do that at the next level.

Early in the year I would hope they use him sparingly until he shows he's 100% recovered. Both Ky and Bucky should split carries until that time. Once the BIG part of the schedule rolls around, then ride the hot hand between the three.
 

MplsGopher said:
Bolded: when had we had a RB leave early for the draft?

Sure, could happen and maybe Irving is that guy. But who can say for sure.
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My point was more that it isn’t likely that important to redshirt a guy to save him for a year if he isn’t nfl caliber, and if he is nfl caliber he will be likely to leave before his time runs out anyway.
 

btowngopher said:
it isn’t likely that important to redshirt a guy to save him for a year if he isn’t nfl caliber,
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Huh? This makes no sense.

Why redshirt anyone, then? Why not try to cycle all guys out every 4 calendar years?
 

I'd say - depending on what the outlook for Potts is (which the team very likely knows now or will in the coming month or two) - the likeliest to transfer (or maybe retire/graduate and move on) would be Williams. Obviously his leg injury is the big variable. If it was an ACL or knee, it's likely to have him sidelined into middle of next season. Does he have the interest in doing all that rehab to come back at all to college football (next year would be his 5th year)? If so, does he want to do all that rehab to come back and battle for a 3rd or 4th spot on the depth chart at Minnesota? I feel like, if healthy, he could be a very solid #1 or #2 back on a G5 team.
 

MplsGopher said:
I'd be fine with having just 4 RB on scholly, instead of five. If we somehow lose 3 RB to season ending injury, again (doubt that has ever happened in the history of modern football like that, in back to back years) then you can say you told me so.

Evans could potentially serve the same role as Irving is this year, in that case.
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It’s not that rare to lose three running backs. It’s not just injuries either, what if one guy goes down and two transfer out? Indiana lost a guy early to the nfl, had two others transfer out and another go down to injury for the year. Now they only have freshmen and walk ons.
 


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