Offensive line

[Gophers_4life]

It's amazing to me that you made this post 4 minutes BEFORE you started the thread which I won't even bother to name. You have identified one of the main issues with the team (the offensive line) and yet, you wonder about the head coach. How exactly did you expect the head coach to fix an offensive line by the first B1G game of his second year on the job? Go back to 2015 and look at that recruiting class of players that should be your Redshirt Juniors on the OL: Nick Connelly had to give up football due to concussions and sadly passed away, Tyler Moore transferred and then gave up football, Ted Stieber left the team and I assume gave up football, Bronson Dovich is a backup who can't get on the field, and Quinn Oseland is a backup that can't get on the field. Go back to 2014 and you get Jared Weyler as a redshirt senior in your starting lineup and Connor Mayes and Luke Rasmussen as guys who left the program. This program hasn't had an Offensive Lineman drafted in a decade and not being able to match up physically in the trenches is nothing new at Minnesota. It takes time to develop Offensive Lineman, and it you didn't have good prospects already being developed when you got the job, you aren't magically going to have a solid Offensive Line in year two of your program.

The Defensive Line is in much the same position. The Gophers took a grand total of two Defensive Lineman in 2015 in the (then and still) undersized Winston DeLattiboudere and the since transferred Mose Hall. They didn't have another power 5 offer between them. 2016 featured Carter Coughlin who is the only End doing anything right now, Merrick Jackson who had an unspectacular career as a JUCO, Tai'yon Devers, and TaMarion Johnson who was kicked out of school. Those two years combine for exactly zero DT's still on the roster and 3 defensive ends who are all built more like LB's than DE's. Is it any surprise that B1G teams run through the Gophers?

We don't know how Fleck is recruiting in the trenches yet, because guys (with the exception of JUCO's, Ben Davis looks like a miss) are too young to be expected to play yet. Almost of equal importance is that the jury is still very much out on Dan Nichol as strength coach. Can he get this group looking like the Wisconsin's and Iowa's of the world? In many cases, there lineman have looked both bigger AND leaner than the Gophers for a long, long time.

The concept of this post is spot on ... but you’re missing some players. Greene on the OL, though he wasn’t recruited by Fleck. But Fleck did recruit Dickson, who I believe they have to redshirt this year for academics? And then Fleck did recruit a couple transfer/JUCO DT in OJ and Royal. So those two count for Fleck.

Also Tyler Moore was a big missing piece last year, but he retired from football this year due to injury, so assume would be the same situation if he had stayed.

I really don’t think lack of size is an issue for either line. We have plenty big boys. Strength, technique, and talent, is the issue.

 

[rockford]

I haven't re-watched the game (because I'm not a masochist), but my initial impression was that the protection schemes offered little help to overmatched linemen. I can't say this with any certainty, because the team provided me little opportunity to get engaged in the game, and I quit watching early in the third quarter.

The O line is a major concern.

JTG

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

The offensive line is obviously a problem, but as EG pointed out, the problem should not lie squarely at the feet of PJ. Some of the blame is PJ's. He brought in a JuCo OL that is pretty much a special team's player (Davis) and he could certainly have brought in more JuCo depth along the OL. He was extremely proactive in addressing this issue along our DL, I wish it would have been the same with the OL.

That said, I don't think our offense was atrocious yesterday. We had some decent running lanes and attacked downfield.

They were bringing a lot of pressure and Zack wasn't great yesterday. He missed on a wide open throw to Paulsen (maybe it was Kieft) and missed on a pretty open Tyler Johnson. When a team is bringing pressure, you have to make them pay, or else you are putting an underwhelming OL in an almost impossible situation.

Our biggest issue today was the play of the safeties and LBers.

 

[SconnieGopher15]

Both lines take time to develop. From the looks of it, Fleck's dLine recruits look to have more potential down the road. This year will be rough in the trenches but you can coach around some deficiencies, only time will tell. Extra note, where is Colton Bebee?? He was an excellent blocking TE 2 years ago but hasn't been seen at all, why not throw him in and help the OLine.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Both lines take time to develop. From the looks of it, Fleck's dLine recruits look to have more potential down the road. This year will be rough in the trenches but you can coach around some deficiencies, only time will tell. Extra note, where is Colton Bebee?? He was an excellent blocking TE 2 years ago but hasn't been seen at all, why not throw him in and help the OLine.

Yeah, it's surprising to me that Kieft and Paulsen have seemed to jump Beebe. Beebe was a good blocker a couple years ago.

 

[John Galt]

Both lines take time to develop. From the looks of it, Fleck's dLine recruits look to have more potential down the road. This year will be rough in the trenches but you can coach around some deficiencies, only time will tell. Extra note, where is Colton Bebee?? He was an excellent blocking TE 2 years ago but hasn't been seen at all, why not throw him in and help the OLine.

Beebe played a fair amount yesterday.

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

Every year in the spring game everyone talks about how much "bigger and better" the O-line is. Every year in the non-conference we hype up the O-line. Every year they get their butts handed to them in BiG play. Until they can do better in BiG play we have to remind ourselves of what happens every year (gosh next thing you know I will be rambling about the only thing that matters is Big Ten wins!). 3 of the starters are seasoned, 2 are young. Hopefully the young guys can play better and the veterans can adapt. No matter what I think we are going to have to learn to temper any enthusiasm until BiG season starts.

 

[hungan1]

The devil is in the detail as far as the current Gophers Offensive Line Roster is concerned. Compare them with Wisconsin and Iowa's rosters.

Perusing through the rosters, there a lot of stories there. It is obvious the Gophers are behind Wisconsin and Iowa. I leave it up to you all to discuss.

 

[magpie]

Lacking talent and coaching by comparison.

 

[Rolling with Gophers]

It's amazing to me that you made this post 4 minutes BEFORE you started the thread which I won't even bother to name. You have identified one of the main issues with the team (the offensive line) and yet, you wonder about the head coach. How exactly did you expect the head coach to fix an offensive line by the first B1G game of his second year on the job? Go back to 2015 and look at that recruiting class of players that should be your Redshirt Juniors on the OL: Nick Connelly had to give up football due to concussions and sadly passed away, Tyler Moore transferred and then gave up football, Ted Stieber left the team and I assume gave up football, Bronson Dovich is a backup who can't get on the field, and Quinn Oseland is a backup that can't get on the field. Go back to 2014 and you get Jared Weyler as a redshirt senior in your starting lineup and Connor Mayes and Luke Rasmussen as guys who left the program. This program hasn't had an Offensive Lineman drafted in a decade and not being able to match up physically in the trenches is nothing new at Minnesota. It takes time to develop Offensive Lineman, and it you didn't have good prospects already being developed when you got the job, you aren't magically going to have a solid Offensive Line in year two of your program.

The Defensive Line is in much the same position. The Gophers took a grand total of two Defensive Lineman in 2015 in the (then and still) undersized Winston DeLattiboudere and the since transferred Mose Hall. They didn't have another power 5 offer between them. 2016 featured Carter Coughlin who is the only End doing anything right now, Merrick Jackson who had an unspectacular career as a JUCO, Tai'yon Devers, and TaMarion Johnson who was kicked out of school. Those two years combine for exactly zero DT's still on the roster and 3 defensive ends who are all built more like LB's than DE's. Is it any surprise that B1G teams run through the Gophers?

We don't know how Fleck is recruiting in the trenches yet, because guys (with the exception of JUCO's, Ben Davis looks like a miss) are too young to be expected to play yet. Almost of equal importance is that the jury is still very much out on Dan Nichol as strength coach. Can he get this group looking like the Wisconsin's and Iowa's of the world? In many cases, there lineman have looked both bigger AND leaner than the Gophers for a long, long time.

Nice to see a poster with some sense and understanding of talent and what it takes to build a roster. Building a line takes years and prior misses really set this team back. Unlike skill positions can develop more quickly but most schools have upper classmen as linemen

 

[Dano564]

Nice to see a poster with some sense and understanding of talent and what it takes to build a roster. Building a line takes years and prior misses really set this team back. Unlike skill positions can develop more quickly but most schools have upper classmen as linemen

+1

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

At some point didn't wasn't there some debate on how we were crooting so many OL....

 

[Section2]

Both lines take time to develop. From the looks of it, Fleck's dLine recruits look to have more potential down the road. This year will be rough in the trenches but you can coach around some deficiencies, only time will tell. Extra note, where is Colton Bebee?? He was an excellent blocking TE 2 years ago but hasn't been seen at all, why not throw him in and help the OLine.

Beebe I think has dealt with serious knee injuries.

 

[Hopeful Pessimist]

Our lack of quality upperclassman on the lines is maddening. If It is this sad by Flecks fourth year he will be out of a job soon after. As much as I was a killer fan, the QB and OL recruitment and development were a frustration for me.

I'm glad that you mentioned both lines. The inept recruiting of OL and DL has left the Gophers in a hole which can't be filled in 1 year. I liked the focus on OL in the 2018 recruits. Going into the 2019 recruiting, my prime areas of concern were defensive line, quarterback and defensive backfield. I like how they did on the first 2. Hopefully, the Juco defensive tackles and Bargy can quickly make a difference, and
Annexstad better not get comfortable because Jacob Clark is coming. If the Gophers can show improvement, maybe the 2020 class can have 3 strong ol's and 3 strong dl's, without the need to reach for borderline prospects.