Official 2021 Gophers Football Recruiting Updates Thread: Links, Tweets, Videos etc

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There is plenty talent in the Midwest, it may not be refined to the extent of other states, but you are seeing more and more individual training groups. A good coach is able to identify talent and then have a system to develop. These coaches with their huge salaries must sell themselves and have a win now mentality. I have seen articles following 5 star QB recruits, ironically there are more 2 and 3 star recruits that end up starting over the 5 star guys. That says it all.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Actually according to the quick search info I could find the average NHL career is 5.5 years vs. 3.5 for football and the NHL compares very favorably with MLB and NBA for career length. There is zero doubt that football is the toughest sport to have a long career in.

I don't think those numbers factor in minor league time as well though. For example in football and basketball for the most part the pro clock starts right away after college. Whereas in baseball and hockey there is usually going to be multiple years of minor league time factored in there as well. So the total length of your sports career is probably way longer in baseball and hockey if you make it to the top level, but I don't have any actual data to back that up.
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I wasn't talking about career length necessarily. I was talking more about concussions and other life-long issues players can have with joint issues, etc.

I know a former NHL player that played for many years and he had several concussions and is feeling the effects of it now on his memory.
 

60's Guy said:
I’m not so sure it’s an anti Minnesota thing or was. Some kids just want to go away to school. Happens in lots of places. Wisconsin just happens to be on a roll.

Whether they are Minnesota kids or not isn’t the bottom line. Can you evaluate and develop talent? Does not matter what the rankings say. Does matter how they fit your program and if you can develop them. Speed would seem to be prerequisite number one. PJ has not clearly shown that ability yet.

Bateman, yes. Who else has PJ recruited that you see play and go Oh my gosh, he’s going to be amazing? Mo is good, Tanner was, but last year. Callahan does a great job with the O-line. There is consistency there but hardly any where else.
Hopefully, next year looks very different.
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You're really underselling a lot of guys with such a short list:

Bateman - obviously
Mo - He has been great, not just good
Tanner - He was good in 2018, amazing in 2019 and now played 2020 without half his OL. Still has 1-2 years left as well. Even if he never played again, he'd go down as a major recruiting win for PJ
Big Dan - very solid when he has played, still time left, but will play in NFL
Dunlap - also very solid and will come back and has NFL upside
CAB - Dude just makes huge catches and its not his fault he has been stuck behind NFL WRs
Mafe - Has made some big plays but still hasn't started on a full DL; tons of upside
D'Angelo Carter - still very young but already showing lots of promise
Braelen Oliver - was looking good last year before his injury; will be a big contributor

And it's WAY too early to be able to make any determination on highly-regarded young guys like JJ Guedet, Ky Thomas, Daniel Jackson, Doug Emilien, Tyler Nubin, Itayvion Brown, Jaqwondis Burns, Cody Lindenberg, Rashad Cheney, MJ Anderson, Dvion Harris, Michael Dixon
 

MNVCGUY said:
Actually according to the quick search info I could find the average NHL career is 5.5 years vs. 3.5 for football and the NHL compares very favorably with MLB and NBA for career length. There is zero doubt that football is the toughest sport to have a long career in.

I don't think those numbers factor in minor league time as well though. For example in football and basketball for the most part the pro clock starts right away after college. Whereas in baseball and hockey there is usually going to be multiple years of minor league time factored in there as well. So the total length of your sports career is probably way longer in baseball and hockey if you make it to the top level, but I don't have any actual data to back that up.
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Wild guess (that could be wrong): he's been playing hockey since he was very little, and is just burnt out. The year-round training (dry land and on ice), the rinks, the smelly, sweaty gear, etc. etc.

It's a grind, trying to make it as a hockey player. You really have to have a passion for the game, to keep going.

Maybe he decided that he has more fun and more passion for football, and is pretty good at that too.
 
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btowngopher said:
It’s easy to point out kids that turn out great that the gophers missed on. But unless someone can identify those kids at a high rate when they are high school seniors it doesn’t matter. Casting a wider net will get you more of those kids, but will also get you kids that might not be able to start for NDSU.
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I know it's always debated, and there are probably good, honest answers ...... but man, to "miss" on Carson Wentz and Trey Lance? You'd think both would've accepted Gophers offers, no question asked.

I know, I know ....
 


btowngopher said:
Looks like Buckley is no longer listed as a top target. Speaks well for Townley I would think. McCoy, Rollins and McNeill now listed as top targets with Townley.
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I hope we get Townley. And have made it known to him that his spot here is waiting for him.

Rollins is interesting to me. Nebraska (along with BYU and Oregon State) in much earlier than us, with offer this summer. Yet still under the radar with other services (83 3* on 247).

Almost exactly the same driving distance from Missoula to Mpls or Lincoln, 1181mi vs 1191mi. That's a solid 16-17 hours of the most boring interstate highway driving you're going to do. Or you get a direct flight on Delta to MSP, or 2-leg flight on United through DEN to Lincoln.
 

WriterGoph said:
You're really underselling a lot of guys with such a short list:

Bateman - obviously
Mo - He has been great, not just good
Tanner - He was good in 2018, amazing in 2019 and now played 2020 without half his OL. Still has 1-2 years left as well. Even if he never played again, he'd go down as a major recruiting win for PJ
Big Dan - very solid when he has played, still time left, but will play in NFL
Dunlap - also very solid and will come back and has NFL upside
CAB - Dude just makes huge catches and its not his fault he has been stuck behind NFL WRs
Mafe - Has made some big plays but still hasn't started on a full DL; tons of upside
D'Angelo Carter - still very young but already showing lots of promise
Braelen Oliver - was looking good last year before his injury; will be a big contributor

And it's WAY too early to be able to make any determination on highly-regarded young guys like JJ Guedet, Ky Thomas, Daniel Jackson, Doug Emilien, Tyler Nubin, Itayvion Brown, Jaqwondis Burns, Cody Lindenberg, Rashad Cheney, MJ Anderson, Dvion Harris, Michael Dixon
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I'm rooting for all the best for Dunlap, but if it was an achilles then depending on the severity that has to be a nasty injury to come back from.
 

MplsGopher said:
I know it's always debated, and there are probably good, honest answers ...... but man, to "miss" on Carson Wentz and Trey Lance? You'd think both would've accepted Gophers offers, no question asked.

I know, I know ....
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Everyone missed on these guys. With Lance, I doubt he would have even played a snap at QB yet if he came here. Most of these guys are not bullet proof in that they can go anywhere and become nfl draft picks.
 

MplsGopher said:
I'm rooting for all the best for Dunlap, but if it was an achilles then depending on the severity that has to be a nasty injury to come back from.
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While achilles injuries have lengthy recovery and rehabs, it seems fairly standard now that players make it back within a year of the injury. I guess I'd be very surprised if Dunlap isn't ready for next season
 



WriterGoph said:
While achilles injuries have lengthy recovery and rehabs, it seems fairly standard now that players make it back within a year of the injury. I guess I'd be very surprised if Dunlap isn't ready for next season
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Yep - I know a few guys that tore their achilles playing basketball (one happened to a guy while I was guarding him and that was weird to hear the snap). They all took a full year to heal up but basically are back to normal now. I'm sure Dunlap with all the medical resources and training available in the football program will heal up just fine and be ready to go.
 

Tommyboy said:
There is plenty talent in the Midwest, it may not be refined to the extent of other states, but you are seeing more and more individual training groups. A good coach is able to identify talent and then have a system to develop. These coaches with their huge salaries must sell themselves and have a win now mentality. I have seen articles following 5 star QB recruits, ironically there are more 2 and 3 star recruits that end up starting over the 5 star guys. That says it all.
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If the Gophers recruited the way you want them to recruit you would have a team full of Minnesota kids that could not compete in the Big Ten. The bottom line is that the skill players available in this state are woefully behind those from other parts of the country. That is just a fact.
 


MNVCGUY said:
If the Gophers recruited the way you want them to recruit you would have a team full of Minnesota kids that could not compete in the Big Ten. The bottom line is that the skill players available in this state are woefully behind those from other parts of the country. That is just a fact.
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Bull, I am not saying just recruit Minnesota, recruit everywhere, but do not underestimate your local kids. Look the RB from Stewarville, went to play in SD, now he has a full ride to SDSU and is the Gatorade player of the year. Singer, went to play in Arizona, now has a Pac12 offer. There are a lot of guys. The WR from Buffalo, went to Wyoming, now the pros are looking at him. Just to name a few.
 



Tommyboy said:
Bull, I am not saying just recruit Minnesota, recruit everywhere, but do not underestimate your local kids. Look the RB from Stewarville, went to play in SD, now he has a full ride to SDSU and is the Gatorade player of the year. Singer, went to play in Arizona, now has a Pac12 offer. There are a lot of guys. The WR from Buffalo, went to Wyoming, now the pros are looking at him. Just to name a few.
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I get what you're saying. Guys will work their butts off and over excel compared to where coaches pegged them in high school. Problem is 1 in 100 of these guys work out that way. I'm sure many of them camped with the gophers, sent tape, had their coaches call/email, whatever and they just didn't wow the coaches.
 

tmvander said:
I get what you're saying. Guys will work their butts off and over excel compared to where coaches pegged them in high school. Problem is 1 in 100 of these guys work out that way. I'm sure many of them camped with the gophers, sent tape, had their coaches call/email, whatever and they just didn't wow the coaches.
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Well, that what a great coach gets paid millions of dollars to be able to see talent. Bring them all in and the creme will rise to the top.
 

Tommyboy said:
Well, that what a great coach gets paid millions of dollars to be able to see talent. Bring them all in and the creme will rise to the top.
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I mean that's the thing is they see the talent and it isn't in these guys at this time. You put any coach in America in a starting HC position in MN and give them one scholarship to use on a guy who ends up a Big Ten player vs a guy who ends up an NDSU player and the VAST majority will offer the Big Ten player.

Not because of the ranking, the offers, or all that BS, but because at the time they are seeing them and how they believe they will develop they are the best guy to be offered.

Guys will always fall through the cracks and guys will always under achieve.
 

FWIW, HS kids might just make their college choices based in part on the system employed by the college of their choice. And some kids are better fits for different systems. A player who fits best in Fleck's system may not fit so well for Wisconsin, or vice versa.

So it's not just a matter of recruiting the best athletes available. it's also about recruiting the best athletes who fit your system - and want to attend your school.

And that is part of the recruiting process - selling the recruit on the idea that they will fit "your" system better and be a more productive player than they would if they went to School X.
 

Tommyboy said:
Well, that what a great coach gets paid millions of dollars to be able to see talent. Bring them all in and the creme will rise to the top.
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It is easy to cherrypick examples of guys that were overlooked and went on to star somewhere else. The thing is, if a guy goes to South Dakota or Wyoming or even a place like NDSU then that means it wasn't just the Gophers that missed on him.

Coaches need to find players they feel are as close as possible to being sure things, regardless of where they come from. If all the power 5 programs are passing on a kid there is probably a fairly good reason for it. Now obviously they are going to be wrong sometimes but I bet if you went through all the Minnesota kids that didn't get power 5 offers and signed somewhere else, you would find that the majority of them never developed to the point where they would have been legit power 5 contributors.
 

MplsGopher said:
Rollins is interesting to me. Nebraska (along with BYU and Oregon State) in much earlier than us, with offer this summer. Yet still under the radar with other services (83 3* on 247).
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Have we ever recruited the #1 rated prospect in the state of Montana?

If it happens we will be accused of having a bag man there!!!
 

MNVCGUY said:
It is easy to cherrypick examples of guys that were overlooked and went on to star somewhere else. The thing is, if a guy goes to South Dakota or Wyoming or even a place like NDSU then that means it wasn't just the Gophers that missed on him.

Coaches need to find players they feel are as close as possible to being sure things, regardless of where they come from. If all the power 5 programs are passing on a kid there is probably a fairly good reason for it. Now obviously they are going to be wrong sometimes but I bet if you went through all the Minnesota kids that didn't get power 5 offers and signed somewhere else, you would find that the majority of them never developed to the point where they would have been legit power 5 contributors.
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I would disagree with you, the example I used about kids playing elsewhere and being recognized has to do with the fact they really do not recruit our state and if they do they cherry pick some 6'8" lineman. Most programs do not even waste their time recruiting because of the numbers and developing programs in southern states. It is the reason NDSU has beaten each of their FBS competition for the last several meetings.
 

Tommyboy said:
I would disagree with you, the example I used about kids playing elsewhere and being recognized has to do with the fact they really do not recruit our state and if they do they cherry pick some 6'8" lineman. Most programs do not even waste their time recruiting because of the numbers and developing programs in southern states. It is the reason NDSU has beaten each of their FBS competition for the last several meetings.
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While NDSU does have a large number of players from Minnesota on their roster they also have lots of guys from other parts of the country as well, so it isn't like they are taking a roster full of just overlooked kids from Minnesota and having the success they do.

Of the 35 or so Minnesota kids on their roster I would bet only a handful of them would be good enough to outperform guys on our current roster. And sure Trey Lance is the easy one but coming out of high school his best offer was Boise State so it wasn't just the Gophers who missed on him.

So again, I will stick with my assertion that if you evaluated all the Minnesota kids that signed college scholarships at non power 5 schools you would only find a handful of them that are truly good enough to start at the power 5 level while the vast majority of them are playing at the level they should be.
 

MNVCGUY said:
While NDSU does have a large number of players from Minnesota on their roster they also have lots of guys from other parts of the country as well, so it isn't like they are taking a roster full of just overlooked kids from Minnesota and having the success they do.

Of the 35 or so Minnesota kids on their roster I would bet only a handful of them would be good enough to outperform guys on our current roster. And sure Trey Lance is the easy one but coming out of high school his best offer was Boise State so it wasn't just the Gophers who missed on him.

So again, I will stick with my assertion that if you evaluated all the Minnesota kids that signed college scholarships at non power 5 schools you would only find a handful of them that are truly good enough to start at the power 5 level while the vast majority of them are playing at the level they should be.
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Well, the left tackle at NDSU and his brother are from Becker and he will probably be going in the first round. The Kaizer kid from St. Cloud, is also being looked at, their tight end Noah from Crosby 6'6"270 will get a look. The #1 WR for NW in Chicago, his brother is a senior WR and is going to a Prep school next year in Connecticut. I think many times PJF does not really know the kids of our state and goes back to what he is comfortable with. With all the talent this year in the state how many kids are committed to the Gophers? 2, while he has several from Illinois.
 


Tommyboy said:
Well, the left tackle at NDSU and his brother are from Becker and he will probably be going in the first round. The Kaizer kid from St. Cloud, is also being looked at, their tight end Noah from Crosby 6'6"270 will get a look. The #1 WR for NW in Chicago, his brother is a senior WR and is going to a Prep school next year in Connecticut. I think many times PJF does not really know the kids of our state and goes back to what he is comfortable with. With all the talent this year in the state how many kids are committed to the Gophers? 2, while he has several from Illinois.
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PJF seems to be doing ok recruiting where he wants to.
 


Tommyboy said:
Bull, I am not saying just recruit Minnesota, recruit everywhere, but do not underestimate your local kids. Look the RB from Stewarville, went to play in SD, now he has a full ride to SDSU and is the Gatorade player of the year. Singer, went to play in Arizona, now has a Pac12 offer. There are a lot of guys. The WR from Buffalo, went to Wyoming, now the pros are looking at him. Just to name a few.
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Watch Buri’s highlight tape and watch Irving’s...tell me which rb you prefer.
 

Also just because a kid goes somewhere else and does great does not mean he would have done anything here or anywhere else. Fit and opportunity are so important.
 

Tommyboy said:
I have seen articles following 5 star QB recruits, ironically there are more 2 and 3 star recruits that end up starting over the 5 star guys. That says it all.
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I'm very much looking forward to seeing your list of 5-star QBs who have been beaten out by 2-and-3-star QBs compared to the list of 5-star quarterbacks who are starting over the 2-and-3 star guys.
 

Urbandale said:
I'm very much looking forward to seeing your list of 5-star QBs who have been beaten out by 2-and-3-star QBs compared to the list of 5-star quarterbacks who are starting over the 2-and-3 star guys.
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Not to mention there are WAY more 2 and 3 star players than there are 5 stars. Just from a sheer numbers standpoint it makes sense there are going to be more 2 and 3 stars starting.
 

Tommyboy said:
Many of the scholarships are divided multiple ways, bring in more walk-ons and treat them well.
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The walk on route is tricky though. How can you expect a kid to not accept a free ride to college somewhere else? If I was offered a walk on spot to MN or a free ride to NDSU i'd probably take the free ride and I'm a die hard gopher fan.
 

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