Official 2011 Gopher Fall Camp Thread: Updates, Analysis, Links, etc.

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Thanks for the recap. In evalutating the QB's are they going up against a defense of any kind or just throwing against air at this stage of practice? If it is just QB to WR on uncovered routes, I am not sure how much you can tell about the QB.
 

GopherHole Staff said:
Thanks for the recap from Tuesday's practice - great stuff.

When new threads like this are put up with the date of the specific practice, we'll leave it up for the night and will wait to move it to the Official Camp Thread until later in the morning the following day. That will allow people to see the most current update in a separate thread, and then it will also put it all in one place later on. Please let us know if anyone has any issues with that approach.

Thanks, GopherHole Staff
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Works for me... Good idea.
 

I am following every note on Lamonte Edwards. From what I have read he offers Size, quickness, and Top End Speed. Having a 6-2 220 + back in the backfield provides a valid second threat.
 


Roseville Patch: Former Concordia Academy Football Player Upbeat About Gophers' Season

http://roseville.patch.com/articles...y-football-player-upbeat-about-gophers-season

From the article: Bak and his teammate used to run two to three 300-yard sprints in practice under former Gophers coach Tim Brewster.

Under new Gophers coach, Jerry Kill and his coaching staff, they have been running 12 to 14 of those sprints in workouts. Bak, a red-shirted freshman, sees it as one of the many promising changes for the Gophers.

Go Gophers!!
 



We need details. Was it a 40? 100? But the most important speed is 10 yards.
 

A few tweets from Gerry DiNardo:

"Yesterday's Minn practice was well run, a lot of teaching and very productive.The only down side was it was a no pad practice"

"Minn. looked much better yesterday then last spring. Yesterday was a non-contact practice and you can't evaluate a FB team w/o contact."

"Even though Minn. prac was no pads O line looked like it has a real chance to be one of the strengths of the team. Love Gjere as newcomer"

When asked a question about who stood out to him and the rest of the BTN crew, he responded:

"No special order Beal, Foreman,Cooper, Gray, McKnight, Bennett, D. Wright, Tinsley, Gjere, M.Jones,Keise,Wells,Levine Moulton,Rallis"
 

dpodoll68 said:
A few tweets from Gerry DiNardo:

"Yesterday's Minn practice was well run, a lot of teaching and very productive.The only down side was it was a no pad practice"

"Minn. looked much better yesterday then last spring. Yesterday was a non-contact practice and you can't evaluate a FB team w/o contact."

"Even though Minn. prac was no pads O line looked like it has a real chance to be one of the strengths of the team. Love Gjere as newcomer"

When asked a question about who stood out to him and the rest of the BTN crew, he responded:

"No special order Beal, Foreman,Cooper, Gray, McKnight, Bennett, D. Wright, Tinsley, Gjere, M.Jones,Keise,Wells,Levine Moulton,Rallis"
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Surprised that last tweet didn't end with, "but it was tough to tell without pads" :)

Good stuff. Can't believe were nearly 3 weeks away.
 



The spring Special will air next week on the 15th. Excited to see what they say. There's a few more Videos up on the GI Youtube site.

Kill:

Cooper:

McKnight:
 

Can someone definitively tell me how Gjere is pronounced. Is it Gear, Geary?
 


That Cooper video was good stuff.
 





Look at the pipes on Shortell. I think the workout regimen is working...

Shortell.jpg
 


Random thoughts from practice #2.....

* Great day for practice outdoors (I'd been indoors but never outdoors).

* Gray is a thoroughbred amongst quarter horses but can he throw? I still don't know.

* I see why Shortell is already #2. The best arm of the participating group & when asked to run he did fine + looked plenty quick when creating under pressure. He also seems poised beyond his years & he's got a great tall/lanky frame that could easily develop into the prototype 6'6" 240 body the pros love in 1st round QB's.

* I liked that Foreman was getting all those reps @ QB with the JV. Athletic & seems to me he's in the plans for Fall '11, I'm thinking he'll get 5-10 snaps a game out of the wildcat.

* Parish over Alipate...ouch.

* I can confirm that Devon Wright is alive & well. Hard to know much from what I saw today but I can say he runs smooth & I get the feeling he'll be a good change-of-pace back. He looked "average" sized to me, not small, but not an every down back. He looked graceful & smooth, more of a gazelle than a jackrabbit or a bull.

* Ge'Shun Harris is the only WR other than McKnight with any size (6' 2 1/2", 205lb by my unofficial estimation) & should see plenty of time with a) lead blocking on running plays to his side & b) him catching 8 yard outs for key 1st downs along the sideline like in the 2 minute drill today.

* Is Green really healthy? I saw him suited up & running around but never saw him touch the ball or look like a target today.

* Moulton showed some nice speed, athleticism & was able to get to a couple deeper balls, but had one particularly bad drop across the middle where he skied up splitting two defenders and grabbed a floater out of the air....and then let go & tipped it up for a pick-off (if I recall correctly?). I thought to myself "This is the Big-10 kiddo, you gotta catch that one". He should be fine in the slot if Jones doesn't work out or gets injured.

* Marcus Jones looks wider & more confident. Didn't strike me as particularly fast today (compared to last time I saw him practice) but also didn't drop 5 balls (compared to last time I saw him practice)). He's going to be good, I think everyone agrees on that. Kind of like a Dominic Jones (in a good way) on Offense.

* V Keise seems like the one WR who's emerging from the pack & has clearly won Gray's confidence. I think Gray will check down to Keise when on the run for short gains a lot this season.

* I really like T Olson at Center on the "D" team. I'd love for him to practice all season at Center & red-shirt. Let Wynn/Epping/Mottla handle the duties this year & get Tommy ready to be a multi-Letterman for 2012-2013-2014-2015.

* S Ferguson looks like a different man. I only saw him a couple times before today, but in my mind, physically he looked WAAAAAAAY improved. He went from over-sized & lumpy, to long & raw, with big upside.

* I heard coach get after Campion real hard today, sounded like a missed assignment.

* I saw Hal Legania in the mix on at least one play today!

* Wilhite lost his cool in a minor scrape with Eddie Olson & Kill got on him for it. I really think Wilhite needs to make it happen right now, he's got no spot wrapped up. He's so light he gets manhandled by power teams (i.e. just about everyone we play in conference) & that's fine for a pass rushing specialist. Problem is DL Wilhite's pass rushing is NOT THAT SPECIAL. I want him to be a monster from the edge too, but at least for now...he's not. He must become a more complete player.

* Stoudemire is really blossoming into a leader on the D. I was wrong. I Said he should have stayed on O because we needed his play making ability, but it's clear that while he's good on O, he's special on D.

* Great to have a number of legit CB's on the roster at the same time! We have some young depth for a change. TS + Carter & Vereen is young, but solid imo & Henderson can play a little + Bouie is young/looked good at times in the Spring + Montgomery is a talented Freshman.

* Hawthorne's really tall...and can boot it.

* May have damaged my corneas staring directly at Glen Mason's choppers.
 

Costa Rican Gopher said:
* Stoudemire is really blossoming into a leader on the D. I was wrong. I Said he should have stayed on O because we needed his play making ability, but it's clear that while he's good on O, he's special on D.
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:cool:

Thanks for the recap, CRG.
 







The hit of the day was by Aaron Hill. He absolutely leveled Alex Bisch after a catch (to the ooohs and aaahs of his teammates). Royston also made some very strong hits. The star of the day in my mind was Edwards. He ran with great power, balance, desire, toughness and speed. He was really tough to tackle although Tinsley did level him once. Bennett made an amazing 360 spin and didn't lose a step. Shortell is clearly #2 and Moses is nowhere. Tracy Claeys seems like a ghost. where is he? It seems all the coaching emphasis is on offense. Limegrover is the most vocal and present member of the staff. He was really getting on the guys today. Kill, too. I loved the ice cream quote. Moulton made a very nice catch and got praise from Kill. Lair looks very confident. Tommy Olsen doesn't get much criticism from Limegrover during drills. Gjere seems to get the most heat.
 


Limegrover was the animated one out there today. He looks to be a perfectionist as to technique and got on the cases of many players. Lots of intense confrontations. But--as with Kill-he combines it with a similar amounts of praise.
 

From Sid:

"One player that Gophers football coach Jerry Kill is high on is freshman wide receiver Marcus Jones from Wake Forest, N.C. "Marcus is a unique kid," said Kill of the 5-8 Jones, who entered school early. "There's not very many people that can come in, came from North Carolina, the home of the great Bobby Bell, and came in the semester, and it's snowing like crazy, and his mom and dad left him off here and he went right to work. He's worked hard. He put on some weight, looks good, went through spring, he practiced every day, one of the few kids that didn't get hurt, and he's gotten better, and I think he had a 3.7 GPA. Those are the kinds of people that eventually good things happen to. Marcus has got a good career ahead of him. I think he's up to about [178 pounds], which is much bigger than he was when he came in, he was about 162-163, I think he's going to be an exciting young man to watch."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/127497128.html?page=2&c=y

Go Gophers!!
 

“We’ve got to find somebody that’s going to be a good, solid backup … a guy that can push him …” Kill said.

Competition is good. Shortell may never be as physically talented as Gray but Shortell is highly polished at this infant stage of his career, especially as a passer. Dude just looks like a guy who came out of a serious HS program, all-star QB camps & means business. Gray will need to become a better/more consistent passer to not be 2nd best in passing drills.
 

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