Official 2013 Gopher Fall Camp Thread: Updates, Analysis, Links, etc.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Day 1 of camp is in the books! Learned a lot and found a lot of stuff to work on. Only can go up from here! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Minnesota&src=hash">#Minnesota</a></p>— Alex Mayes (@Alex_Mayes76) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alex_Mayes76/statuses/363495669203341313">August 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Go Gophers!!
 

PiPress: Gophers football: Jerry Kill likes team's depth

"We're looking more like a Big Ten team needs to look," he said. "Are we there yet? Not going to tell you that. But we're looking better."

Nelson, who started the final seven games last season as a freshman, said the biggest difference from opening fall practice a year ago is that the offense now has found an identity.

"We were experimenting with a lot of things, I felt like last fall," he said. "Now we know what we want to do; it's just a matter of perfecting it. Our quarterbacks this year, we have to be able to manage the game and get the ball to the right people at the right time, be accurate and let them make plays. That's taking a lot of pressure off our shoulders."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 


AP: Nelson back for Gophs with confidence, competition

Freshman Mitch Leidner, who redshirted last year, is behind Nelson on the depth chart in light of MarQueis Gray's graduation and Max Shortell's decision to transfer. Freshmen Chris Streveler and Donovahn Jones will be evaluated closely in camp, too. Kill raved about Leidner's strong finish in the spring game.

"Once he settled down, he went toe to toe and we had a heck of a ballgame there. So I think that Mitch is like a lot of our whole team: It's going to be young and a little bit inexperienced, but sometimes that's good. They don't know any better. So you just don't tell them anything but, 'Go play,'" Kill said.

http://www.news8000.com/sports/nels...petition/-/330/21314408/-/f52tqn/-/index.html

Go Gophers!!
 

FSN: Gophers return to practice with increased balance and depth

"I would like to have one more recruiting class, but even with that, we've got two full recruiting classes," Kill said after Friday's practice. "Some of the older kids have developed along the process. When I first got here, there wasn't a whole lot of competition. It was survival mode. Last year we were even surviving on the offensive line and just trying to keep healthy bodies in there. . . .

"There's much more competition, and that's good. That's good for practice because if you sit down and don't do well, you're going to get yourself in trouble. I feel good about what we have. We've got to do a good job coaching it."

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/colle...tice-with-increase?blockID=925981&feedID=3590

Go Gophers!!
 


1500: Unlike recent years, Gophers pass eye test on first day of fall camp

More notes and observations from Day 1

• It's typical for the offense to struggle at the start of camp, and sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson wasn't immune to the trend. Although he looks much more in command in the huddle, Nelson was shaky at times once the ball was snapped, tossing a couple interceptions near the end of practice.

Key backup Mitch Leidner had his ups and downs as well, but had the better day between the two young quarterbacks. The Gophers intend to give at least limited reps to Leidner this season, with his responsibilities likely to largely highlight his speed and mobility.

"I do like running the football," Leidner said. "I was able to get a lot better at that during last season and spring ball."

• It's not time to start throwing around the term "quarterback controversy," but watch out for Leidner. Nelson is the Gophers' starting quarterback, and should be when they open the season in four weeks against UNLV, but it can't be considered a foregone conclusion that he will hold on to the spot all year.

Leidner filled in some of the developmental gap between him and Nelson, who started seven games in 2012, during the spring, and he has an opportunity to catch up even more in the fall.

• The Gophers wasted no time getting freshman wide receiver Eric Carter involved. Carter, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound Florida native, stood out simply by how active he was with the first and second teams, being used in motion and in the slot. Carter even garnered unprompted recognition from Kill afterward.

• Recent converts at center Tommy Olson and Ernie Heifort blended in with the second and third team squads. In the wake of Zach Mottla's unfortunate departure and Bobek's illness, the Gophers shifted Heifort and Olson to center to fill the void. Heifort starting taking reps at center in the spring, while Olson made the switch in the summer.

The glut of offseason snaps they took away from the coaching staff appeared to have paid off in making their transition to their first day back run a little smoother.

"I tell you what, with no pads on they looked pretty good," offensive coordinator and O-line coach Matt Limegrover said. "You put No. 99 (Ra'Shede Hageman) in shoulder pads and we'll see how well they snap. That's a big indicator right there ... They did a great job this summer of doing what I asked them to do as far as snapping the football and becoming proficient at that. They'll have their ups and downs."

• The public turnout for practice was sizable, making the near sideline a little more crowded then past fall camp practices. Like Friday, Saturday and Sunday's practices are open to the public, with a 10:25 a.m. start time for both

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...pass_eye_test_on_first_day_of_fall_camp080313

Go Gophers!!
 






<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Claeys: "This is the best secondary we have had since we have been here."</p>— Gopher Football (@GopherFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/GopherFootball/statuses/363719854857007105">August 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Cedric Thompson was the best Gopher on the field today. Numerous picks and broke up many passes. Expecting big things out of him this year.</p>— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsGI) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanBurnsGI/statuses/363724158049337344">August 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
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STrib blog: Campbell making a strong first impression on Gophers coaches

“A guy that’s really impressed me early in camp, really, with the learning curve and catching on has been De’Vondre,” Kill said. “Because he’s a junior college transfer who’s got three years [of eligibility] left. He doesn’t mess around. He’s focused and locked in. He’s really done well the first couple days which surprised me a little bit.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/218228991.html

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
STrib blog: Campbell making a strong first impression on Gophers coaches

“A guy that’s really impressed me early in camp, really, with the learning curve and catching on has been De’Vondre,” Kill said. “Because he’s a junior college transfer who’s got three years [of eligibility] left. He doesn’t mess around. He’s focused and locked in. He’s really done well the first couple days which surprised me a little bit.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/218228991.html

Go Gophers!!
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Good to hear that about Campbell. Kill was talking up Barker at this time last year and he ended up being right (aside from all the drama). Hopefully he's right about Campbell too and he makes an impact right away.
 

Ski-U-Mah
 

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STrib: RB Kirkwood hoping for breakout year for himself, Gophers

“I’d love to [reach 1,000],” Kirkwood said. “But if we’re successful and it doesn’t take me going over 1,000 yards, I don’t have a problem with it all.”

The Gophers pulled a potential redshirt from freshman Rodrick Williams, in part to save wear and tear on Kirkwood. As a result, Kirkwood’s yards-per-carry increased.

“I was more fresh,” Kirkwood said. “If Rodrick would have played in the Syracuse game, I feel like that game would have been kind of out of reach in the second, third quarter. I’m in shape, but 28 carries is a lot on a man’s body.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/218241721.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 

Charley Walters: Gophers' Philip Nelson says Twitter 'not even worth it'

"Before I got here, I had a Twitter account. Once I got here and realized some of the things that happen, I got rid of it. It's not even worth it, because it's all about football here.

"You've just got to really watch yourself. You know, we're held to a different standard as football players. It doesn't matter if you're under 21 (years old), 20, whatever. It depends on what you want -- do you want to win, or do you want to go out and have fun. I think a lot of people around here want to win."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

Gophers football: Competition at linebacker is in flux

Hill, the only returning linebacker with more than one start, needed an initial push to fill a leadership role but picked it up quickly.

"He's done a great job and become a leader of our football team," Kill said after Saturday's practice. "He does the right things off the field. It's what you want representing us. He did a great job in the spring and a great job in the summer."

"We had a couple critical errors last year that cost us some big runs," Hill said. "But coming into this year, it's going to be all about alignment and assignment. It's one of our goals. If you're there, you have a better chance to be successful."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

FSN: Gophers juco import Damien Wilson tries to model game after Ray Lewis

Now the 6-foot-2, 254-pound Wilson gets to learn from Gophers linebackers coach Bill Miller, who coached Ray Lewis when he was the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami in the mid-1990s. Having grown up idolizing the way Lewis plays, Wilson's eyes get wide when that fact is mentioned.

"That's the greatest in the game," Wilson said of Lewis. "If you coached the greatest in the game you've got to be doing something right."

"Damien being older and already playing junior college, he's just a lot stronger. ... In those regards, Damien has a little bit of an edge in the size," said Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. "Even those kids at junior college, they played against some pretty good athletes. Not a whole team of them, but they played against three or four of them. They've played some college ball. ... Little things like that is the advantage that Damien has."

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/colle...mien-Wilson-tries-?blockID=926147&feedID=3590

Go Gophers!!
 

per Sid:

Gophers underrated

While the Big Ten media picked the Gophers football team to finish last in its division in preseason polls, Jerry Kill has gone through that in the past and doesn’t put too much stock in predictions.

“Where I’ve been before, whether it was Year 1, 2 or 3, that’s where it is when you’re building a program,” Kill said. “You have to prove that you can win in the Big Ten consistently, and we haven’t done that. But I think all the media days, the predictions, I think that’s great for college football, but I never, ever paid attention to it.

“Where I’ve been before, we’ve been picked to win it all and not win any, and those things usually have turned out differently. Our big focus is what we can control, and I think our kids feel good about the progress we’ve made in our program. At the end of the day, you have to win on the field, that’s where it counts.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/218241621.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 

1500: Gophers fall camp Day 2: De'Vondre Campbell garnering attention at LB

"The guy who has really impressed me with the learning curve and catching on is De'Vondre," Kill said unprompted post-practice on Saturday. "He doesn't mess around. He's focused. He's locked in and he's really done well the first couple of days, which surprised me a little bit."

Notes and observations from Day 2

• Claeys said he has focused primarily in the first two practices on evaluating his linebackers, as he tries solidify six players he envisions shouldering the majority of playing time this season.

Best current guess on who those six are likely to be: Aaron Hill, Damien Wilson, James Manuel, De'Vondre Campbell, Jack Lynn and Jephte Matilus.

• Defensively, the process of determining who to redshirt is set to begin much earlier in camp. In the last two seasons, the Gophers were spreading reps across three units as late as the day before their opening game in an effort to finalize their depth chart. But Claeys expects to start firming up his defense following the 10th practice of camp next weekend.

Linebacker is the position on defense most likely to see one or two freshmen given the chance to play right away. Rayfield Dixon and De'Niro Laster have both caught Claeys' attention.

"Rayfield has made some plays," Claeys said. "And De'Niro has the size to where he could play right now if he picks up on things and things go well. It's just too early to tell."

• Ra'Shede Hageman has been getting all the attention on the defensive line, but the line as a whole has quietly formed some quality depth, especially at tackle.

Redshirt junior Cameron Botticelli, a starter in all 13 games alongside Hageman last season and part of the top layer of talent in the interior, recognizes the improvements being made and insists the "U" D-line is a unit to watch this year.

"Ra'Shede has worked really hard and deserves any hype that he does get," Botticelli said. "But I do think that this D-line is packed with other talented players, who have been working just as hard as Ra'Shede in the offseason. I would expect a couple pleasant surprises come the fall."

• Safety Cedric Thompson had a notable day in passing shell with a pair of interceptions, including one off a tip ball thrown by quarterback Philip Nelson.

• Nelson and backup quarterback Mitch Leidner both struggled periodically with their accuracy again in pass shell and team drills. Leidner was all over the place, overthrowing multiple receivers and having several passes picked off.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...ndre_Campbell_garnering_attention_at_LB080313

Go Gophers!!
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Coach Kill said linebacker Jephte Matilus lost 15 pounds in the summer. He's now 6-1, 238 pounds. One of the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gophers&src=hash">#Gophers</a> hardest hitters</p>— PiPress Gophers Now (@GophersNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/GophersNow/statuses/363841622749888515">August 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Go Gophers!!
 

Practice Observations

Some observations on the practice today-

We have 4 good QB prospects. Nelson and Leidner, of course, but I thought Streveler and Jones looked good as well. I would expect both to redshirt and gain a little weight. All 4 are reasonably accurate throwing the ball and quick on their feet.

Leidner is noticeably faster than he was in the open practices last fall or in the spring practices.

Drew Wolitarsky seems to be all he was cracked up to be. I doubt that he will start but I am sure he will not redshirt and will get a lot of playing time. He makes catching a football look like it would be the easiest thing in the world to do.

Most of the receivers have good hands. Wright seems to have exceptional speed and can catch the ball. He made a nice catch of a long ball with pretty good coverage and took it to the house. When he is in the game he will be able to create a lot of space for guys like Engel and Wolitarsky

Carter, Hutton, Maye all made some very nice catches. The guy next to me said McDonald made a spectacular catch but I didn't see it. I did see McDonald drop one though. It wasn't the easiest ball to catch but the three guys above were making catches that were more difficult.

Overall this team looks big and fast. They also seem to know what they are doing. During the spring Kill made an off hand comment that he thought they would be competitive in every game this fall. I am sure he is right. Overall, I think this is the best team I have seen in 30 years of watching Gopher football. I am sticking with my prediction of 8-4 mostly because the QBs are so inexperienced and young.

Keep the faith and GO GOPHERS!
 

BleedGopher said:
Charley Walters: Gophers' Philip Nelson says Twitter 'not even worth it'

"Before I got here, I had a Twitter account. Once I got here and realized some of the things that happen, I got rid of it. It's not even worth it, because it's all about football here.

"You've just got to really watch yourself. You know, we're held to a different standard as football players. It doesn't matter if you're under 21 (years old), 20, whatever. It depends on what you want -- do you want to win, or do you want to go out and have fun. I think a lot of people around here want to win."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
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Paging Johnny Football.. Paging Jonathan Manziel...
 


Really like the KFAN live coverage at practice. Give a listen if you can.
 

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