SI: Gophers' 2024 offensive line could be among best in the nation

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Per SI:

Starting Gophers guard Tyler Cooper is the third highest-graded returning interior offensive linemen in the Big Ten in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

He joins Aireonte Ersery, who is the highest-graded returning left tackle in the sport, at 84.0. Led by Cooper and Ersery, Minnesota has four starters returning up front, while sophomore Greg Johnson rounds out the group.

Cooper came to Minnesota as a preferred walk-on (PWO) in 2019, so seeing his development attests to offensive line coach Brian Callahan and the group's overall development.


Go Gophers!!
 



BleedGopher said:
Per SI:

Starting Gophers guard Tyler Cooper is the third highest-graded returning interior offensive linemen in the Big Ten in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

He joins Aireonte Ersery, who is the highest-graded returning left tackle in the sport, at 84.0. Led by Cooper and Ersery, Minnesota has four starters returning up front, while sophomore Greg Johnson rounds out the group.

Cooper came to Minnesota as a preferred walk-on (PWO) in 2019, so seeing his development attests to offensive line coach Brian Callahan and the group's overall development.


Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Cooper is a great story....and I swear I remember prior to last season that he was going to be done playing football/retire. Glad he stuck it out......
 

Interesting take. I think it depends a lot on what type of production they get out of the RT spot. If one of the options there can give us average B1G tackle play we could be very good with Carroll and Cooper inside and Ersery at LT.
 




I'm surprised with the OL preseason hype. I feel like there was a lot of talk on the board that the OL last year didn't perform great. Now PFF has Ersery as the highest graded OT in all of college football and Cooper as third highest IOL in the Big Ten.

Kind of surprising on Ersery. I see a lot of OT/OL going in early 2025 mock drafts but don't see Ersery. May be a great college player but lacks the high end athleticism for NFL OT?

Tip of the cap to the OL coach. Ersery's next best offers out of high school were Kansas and Kansas State and Cooper looks like he was a walk on. That's pretty good development.
 




One small nit, I think Cooper came in as a grey shirt - he always had a scholarship but didn't enroll till January. I might be wrong on that.

One thing to keep in mind, I believe PFF's algorithm does benefit OL on running teams. That makes sense, if you hold up as a guard on a passing play, it's hard to really grade that an A+.
 

MNBadgerGuy said:
I'm surprised with the OL preseason hype. I feel like there was a lot of talk on the board that the OL last year didn't perform great. Now PFF has Ersery as the highest graded OT in all of college football and Cooper as third highest IOL in the Big Ten.

Kind of surprising on Ersery. I see a lot of OT/OL going in early 2025 mock drafts but don't see Ersery. May be a great college player but lacks the high end athleticism for NFL OT?

Tip of the cap to the OL coach. Ersery's next best offers out of high school were Kansas and Kansas State and Cooper looks like he was a walk on. That's pretty good development.
Click to expand...
I think with Ersery it's probably a matter of the mocks being a little behind and there being some hesitation grading him as high with our offense. He's a LT and the team who drafts him at the next level will be primarily concerned with him protecting the QB. He plays in an offense that runs the ball like a service academy, it's just hard to grade.

As to your question in bold, I think it's the opposite. I think he'll grade out really well. He's a really good run blocker who is really athletic but he just doesn't have a ton of tape pass blocking (the single most important skill for a LT).
 


Our offense should be good and much improved. Defense will be a big question mark, but it would probably be tough to be worse than last year. Not a lot of easy wins on the schedule though.
 



MNBadgerGuy said:
I'm surprised with the OL preseason hype. I feel like there was a lot of talk on the board that the OL last year didn't perform great. Now PFF has Ersery as the highest graded OT in all of college football and Cooper as third highest IOL in the Big Ten.

Kind of surprising on Ersery. I see a lot of OT/OL going in early 2025 mock drafts but don't see Ersery. May be a great college player but lacks the high end athleticism for NFL OT?
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FYI -

Ersery was the highest rated OL last season by PFFin the B10 and first team All B10 last season, so ”his hype”well earned in my opinion. They also were impressed by his efforts against OSU’s edge rushers, who are both NFL players.

I fully expect the offense to see an increased % of pass plays this year; I think Fleck realizes that with the arrival of our friends from the West Coast, he needs to score more points to remain relevant - adapt or die. We have the QB to do so and longterm this may be a positive as it’s forcing us to diversify our O; hopefully, a positive result of The Law of Unintended Consequences.


MNBadgerGuy said:
Tip of the cap to the OL coach. Ersery's next best offers out of high school were Kansas and Kansas State and Cooper looks like he was a walk on. That's pretty good development.
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According to ratings, Gophers have a WR top 10 in the Big Ten, Daniel Jackson (All Big Ten Second Team) and a 4 star WR transfer portal signee Tyler Williams from the Georgia Bulldogs.

Plus Gophers have a 4 star veteran QB now.

We already knew the run game was good.

And then too often the offensive line gets overlooked. Runners cannot gain yards without blocks. QBs can't throw on their backs.

Gophers offense should be good. TE could be good too, last year was odd.
 

The other guys on the line aren't slouches either. Carroll is at least solid and Johnson is going to be a beast. I think young Mr Brosmer is going to be very happy with the protection he will receive.
 

Wasnt there a big RT Transfer from UTEP or something to that effect? Cant find him anywhere now.
 

Golden Deuce said:
Wasnt there a big RT Transfer from UTEP or something to that effect? Cant find him anywhere now.
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247sports.com

UTEP transfer offensive lineman Aluma Nkele commits to Minnesota Football

UTEP transfer offensive lineman Aluma Nkele commits to Minnesota Football following a weekend visit
247sports.com 247sports.com

247sports.com

UTEP transfer offensive lineman Aluma Nkele explains his Minnesota Football commitment

UTEP transfer offensive lineman Aluma Nkele explains his Minnesota Football commitment
247sports.com 247sports.com
 

went to see who wrote the article quoted in the OP, and it's listed as "staff writer" for Athlon Sports.

another reminder that the "Sports Illustrated" name doesn't mean what it used to.

Hey, I hope the OL has a great year in any case.
 

I think we are deep on the OL as well some of the back ups I’m excited to see play whether this year or in the future.
 

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