Phil Steele has Gophers #1 in nation for returning experience

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swingman

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Steele looks at two deep, factors in returning seniors, upperclass guys, letter winners, returning yards, weights for experience in trenches, weights for big plays on defense.

Gophers number one in nation with a near perfect 99.5 on Steele scale to 100.

Steele notes returning starts on oline is off the chart.

In a developmental program with an emphasis on culture, this is so key.

This is a player led team that will surprise many with return to 2019 level of play or better, but not those who look closely at roster of Gophs and opponents...Ohio State, Northwestern, Iowa among hardest hit in nation in experience lost.
 


If I recall correctly, this was also the case heading into the 2019 season; the Gophers were very strong in returning productivity from the previous season. In that case, it turned out to be a strong indicator and Minnesota had an outstanding year for the program.

It's also quite interesting that Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa will be on the opposite side of Steele's scale.
 


Does he count transfer-ins as returning players?
 


FullBanana said:
Does he count transfer-ins as returning players?
Click to expand...

It would make sense to me to count guys with 4 or 5 years of experience as "returning players" regardless of whether that was with the U or another school. They're definitely not freshmen or JUCOs.
 

It’s been pointed out in several other comments on GH: the strength of the 2021 team is deep experience at virtually all levels. While deep experience generally doesn’t beat great talent, deep and unusually high levels of experience do have a chance to upset deep and high levels of talent which are inexperienced at key positions. Key is, as many have pointed out, to exploit fully the experience advantage to confuse and “mess with the heads” of the inexperienced guys. If you play the talented guys straight up, don’t try to create chaos in their heads, you leave a lot of that of that supposed experience benefit laying on the table, unused.
 


38 guys with returning starting experience, not counting special teams:

Morgan and Annexstad
Ibrahim and Williams
AutmanBell and Jackson
Kieft, Witham and SpannFord
Olson, Schlueter, Andries, Schmitz, Faalele, Dunlap, Ruschmeyer, Shaw (Utah State), Boe, Ersery

Howden, Nubin
Durr, TSmith, Harris, Howard
SoriMarin, Oliver, Gibbens (Abilene), Lindenberg, Aune, Gordon
Mafe, Otomewo, Rush
DewTreadway, Pinckney (Clemson), Martin (NCSU), Carter

return Walker, Kesich with kick experience; add Trickett (Miami) and Mobley (Temple)
return Crawford with punt experience; add Sparks UL-Monroe)
return snapper Weeks

also return with game experience:

Potts, Wiley, Jelen
BrownStephens, Geary, Wright (A&M)
Swenson, Sol Brown, Dixon, Glaze, McDonald
Willis, LeCaptain, Burns
Anderson, Striggow, LoganRedding
Cheney, Richter
 





RememberMurray said:
If I recall correctly, this was also the case heading into the 2019 season; the Gophers were very strong in returning productivity from the previous season. In that case, it turned out to be a strong indicator and Minnesota had an outstanding year for the program.

It's also quite interesting that Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa will be on the opposite side of Steele's scale.
Click to expand...
I like how you're thinking here...
 

Kudos to guys like Phil Steel, Mel Kiper, et al. for carving out a career that contributes essentially nothing to society...and shame on me for thinking it's important. In a post-apocalyptic world these guys would be rendered useless, unless of course they decided to pump out a publication predicting who the up-and-coming warlords will be.
 




Gophergrandpa said:
Steele also calls for the Badgers to be undefeated during regular season. Great, experienced defense. Mertz becomes great. Great OL and four excellent running backs. 😖https://www.seehafernews.com/2021/0...ew-predicts-uw-will-be-surprise-team-in-2021/
Click to expand...

So, let's see...

Steele predicts Gophers will "return to 2019 level of play or better"...

He also predicts an undefeated season for Wisconsin.

If he's even close to correct on those two predictions, the game that's scheduled for Saturday, November 27, 2021 at The Bank will make the 2019 Penn State game look tame in comparison.

fbschedules.com

2021 Minnesota Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2021 Minnesota Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Golden Gophers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.
fbschedules.com
 


RememberMurray said:
If I recall correctly, this was also the case heading into the 2019 season; the Gophers were very strong in returning productivity from the previous season. In that case, it turned out to be a strong indicator and Minnesota had an outstanding year for the program.

It's also quite interesting that Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa will be on the opposite side of Steele's scale.
Click to expand...
I thought I read that Iowa returns 18 of 22 starters and a number of their next ups? Including 10/11 on offense that set some records? I think that was in the Athalon college football preview. Anyone else see that?
 


RememberMurray said:
So, let's see...

Steele predicts Gophers will "return to 2019 level of play or better"...

He also predicts an undefeated season for Wisconsin.

If he's even close to correct on those two predictions, the game that's scheduled for Saturday, November 27, 2021 at The Bank will make the 2019 Penn State game look tame in comparison.

fbschedules.com

2021 Minnesota Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2021 Minnesota Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Golden Gophers football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.
fbschedules.com
Click to expand...
There is a very good chance that the Gophers—Badgers game could be a very meaningful game in 2022. We’ll know a lot after the Colorado and Iowa games. If Steele knows his B1G West, the Badger game could be a showdown.
 


PMWinSTP said:
Fleck's comments on this year's squad have been by far the most positive in his tenure here. I expect big things.
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Yep, very clear he sees a team with the potential to be special and he is not shying away from that fact at all. Completely different tone to his comments about the 2021 squad than what we have gotten from him in regards to previous years.
 


NotAFanOfBecky said:
I thought I read that Iowa returns 18 of 22 starters and a number of their next ups? Including 10/11 on offense that set some records? I think that was in the Athalon college football preview. Anyone else see that?
Click to expand...
Iowa loses 12 to NFL, and 5 other good players and three coaches.
NFL:
#2 back Sargent, top 2 wrs Smith and Smith Marsette (also great return man), te Beyer, olinemen Alaric Jackson, Cronk, Banwart, dline Nixon, Golston, Heflin, linebackers Niemann, Wade
others: all big K Duncan done, HM all big oline Kallenberger retired, lost a projected starting ol to CO, lost a depth db to KSU, former starting lb Colbert retired
oline coach to oc job at WY, rb coach to NFL
strength coach lost last summer to racism concerns

expected top wr missed spring ball as did expected #2 rb and expected #1ot...other injuries mixed in, including Marshall kid yahya black, who may be a dline starter
 
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swingman said:
Iowa loses 12 to NFL, and 5 other good players and three coaches.
NFL:
#2 back Sargent, top 2 wrs Smith and Smith Marsette (also great return man), te Beyer, olinemen Alaric Jackson, Cronk, Banwart, dline Nixon, Golston, Heflin, linebackers Niemann, Wade
others: all big K Duncan done, HM all big oline Kallenberger retired, lost a projected starting ol to CO, lost a depth db to KSU, former starting lb Colbert retired
oline coach to oc job at WY, rb coach to NFL
strength coach lost last summer to racism concerns

expected top wr missed spring ball as did expected #2 rb and expected #1ot...other injuries mixed in, including Marshall kid yahya black, who may be a dline starter
Click to expand...
Iowa lost a ton from last year, especially at WR and DL. This year will be a test for whether Iowa has attained a recruiting level at which it can merely "reload" rather than "rebuild." I think there is plenty of reason to think this is a rebuilding year for Iowa. They will open the season against Indiana and face Iowa State the following week--both of these opponents will be ranked. We'll know a lot about the 2021 Iowa squad after these two games.
 

I love Fleck but he has one horrible weakness, special teams. No matter what we do on offense and defense, if we can't ever have decent field position because of special teams, we will never be able to play with the big boys. It has been painful during the Fleck era to watch the kicking and the returns. Special teams are a huge chunk of the game....I'm not sure why we have stuck with the special teams coach for so long.
 

CoMn said:
I love Fleck but he has one horrible weakness, special teams. No matter what we do on offense and defense, if we can't ever have decent field position because of special teams, we will never be able to play with the big boys. It has been painful during the Fleck era to watch the kicking and the returns. Special teams are a huge chunk of the game....I'm not sure why we have stuck with the special teams coach for so long.
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I don't care how good or bad the coach is. the players have to have a basic level of ability. The greatest coach in the world could not turn me into a placekicker or a punter.

So, I would suggest that this is more of an evaluation or recruiting issue. The Gophers need to put a higher priority on evaluating, locating and recruiting place-kickers and punters.

I would not be surprised if this is something that they use the transfer portal to focus on.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I don't care how good or bad the coach is. the players have to have a basic level of ability. The greatest coach in the world could not turn me into a placekicker or a punter.

So, I would suggest that this is more of an evaluation or recruiting issue. The Gophers need to put a higher priority on evaluating, locating and recruiting place-kickers and punters.

I would not be surprised if this is something that they use the transfer portal to focus on.
Click to expand...
They already took a kicker through the portal that was very good in the MAC. So I expect the kicking game to be improved, not sure about the punting or return game though.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
Kudos to guys like Phil Steel, Mel Kiper, et al. for carving out a career that contributes essentially nothing to society...and shame on me for thinking it's important. In a post-apocalyptic world these guys would be rendered useless, unless of course they decided to pump out a publication predicting who the up-and-coming warlords will be.
Click to expand...
Not sure how to break it to you, but in a post-apocalyptic world 90% of us would be rendered useless
 



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