QB competition next year???

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TNGophfan said:
Small point on the kick-offs. Was at the game yesterday and even the Auburn kicker (Carlson I think), did not get a touchback when he kicked towards the south end zone. Douglas fair caught it at about the 5. Our kicker never got to try and kick it deep towards the north end zone because by that time we had decided to squib everything. Ball definitely carried further from south to north.
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Lack of touchbacks has been an issue all year though.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Yep. Agree it will open as a competition with the understanding that it is Tanner's to lose. ZA will have to definitively separate himself from Morgan. Without the injury, I'm pretty sure ZA would have gotten a decent number of snaps this year...
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ZA likely would’ve started the year as QB1. But it’s Morgan’s job now. Fleck may say it’s an open competition, but it would be crazy to replace Morgan at this point.
 

MplsGopher said:
Whoever was kicking off yesterday didn't get it done. Short kickoff (and bad coverage of course) led to a runback TD. After that, they squib kicked the entire game.
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according to play by play, Ryerse kicked off one time, which was returned for TD.

Remaining KO's were squib kicks by Brock Walker

our kicking & coverage was shaky all year,
#85 in the nation
44 returns (21.5yd avg)
31 touchbacks

we gave up a number of big returns during the season, so not surprising to make the change after giving up the TD.
 

MplsGopher said:
You can't take it away if it was given as a freshman. That is the rule since 2016. So you are correct about that.

But it would horrible mismanagement of the precious limited scholarship resources that we have to be stuck with two kickers, neither of which is good enough to be able to both kick-off and kick FG/PAT.

Maybe the new guy coming (obviously we couldn't offer him a scholly since we have two tied up) will beat them both out. Unbelievable. Bench two scholly placekickers, so a walk-on can win the job.
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PJ inherited scholarship offer to Ryerse. He didn't want to start out his MN career pulling a schollie from a MN HS commit.

In end, we're stuck with 2 scholarship kickers @ the moment.
 

On the QB situation - the backup is always one play away from being the starter. Morgan was very durable this year. But there is no guarantee that he cannot or will not be injured at some point in 2020. The backup QB is an insurance policy - and like insurance, you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap insurance policy, odds are when you need it, it will not provide the help you need. Look at the Vikes' backup QB.

so, if Fleck is trying to sell the backups on sticking around, that is what he has to sell. I could potentially see 1 of the 3 backups transferring (no idea which one).

And, FWIW, QB play is a combination of ability, coaching, system and offensive talent. If you put Leidner in Fleck's system, with the same coaches, OLine and WR's, he would look better than he did during his era at MN. In all honesty, I think Morgan is better, but if you put Morgan in Limegrover's offense with the same talent around him that Leidner had, Morgan might not look as good, either.
 


Thanks for providing background on the kicking scholarship stuff and kickoff situation!
 

WHB Brewer said:
according to play by play, Ryerse kicked off one time, which was returned for TD.

Remaining KO's were squib kicks by Brock Walker

our kick coverage was shaky all year, with several big returns given up, so not surprising to make the change.
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Specials teams need to get better, they were biggest weak spot.

SDSU we got bailed out with a tic tac holding call that, going on memory, didn't really impact the play.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
On the QB situation - the backup is always one play away from being the starter. Morgan was very durable this year. But there is no guarantee that he cannot or will not be injured at some point in 2020. The backup QB is an insurance policy - and like insurance, you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap insurance policy, odds are when you need it, it will not provide the help you need. Look at the Vikes' backup QB.

so, if Fleck is trying to sell the backups on sticking around, that is what he has to sell. I could potentially see 1 of the 3 backups transferring (no idea which one).

And, FWIW, QB play is a combination of ability, coaching, system and offensive talent. If you put Leidner in Fleck's system, with the same coaches, OLine and WR's, he would look better than he did during his era at MN. In all honesty, I think Morgan is better, but if you put Morgan in Limegrover's offense with the same talent around him that Leidner had, Morgan might not look as good, either.
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I'm not going to sweat it, it'll work itself out.
 

salzie said:
PJ inherited scholarship offer to Ryerse. He didn't want to start out his MN career pulling a schollie from a MN HS commit.

In end, we're stuck with 2 scholarship kickers @ the moment.
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He can’t pull his scholarship even if he wants to.
 



btowngopher said:
He can’t pull his scholarship even if he wants to.
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Correct, I was referring to initial offer. When Fleck took over he honored all of the commits from MN (Including Ryerse) and booted rest. He could've pulled his offer, but since it was a MN kid, he honored it as he didn't want to start his tenure in MN pissing off MN HS coaches.
 

I think we're exactly where we want to be at QB in terms of both talent & staggering by class.

R-Jr- Morgan
R-So- Anexstad
R-Fr- Clark
R-Fr- Kramer
Space
Athan Kaliakmanos

Morgan is a proven winner & an upperclassman.

Fleck likes Anexstad, & he likely would have started this season if he hadn't been injured. He'll have his chances in practice & I expect he'll get game reps as the #2. One injury, or a few stinker games by Morgan & ZA could be starting the rest of his career. I do not envision him transferring at all.

I'm not trying to start rumors about Jacob Clark, but I think it's be far more likely he would transfer, rather than Anexstad. Imagine if it becomes clear Anexstad is next in line ahead of the two R-Fr? That means Clark would have to wait until his R-Sr year to start, & then he'd be battling both R-Sr Kramer & talented 2021 Athan Kaliakmanos (who'd be a Soph or R-Fr) by then.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
aside from the 2016-17 year we have had multiple year starters who hold all the school records. Tanner is no Weber/Leidner....yet. We need to see more tho many of you wanna crown him.
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wait-what-meme-16.jpg
 




ZA is terrible! He himself was responsible for several of our losses last year. Definitely no question will be TM next year and beyond. I say develop this other young QBs for futures, not ZA.
 

btowngopher said:
Lack of touchbacks has been an issue all year though.
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I don't disagree with that. Touchbacks are great but you also have to be able to cover if conditions prevent kicking it through the end zone.
 

Apparently, Annexstad and Morgan were neck and neck before his injury. Great if he stays on as a backup.
 

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder if ZA can ever stay healthy. I believe he’s had at least 3 injuries that either negatively affected his level of play or kept him off the field entirely.
 

Yah-E said:
ZA is terrible! He himself was responsible for several of our losses last year. Definitely no question will be TM next year and beyond. I say develop this other young QBs for futures, not ZA.
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Wild hyperbole on this one. Annexstad was playing hobbled most of the games and our OL was seriously lacking the first half of the year. He basically had almost no time to ever throw. The OL gelled a ton the last 1/4 of that season. To say ZA is "terrible" is extremely short-sighted and just speculation (nobody on this board knows how he was looking before he got injured in fall camp this year).
 

Yah-E said:
ZA is terrible! He himself was responsible for several of our losses last year. Definitely no question will be TM next year and beyond. I say develop this other young QBs for futures, not ZA.
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True Freshman walk-on, playing injured behind a porous OL is to be written off & discarded? By most accounts he was ahead of Morgan this Fall before he got injured. We absolutely want ZA battling for the starting job. Whoever wins the strarting job though, they'll be 1A & 1B in my opinion.
 

If they were to ever replace Morgan in the starting lineup, I think he’d be the one transferring. I don’t expect that to happen, but we’ve seen this play out many times before.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
webs/leids did not have the coaching, schemes or wrs this team has. they would have similar stats.
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??????. They were fine players, but had Nowhere near the accuracy of Morgan. Not even close. And I watched almost every one of their games. Keep providing more humor for the rest of us!
 

This is ZA’s dream school. We did not offer him a scholarship. He was willing to walk on and help bring two starting OLinemen with him. That’s evidence of leadership. Beat out the 4 Star QB ahead of him at IMG.

I’d be pretty shocked if ZA is going anywhere.
He is planning on being the QB here.

I don’t have any idea if he will be but I believe PJ will give him the chance to compete.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
aside from the 2016-17 year we have had multiple year starters who hold all the school records. Tanner is no Weber/Leidner....yet. We need to see more tho many of you wanna crown him.
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Tanner just had the most prolific year a gopher qb has ever had. He was top 6 in the fucking nation. He is above Weber/leidner no matter what happens from here on out
 

I think Tanner will be the starter next year, but one of PJ's big mantras is "change your best". As good as Tanner is, he is almost zero of a run threat. If he was, we'd have beaten Iowa or Wisconsin. In an RPO system, just having 2 of the 3 threats is a lot easier on defenses so there is plenty of room to be better. Not sure if one of the younger guys could bring that element, but that would push Tanner if they did. Not sure Morgan will ever have that and I wonder if we can win a BIG title without that.

Clemson would not have beat Ohio State without Trevor Lawrence's runs. You have to take what the defense gives you and sometimes that's what they give. Tanner makes up for it in accuracy and heart. But if our line struggles to protect and run like in the Iowa and Wisconsin games, that 3rd threat I think could change the game.
 

MplsGopher said:
I'll say it again: how can Lantz not be the kickoff guy, if he has won the FG/PAT job??

We cannot give two scholarships to two placekickers. That's ridiculous.

If there's a guy who can walk-on with a huge leg and can blast it every time on kickoff, perfect. Congrats kid, you get to be on a P5 team, travel with the team on airplanes/nice hotels/etc., suit up, and contribute to the team. And you don't need to get hit much, really at all, and don't really need to practice much either.

That's enough of a reward. No scholarship
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Wrong. Not sure why you don’t get it, but having a big-legged kicker against Auburn was worth 7 points. Similarly, having an accurate mid and short-range kicker (seems to be Lantz) is worth a lot. That big-leg scholarship would be worth way more than the running back who is seventh on the depth chart and will never see the field. Glad you are not the coach.
 

60's Guy said:
This is ZA’s dream school. We did not offer him a scholarship. He was willing to walk on and help bring two starting OLinemen with him. That’s evidence of leadership. Beat out the 4 Star QB ahead of him at IMG.

I’d be pretty shocked if ZA is going anywhere.
He is planning on being the QB here.

I don’t have any idea if he will be but I believe PJ will give him the chance to compete.
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We gave him a Maroon shirt. Fleck is on record saying this is true and that Zach was the first such to receive this, before it even had the name yet.

They delay your scholly by one year, you agree to PWO and pay out of pocket (minus regular student financial aid) the first year.
 

MplsGopher said:
But it would horrible mismanagement of the precious limited scholarship resources that we have to be stuck with two kickers, neither of which is good enough to be able to both kick-off and kick FG/PAT.
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That would be Fleck's version of Bakary Konate and Gaston Diedhiou. Easier to hide on a football team but painful nonetheless.
 



MplsGopher said:
You can't take it away if it was given as a freshman. That is the rule since 2016. So you are correct about that.

But it would horrible mismanagement of the precious limited scholarship resources that we have to be stuck with two kickers, neither of which is good enough to be able to both kick-off and kick FG/PAT.

Maybe the new guy coming (obviously we couldn't offer him a scholly since we have two tied up) will beat them both out. Unbelievable. Bench two scholly placekickers, so a walk-on can win the job.
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Fleck was stuck with a lot of uh, marginal MN recruits in the 2017 class. He wasn’t going to burn bridges with high school coaches and pull the scholarships a month before signing day, but several of them had no business on a P5 football team.
I thought Lantz did a pretty nice job as a freshman. He hit some clutch kicks for us and appears to be pretty consistent inside of 40 yards.
 

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