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

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If the Gophers are recruiting Saia Mapakaitolo, do they still have room for Avante Dickerson and possibly Davon Townley?

As far as transfers are concerned, the numbers are even as of now. We don't know if there will be more entering the transfer portal, retiring, or changing their mind about getting the extra year of eligibility.

Four Inbound:
Dylan Wright, 4 Star
Val Martin
Nyles Pinckney, 4 Star
Jack Gibbens

Four Outbound:
D'Vion Harris
Malcolm Robinson
Noah Hickox
Benjamin Sapp

They must have a spot reserved for Dickerson at the very least. PJ Fleck did mention that Mark Coyle okays extra scholarships within the max allowable for football in this tight budget atmosphere.

Gopher 2021 Scholarship Distribution:
247sports.com

Minnesota 2021 Football ScholarshipDistribution

Minnesota
247sports.com 247sports.com
 
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MplsGopher said:
https://www.si.com/college/2019/02/05/uncommittable-offers-recruiting-national-signing-day

Recruiting’s Biggest Bait-and-Switch: The Uncommittable Scholarship Offer
The average Power 5 program hands out roughly 200 more scholarship offers than it can follow through on during a recruiting cycle, and the numbers game has real-life consequences.
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I suppose
hungan1 said:
If the Gophers are recruiting Saia Mapakaitolo, do they still have room for Avante Dickerson and possibly Davon Townley?

As far as transfers are concerned, the numbers are even as of now. We don't know if there will be more entering the transfer portal, retiring, or changing their mind about getting the extra year of eligibility.

Four Inbound:
Dylan Wright, 4 Star
Val Martin
Nyles Pinckney, 4 Star
Jack Gibbens

Four Outbound:
D'Vion Harris
Malcolm Robinson
Noah Hickox
Benjamin Sapp

They must have a spot reserved for Dickerson at the very least. PJ Fleck did mention that Mark Coyle okays extra scholarships within the max allowable for football in this tight budget atmosphere.

Gopher 2021 Scholarship Distribution:
247sports.com

Minnesota 2021 Football ScholarshipDistribution

Minnesota
247sports.com 247sports.com
Click to expand...

I’d guess the coaching staff has a pretty good idea of their scholarship numbers, who is realistic to sign, etc. So many moving parts we have no real idea what the allowable number even in.
 








MGGopher said:
That's interesting. Can never have too many OL, but if both Dunlap and Faalele return, the Gophers are projected to have 6 very seasoned OL who play at a pretty high level. You wouldn't think we'd even have a chance at this kid unless playing time was being dangled. Wonder where he fits in.
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Would have three years to play three seasons. I can't see him getting on the field in 2021, if everyone comes back and there aren't a bunch of injuries. But perhaps in 22 and 23.
 



hungan1 said:
If the Gophers are recruiting Saia Mapakaitolo, do they still have room for Avante Dickerson and possibly Davon Townley?

As far as transfers are concerned, the numbers are even as of now. We don't know if there will be more entering the transfer portal, retiring, or changing their mind about getting the extra year of eligibility.

Four Inbound:
Dylan Wright, 4 Star
Val Martin
Nyles Pinckney, 4 Star
Jack Gibbens

Four Outbound:
D'Vion Harris
Malcolm Robinson
Noah Hickox
Benjamin Sapp

They must have a spot reserved for Dickerson at the very least. PJ Fleck did mention that Mark Coyle okays extra scholarships within the max allowable for football in this tight budget atmosphere.

Gopher 2021 Scholarship Distribution:
247sports.com

Minnesota 2021 Football ScholarshipDistribution

Minnesota
247sports.com 247sports.com
Click to expand...
It's possible there could be some rules about transfers who won't count against the 25 max new headcounts for 2021, but will still count against the overall 85 max headcounts?
 

Maybe I'm reading too far into things, but it concerns me a little bit (regarding Big Dan & Dunlap) if we're currently offering a transfer O-lineman.

And maybe everything is just fine, and we just want more depth.
 

Polski said:
Maybe I'm reading too far into things, but it concerns me a little bit (regarding Big Dan & Dunlap) if we're currently offering a transfer O-lineman.

And maybe everything is just fine, and we just want more depth.
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Dunlap has already posted that he will be back. Nobody has heard much on Big Dan, but a poster on here has said he has been in the Cities and taking classes.
 

What do we know about the timeline for a guy Dunlap's size returning from an achilles? Is that about a 12-month thing?

I believe that his injury occurred in the summer time, correct? Hopefully surgery and rehab has gone well for him thus far.

Would like to see at least one DB from the transfer market. Still feels like we're thin there, which is why I was surprised to see an O-line offer out there.
 



Polski said:
What do we know about the timeline for a guy Dunlap's size returning from an achilles? Is that about a 12-month thing?

I believe that his injury occurred in the summer time, correct? Hopefully surgery and rehab has gone well for him thus far.

Would like to see at least one DB from the transfer market. Still feels like we're thin there, which is why I was surprised to see an O-line offer out there.
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I think I've seen 12 to 18 months. I wouldn't say it's a for sure thing he'd be able to play next year.
 

Anybody know whether Braelon Oliver will be returning in 2021 and be recovered from his injury? Don’t know what it was, but sounded serious. I think the LB play can improve markedly upon his effective return because of how he can blitz. My impression (not really researched with film study) was that we weren’t as effective in 2020 as in 2019 with well-timed LB blitzes (or, obviously, post-AWJ, with safety blitzes). Maybe we didn’t blitz as much because of the porosity of our 2020 defense—too great a risk if blitz doesn’t get home?
 
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Gophergrandpa said:
Anybody know whether Braelon Oliver will be returning in 2021 and be recovered from his injury?
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IF it was an ACL tear (I haven't seen it definitively reported anywhere, but everything we know seems to fit an ACL), he should be good for full practice no more than 12 months out. Pro guys with immediate access to top surgeons and treatments have pushed that down closer to 9 or 10--it's pretty remarkable how much better knee injury surgery and rehab has gotten over the past ten or twenty years.

That said, there is absolutely a psychological aspect to coming back from significant knee injuries. I know many guys who were medically cleared for full participation, but didn't have the same confidence or trust in themselves to make the same kind of cuts they used to at full speed. Can't blame them; it's a scary injury that really impacts your whole life for a year. That can take a little longer to work through--fortunately, he should have most of the spring and all of summer to ease back in to things.
 

Polski said:
Maybe I'm reading too far into things, but it concerns me a little bit (regarding Big Dan & Dunlap) if we're currently offering a transfer O-lineman.

And maybe everything is just fine, and we just want more depth.
Click to expand...

I would be a bit more concerned if we were going after an offensive lineman with only 1 year of eligibility left. Those guys tend to be ones you are counting on as a quick fix and to start right away.

As others have pointed out this kid would have multiple years of eligibility so while we might not really need him for 2021, he would have a chance to provide depth for that season and then potentially be in the mix for a starting spot in 2022 and 2023 when we will have a number of offensive lineman that will need to be replaced.
 

MGGopher said:
That's interesting. Can never have too many OL, but if both Dunlap and Faalele return, the Gophers are projected to have 6 very seasoned OL who play at a pretty high level. You wouldn't think we'd even have a chance at this kid unless playing time was being dangled. Wonder where he fits in.
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This reads to me as a "Should we have a good year next year we may have a few linemen leaving for the draft early in addition to graduating seniors" move to me.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I would be a bit more concerned if we were going after an offensive lineman with only 1 year of eligibility left. Those guys tend to be ones you are counting on as a quick fix and to start right away.

As others have pointed out this kid would have multiple years of eligibility so while we might not really need him for 2021, he would have a chance to provide depth for that season and then potentially be in the mix for a starting spot in 2022 and 2023 when we will have a number of offensive lineman that will need to be replaced.
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Exactly, this kid has proven he can play at the college level and has three years left. I’d be happy with the add.
 

btowngopher said:
Exactly, this kid has proven he can play at the college level and has three years left. I’d be happy with the add.
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As would I. Have always felt our OL numbers have been a little low under Fleck. Seems like we never have more than 7 guys we'd be comfortable playing.
 

MGGopher said:
That's interesting. Can never have too many OL, but if both Dunlap and Faalele return, the Gophers are projected to have 6 very seasoned OL who play at a pretty high level. You wouldn't think we'd even have a chance at this kid unless playing time was being dangled. Wonder where he fits in.
Click to expand...

Sounds like there was some kind of controversy regarding his brother Ty who also started on the oline at USU. Apparently Ty quit the team following a suspension over some inappropriate racial social media comments. Could likely play a part in Karter’s choice to move on.
 

Andries, Ruschmeyer and Schmitz will all be headed into their 5th year of college in this 2021 season. Maybe Ruschmeyer sticks around for a 6th but I see Andries and Schmitz as legit NFL prospects who probably should make the jump following the 2021 season. Dunlap’s obviously headed into his 4th season and I don’t think it’s out of the question that with a good year, he would jump.

The question is who jumps in for those guys in 2022 and beyond? How confident are you that Beier, Boe, and Tyler Cooper can step into interior line starter roles in 2022-2023? If not Shaw, they need to find some impact guys from somewhere. You got some good tackle prospects but most are too big to kick inside. It’s been an interesting strategy by the staff, we’re stockpiling tackle prospects but largely ignoring the interior of the line.
 

Word said:
I think I've seen 12 to 18 months. I wouldn't say it's a for sure thing he'd be able to play next year.
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I had a mild Achilles Heal Tear while running a marathon a few years back. It took about a year before I could start running again. Another six months to get into running form. So about eighteen months. Maybe sooner from the perspective of his youth and excellent athletic trainers.
 

hungan1 said:
I had a mild Achilles Heal Tear while running a marathon a few years back. It took about a year before I could start running again. Another six months to get into running form. So about eighteen months. Maybe sooner from the perspective of his youth and excellent athletic trainers.
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I do think access to top-notch resources and training makes a big difference. And age too. I am in my mid 40's but have always said if I tore my ACL or achille's I'd probably just quit sports for good (I still play a few).
 

MplsGopher said:
It's possible there could be some rules about transfers who won't count against the 25 max new headcounts for 2021, but will still count against the overall 85 max headcounts?
Click to expand...

I don't know how this is all going to shake out either. Maybe someone here has the time to go thru the scholarship grid and make sense of at least an accounting of the number of scholarship players including the new additions.

Here is the scholarship distribution - https://247sports.com/college/minnesota/Season/2021-Football/ScholarshipDistribution/
 


if they are actively pursuing transfer portal OL, to me that indicates the coaches are not necessarily sold on some of their recent HS OL recruits - or they feel they need guys who are more ready to play right away.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
if they are actively pursuing transfer portal OL, to me that indicates the coaches are not necessarily sold on some of their recent HS OL recruits - or they feel they need guys who are more ready to play right away.
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I don’t know if they are actively pursuing many olinemen through the portal. I think this one makes sense even if they like the younger guys. It’s just a safe add. Tons of experience (some with our OC) and lots of eligibility left, just seems like a safer play than a developmental type player from high school.
 


short ornery norwegian said:
if they are actively pursuing transfer portal OL, to me that indicates the coaches are not necessarily sold on some of their recent HS OL recruits - or they feel they need guys who are more ready to play right away.
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A lot of it is because guys like Norton, York, Sassack and Umlor decided to transfer early.
 

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