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Gopher Football Coach PJ Fleck appeared on the Sports Huddle with Sid and Mike Max.
Max: asking for Sid - is Antoine Winfield healthy? (laughs)
PJ: he's healthy.
Sid: tries to ask about Winfield. Max cuts him off.
Sid: QB situation?
PJ: Tanner is taking the most reps. Tanner will be the starter in game #1. Clark is having a good camp Kramer is doing a good job. Kirk C is helping them with their development at a rapid rate
Sid: Injured players?
PJ: Rodney, you can take him off your injured list. Take Antoine off the list. Shannon is further behind, because of the nature of his injury. he's doing a lot of individual stuff. he will be doing team stuff coming up
Sid: will any true FR play this year?
PJ: we will need some of them. will see a lot of them on special teams. provide depth at different roles. we're only 13 days into camp. lot of work to do. the FR will provide competition at different positions.
Sid: what about the red-shirts from last year?
PJ: we will need them. Dunlap starting at RG. Spann-Ford is a lot more physical. we will also need some of last years true FR - now SO. Rush, Sori-Marin, Oliver.
Max: NFL plays pre-season games. How can you simulate something in practice so you can grade out the players?
PJ: you do as much as you can. important that we're keeping healthy. no trades. can't cut guys and bring someone else in. We need to get to Saturday healthy. we will have a full scrimmage on Tuesday. We've gone live 10 minutes at a time to see what these guys can do. do controlled tackling drills. it all comes down to blocking and tackling. we'll have a period where we put ball down and let them play. other times scrimmage, take guys down to the ground in tackling.
Sid: (asks about a member of the football staff....)
PJ: I think you're talking about Marcus Hendrickson. He's a former NFL scout. He does player evaluations, big part of our recruiting. If you come to practice he's the guy who looks like an NFL GM - stands there watching and evaluating players.
Sid: is this year's FR squad good?
PJ: Very impressed. we're just 2 weeks into camp. need to look at all the guys. They're very talented. good people. they want to do the right thing. our program holds everyone accountable. need to do the right things in all four areas.
Max: kids come in January now. see a FR go through 1st training camp. Position coaches in charge of figuring that out? Stay on top of that?
PJ: it's natural. you will be homesick. based on change. change in friends, where you live. football - you used to be the star, now you're on the bottom of the depth chart. everything changes. the amount of change in every area of their lives. I meet with all FR every week. Ask them "How are you doing?" position coaches meet with players every day. We have a mentorship program -each FR is teamed up with a SR or JR. they sit with them at meals. take them places. pick them up at their dorms. get on the front end of it. I think that's part of why the transfer rate is so high. this is one of the hardest things they've gone through - away from home for the first time. may not be seeing a rapid amount of success early. I like to see the process of how they handle things.
Sid: Green at QB?
PJ: I think he looks good at WR. Getting better at wide-out. At QB, we have certain packages for him. he does those things well.
Sid: 2020 class = how many can you sign?
PJ: We think we've got a class that is very talented. we're pretty much full. but recruiting is always changing. you go through your needs, which can change throughout the year. this is our 3rd big recruiting class. we think we've got a good feel of what we need.
Sid: how do you really know about recruits?
PJ: it's a hypothesis. an educated guess. just like the NFL draft. you pick a person, sometimes it doesn't work out. maybe you took a player late, and you hit on something. you just have to get all the information you can and then you go. makes it exciting. the unknown. we feel good about our young players
Max: are there players who are just poor at practice but good in games?
PJ: I think you have to be really good in practice, and that will transform into being good in games. You have to have the respect of your teammates. respect from the leadership on your team. this idea of "I'm a baller, I just go out and play on game day," I don't believe in that.
Sid: lot of good ticket plans, cheaper than last year. Murray's
RTB, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers.
Max: asking for Sid - is Antoine Winfield healthy? (laughs)
PJ: he's healthy.
Sid: tries to ask about Winfield. Max cuts him off.
Sid: QB situation?
PJ: Tanner is taking the most reps. Tanner will be the starter in game #1. Clark is having a good camp Kramer is doing a good job. Kirk C is helping them with their development at a rapid rate
Sid: Injured players?
PJ: Rodney, you can take him off your injured list. Take Antoine off the list. Shannon is further behind, because of the nature of his injury. he's doing a lot of individual stuff. he will be doing team stuff coming up
Sid: will any true FR play this year?
PJ: we will need some of them. will see a lot of them on special teams. provide depth at different roles. we're only 13 days into camp. lot of work to do. the FR will provide competition at different positions.
Sid: what about the red-shirts from last year?
PJ: we will need them. Dunlap starting at RG. Spann-Ford is a lot more physical. we will also need some of last years true FR - now SO. Rush, Sori-Marin, Oliver.
Max: NFL plays pre-season games. How can you simulate something in practice so you can grade out the players?
PJ: you do as much as you can. important that we're keeping healthy. no trades. can't cut guys and bring someone else in. We need to get to Saturday healthy. we will have a full scrimmage on Tuesday. We've gone live 10 minutes at a time to see what these guys can do. do controlled tackling drills. it all comes down to blocking and tackling. we'll have a period where we put ball down and let them play. other times scrimmage, take guys down to the ground in tackling.
Sid: (asks about a member of the football staff....)
PJ: I think you're talking about Marcus Hendrickson. He's a former NFL scout. He does player evaluations, big part of our recruiting. If you come to practice he's the guy who looks like an NFL GM - stands there watching and evaluating players.
Sid: is this year's FR squad good?
PJ: Very impressed. we're just 2 weeks into camp. need to look at all the guys. They're very talented. good people. they want to do the right thing. our program holds everyone accountable. need to do the right things in all four areas.
Max: kids come in January now. see a FR go through 1st training camp. Position coaches in charge of figuring that out? Stay on top of that?
PJ: it's natural. you will be homesick. based on change. change in friends, where you live. football - you used to be the star, now you're on the bottom of the depth chart. everything changes. the amount of change in every area of their lives. I meet with all FR every week. Ask them "How are you doing?" position coaches meet with players every day. We have a mentorship program -each FR is teamed up with a SR or JR. they sit with them at meals. take them places. pick them up at their dorms. get on the front end of it. I think that's part of why the transfer rate is so high. this is one of the hardest things they've gone through - away from home for the first time. may not be seeing a rapid amount of success early. I like to see the process of how they handle things.
Sid: Green at QB?
PJ: I think he looks good at WR. Getting better at wide-out. At QB, we have certain packages for him. he does those things well.
Sid: 2020 class = how many can you sign?
PJ: We think we've got a class that is very talented. we're pretty much full. but recruiting is always changing. you go through your needs, which can change throughout the year. this is our 3rd big recruiting class. we think we've got a good feel of what we need.
Sid: how do you really know about recruits?
PJ: it's a hypothesis. an educated guess. just like the NFL draft. you pick a person, sometimes it doesn't work out. maybe you took a player late, and you hit on something. you just have to get all the information you can and then you go. makes it exciting. the unknown. we feel good about our young players
Max: are there players who are just poor at practice but good in games?
PJ: I think you have to be really good in practice, and that will transform into being good in games. You have to have the respect of your teammates. respect from the leadership on your team. this idea of "I'm a baller, I just go out and play on game day," I don't believe in that.
Sid: lot of good ticket plans, cheaper than last year. Murray's
RTB, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers.