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

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It took some time for Minnesota to have recruiting momentum at QB and WR. Honestly, it was hard at first to adjust to RPO Offense when we were spoon fed RUTM football.
 




I'm not trying to stir s__t up. Athan said, and Burns printed it. https://247sports.com/college/minne...ioch-Quarterback-Athan-Kaliakmanis-159022909/

GopherIllustrated.com: What are your individual and team goals you hope to accomplish during your college career?

Kaliakmanis: Individually, I want to start as a freshman. If I start, I want to win the Heisman. Even if I don’t start as a freshman, being able to learn from Tanner Morgan will be a key factor to my future success at the University of Minnesota. My goal is to be the smartest person on the field just like him. But the Heisman remains the individual goal.


Saying the right things, for sure. But the unstated message is pretty clear: Athan wants to start no later than 2022, if not 2021.

You can certainly say something like "he's just talking big, being confident, nothing wrong with that".
 

Then Athen will have his chance to prove himself in Practice that he is better than Morgan. Simple really
 

MplsGopher said:
I'm not trying to stir s__t up. Athan said, and Burns printed it. https://247sports.com/college/minne...ioch-Quarterback-Athan-Kaliakmanis-159022909/

GopherIllustrated.com: What are your individual and team goals you hope to accomplish during your college career?

Kaliakmanis: Individually, I want to start as a freshman. If I start, I want to win the Heisman. Even if I don’t start as a freshman, being able to learn from Tanner Morgan will be a key factor to my future success at the University of Minnesota. My goal is to be the smartest person on the field just like him. But the Heisman remains the individual goal.


Saying the right things, for sure. But the unstated message is pretty clear: Athan wants to start no later than 2022, if not 2021.

You can certainly say something like "he's just talking big, being confident, nothing wrong with that".
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To be fair, I don't think any big-time recruits would say, "Yeah, I'd like sit 3 years and then maybe get to play as a redshirt junior." All these kids want to play right away, but at least Athan is acknowledging the value of learning from Tanner.
 



I certainly hope he will be starting as a redshirt freshman!

Edit: Forgot that Tanner technically still has two years. If he bounces back next year (closer to 2019 than 2020 numbers), do people think he graduates and declares?
 

WriterGoph said:
To be fair, I don't think any big-time recruits would say, "Yeah, I'd like sit 3 years and then maybe get to play as a redshirt junior." All these kids want to play right away, but at least Athan is acknowledging the value of learning from Tanner.
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Haha. Imagine if they did. "Well, I'd like to get on campus, maybe get injured, sit for a year, then get beat out by a less heralded recruit for a couple years, start my senior year and be forgotten by the fan base after that"
 

MplsGopher said:
I'm not trying to stir s__t up. Athan said, and Burns printed it. https://247sports.com/college/minne...ioch-Quarterback-Athan-Kaliakmanis-159022909/

GopherIllustrated.com: What are your individual and team goals you hope to accomplish during your college career?

Kaliakmanis: Individually, I want to start as a freshman. If I start, I want to win the Heisman. Even if I don’t start as a freshman, being able to learn from Tanner Morgan will be a key factor to my future success at the University of Minnesota. My goal is to be the smartest person on the field just like him. But the Heisman remains the individual goal.


Saying the right things, for sure. But the unstated message is pretty clear: Athan wants to start no later than 2022, if not 2021.

You can certainly say something like "he's just talking big, being confident, nothing wrong with that".
Click to expand...
if he doesn't want to start by then (or any player really), then frankly I wouldn't want him as a coach. You want every player on your team to get on the field asap
 

MplsGopher said:
I'm not trying to stir s__t up. Athan said, and Burns printed it. https://247sports.com/college/minne...ioch-Quarterback-Athan-Kaliakmanis-159022909/

GopherIllustrated.com: What are your individual and team goals you hope to accomplish during your college career?

Kaliakmanis: Individually, I want to start as a freshman. If I start, I want to win the Heisman. Even if I don’t start as a freshman, being able to learn from Tanner Morgan will be a key factor to my future success at the University of Minnesota. My goal is to be the smartest person on the field just like him. But the Heisman remains the individual goal.


Saying the right things, for sure. But the unstated message is pretty clear: Athan wants to start no later than 2022, if not 2021.

You can certainly say something like "he's just talking big, being confident, nothing wrong with that".
Click to expand...
He's got a great attitude! Love it.
 



SixBySix said:
Edit: Forgot that Tanner technically still has two years. If he bounces back next year (closer to 2019 than 2020 numbers), do people think he graduates and declares?
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Right. This is what I (perhaps too subtly) wanted to get at: Tanner still has 2022, technically.

There's always the grad transfer avenue, as well. Peyton Ramsey from IU, and others.
 

MplsGopher said:
Right. This is what I (perhaps too subtly) wanted to get at: Tanner still has 2022, technically.

There's always the grad transfer avenue, as well. Peyton Ramsey from IU, and others.
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I'd be surprised if Tanner leaves MN and plays at another college. The guy is PJ junior in terms of living this culture.
 

MplsGopher said:
Right. This is what I (perhaps too subtly) wanted to get at: Tanner still has 2022, technically.

There's always the grad transfer avenue, as well. Peyton Ramsey from IU, and others.
Click to expand...

Have zero issue of any kind with what Athan said. Glad he wants to come in and compete right away, as others said, I would be more concerned if he didn't have big aspirations. Would expect nothing less from a highly rated QB.

Bottom line is that he will get the chance to prove what he can do when he gets on campus. While it seems unlikely that he will beat Morgan out right away but man if he does look out because he will truly be something special.
 

What about Clark, or Anasac, doesn't he have 2 or 3 years left? Athan has hardly played football over the last two years because of injury. He was not even named the MVP of the 7 on 7 tournament in Minnesota this summer.
 

As long as Athan doesn't turn into a Philip Nelson I'm fine with his comments. NEED TO EARN YOUR POSITION.
 

Tommyboy said:
What about Clark, or Anasac, doesn't he have 2 or 3 years left? Athan has hardly played football over the last two years because of injury. He was not even named the MVP of the 7 on 7 tournament in Minnesota this summer.
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Oh no he didn't win the coveted 7 on 7 MVP award? Might as well pull his scholarship now.
 



Athan obviously thinks he will pass up ZA, Clark, and Kramer this year.

Again, I suspect people will have no problem with him thinking that, so long as he earns the spot. The best players should play.
 

MplsGopher said:
Athan obviously thinks he will pass up ZA, Clark, and Kramer this year.

Again, I suspect people will have no problem with him thinking that, so long as he earns the spot. The best players should play.
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Not being on campus for Spring ball won't help.
 

It is brutal for these guys, kids are jumping around like musical chairs, so much for staying with one group for your college career.
 

Tommyboy said:
It is brutal for these guys, kids are jumping around like musical chairs, so much for staying with one group for your college career.
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Brutal for what guys? It used to be pretty uncommon for freshman and sophomore QBs to start, now it’s tough to get anyone to wait.
 


MplsGopher said:
I'm not trying to stir s__t up. Athan said, and Burns printed it. https://247sports.com/college/minne...ioch-Quarterback-Athan-Kaliakmanis-159022909/

GopherIllustrated.com: What are your individual and team goals you hope to accomplish during your college career?

Kaliakmanis: Individually, I want to start as a freshman. If I start, I want to win the Heisman. Even if I don’t start as a freshman, being able to learn from Tanner Morgan will be a key factor to my future success at the University of Minnesota. My goal is to be the smartest person on the field just like him. But the Heisman remains the individual goal.


Saying the right things, for sure. But the unstated message is pretty clear: Athan wants to start no later than 2022, if not 2021.

You can certainly say something like "he's just talking big, being confident, nothing wrong with that".
Click to expand...

Like Fleck has said all along, replace the current players with better players.....should be every kids goal to work hard and get on the playing field as soon as possible.
 

GoGoGopher12 said:
Not being on campus for Spring ball won't help.
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Illinois is playing spring football though, right? So while it's still not ideal, it's probably closer to being an early enrollee than it would be in a normal year--still gets another season of game time.
 

SixBySix said:
Illinois is playing spring football though, right? So while it's still not ideal, it's probably closer to being an early enrollee than it would be in a normal year--still gets another season of game time.
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I understand your point. Playing his HS senior year is certainly better than not, but I feel he will be that much further behind come Fall ball. I don't blame the kid at all for playing his senior year though. It's just a circumstance of the COVID season.
 


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