Spring Camp Press Conference

Donate To GopherHole



I found the comments on the O-Line interesting. For those who have not read the reports, Fleck said that the coaches plan to look at multiple players in multiple positions. the one player who appears to be set is Ersery at LT - but Fleck joked that Ersery wants to play TE so that he can catch the ball.

one quote that caught my eye on Quinn Carroll - Fleck said Carroll can play "anywhere" on the line.

that will be something to watch - who winds up at which position.

I also noted that Fleck said he would not be announcing - at this time - who will be the primary play-caller on offense between Simon and Harbaugh.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I found the comments on the O-Line interesting. For those who have not read the reports, Fleck said that the coaches plan to look at multiple players in multiple positions. the one player who appears to be set is Ersery at LT - but Fleck joked that Ersery wants to play TE so that he can catch the ball.

one quote that caught my eye on Quinn Carroll - Fleck said Carroll can play "anywhere" on the line.

that will be something to watch - who winds up at which position.

I also noted that Fleck said he would not be announcing - at this time - who will be the primary play-caller on offense between Simon and Harbaugh.
Click to expand...
It seems likely to me that Carroll will play one of the guard spots and Lewis will start at RT.
 



Will the practices be open to the press?
 





Ersery (year 4; 6'6, 325) will be good tackle.

Carroll (year 5, 6'6", 310) will be solid at tackle or guard.

Boe (year 6, 6'5", 300) and/or
Shaw (year 6, 6'4", 310) should be solid at center or guard...

All of first four above have playing experience.

I think they want Martes Lewis (year 4, 6'7", 330) and/or JJ Guedet (year 5, 6'7, 310) to step up at tackle.

Cooper a year 5 guy with size (6'5", 310).

That is 7 guys in year 4,5 or 6. All should have the strength and knowledge to compete.

Nice to see PJ mention some younger guys who are coming along and could push for playing time....looks like a very good two-deep.

Also, nice to have tight ends with a lot of game experience like BSF (6'7", 270) in year 6 and Kallerup (6'5", 270) in year 5 to supplement o-line blocking.
 

My takeaways:

— Fleck hasn't had the opportunity yet to work with many of the new players. This would make any projections about their future status problematic.

— In 2019 we had two All B1G wide receivers, and we therefore threw more often. In 2023 we had Mo Ibrahim, the best RB in the B1G, along with a banged-up receiving corps, so we ran a lot. Run/pass balance changes with personnel, injuries, performance, experience levels.

— OL has strong positional versatility.

— LB corps is a work in progress beyond Lindenberg.

— Fleck was very enthusiastic about what Winston DeLattiboudere brings to the staff. Fleck explains why he named Winston to the title of "newcomer coordinator" and in that capacity he will assist in the transition for freshmen and transfers who are entering the Gopher program.

— More on the DL: sounds like we are putting special emphasis on improving the pass rush.

— Fleck made a positive point about the portal: it affords an opportunity for a player who needs a change to find a fresh start. Fleck said this is much better than having a player be forced to stay in a place where he doesn't fit, which could lead to conflict, tension, resentment and bad team chemistry.

— It sounds as though RB will be an evolving, fluid situation. Mentioned Williams as the vet, and the young, upcoming fresh faces. Gave a bit of a shout-out to Max Grand.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I found the comments on the O-Line interesting. For those who have not read the reports, Fleck said that the coaches plan to look at multiple players in multiple positions. the one player who appears to be set is Ersery at LT - but Fleck joked that Ersery wants to play TE so that he can catch the ball.

one quote that caught my eye on Quinn Carroll - Fleck said Carroll can play "anywhere" on the line.

that will be something to watch - who winds up at which position.

I also noted that Fleck said he would not be announcing - at this time - who will be the primary play-caller on offense between Simon and Harbaugh.
Click to expand...
They must be really high on Greg Johnson.....for an incoming freshman, PJ seems to always mention him when he's talking potential lineman getting PT.
 

RememberMurray said:
My takeaways:

— Fleck hasn't had the opportunity yet to work with many of the new players. This would make any projections about their future status problematic.

— In 2019 we had two All B1G wide receivers, and we therefore threw more often. In 2023 we had Mo Ibrahim, the best RB in the B1G, along with a banged-up receiving corps, so we ran a lot. Run/pass balance changes with personnel, injuries, performance, experience levels.

— OL has strong positional versatility.

— LB corps is a work in progress beyond Lindenberg.

— Fleck was very enthusiastic about what Winston DeLattiboudere brings to the staff. Fleck explains why he named Winston to the title of "newcomer coordinator" and in that capacity he will assist in the transition for freshmen and transfers who are entering the Gopher program.

— More on the DL: sounds like we are putting special emphasis on improving the pass rush.

— Fleck made a positive point about the portal: it affords an opportunity for a player who needs a change to find a fresh start. Fleck said this is much better than having a player be forced to stay in a place where he doesn't fit, which could lead to conflict, tension, resentment and bad team chemistry.

— It sounds as though RB will be an evolving, fluid situation. Mentioned Williams as the vet, and the young, upcoming fresh faces. Gave a bit of a shout-out to Max Grand.
Click to expand...
Max Grand and Jordan Nubin are always mentioned in recent interviews (even Athan mentioned them in his interview on Gopher Gridiron Radio). Seems either they are doing well and getting reps in practice, or there is a concerted effort to name all the RBs so that public doesn't know who will get the carries.
 



jonnyganas said:
Max Grand and Jordan Nubin are always mentioned in recent interviews (even Athan mentioned them in his interview on Gopher Gridiron Radio). Seems either they are doing well and getting reps in practice, or there is a concerted effort to name all the RBs so that public doesn't know who will get the carries.
Click to expand...

Fleck made two points about this:

— He can't know who will be starting and getting the most carries at this point in the season, because he hasn't worked directly with the new guys. He has to evaluate what they can do.

— In addition to the above, how the players perform in practice, drills, spring game, scrimmages will impact their playing time. The coaches will be constantly evaluating and re-evaluating. Fleck said the first depth chart may differ from the one that is used for the opener against Nebraska.

This makes a lot of sense to me.
 
Last edited:

jonnyganas said:
Max Grand and Jordan Nubin are always mentioned in recent interviews (even Athan mentioned them in his interview on Gopher Gridiron Radio). Seems either they are doing well and getting reps in practice, or there is a concerted effort to name all the RBs so that public doesn't know who will get the carries.
Click to expand...
Going to guess it is due to them doing well and not due to some desire to keep the public in the dark about the RB situation.

The reality is that the RB competition is wide open heading into the 2023 season. If a young guy steps up and proves themselves they could definitely find their way into the mix.
 

RememberMurray said:
My takeaways:

— Fleck hasn't had the opportunity yet to work with many of the new players. This would make any projections about their future status problematic.

— In 2019 we had two All B1G wide receivers, and we therefore threw more often. In 2023 we had Mo Ibrahim, the best RB in the B1G, along with a banged-up receiving corps, so we ran a lot. Run/pass balance changes with personnel, injuries, performance, experience levels.

— OL has strong positional versatility.

— LB corps is a work in progress beyond Lindenberg.

— Fleck was very enthusiastic about what Winston DeLattiboudere brings to the staff. Fleck explains why he named Winston to the title of "newcomer coordinator" and in that capacity he will assist in the transition for freshmen and transfers who are entering the Gopher program.

— More on the DL: sounds like we are putting special emphasis on improving the pass rush.

— Fleck made a positive point about the portal: it affords an opportunity for a player who needs a change to find a fresh start. Fleck said this is much better than having a player be forced to stay in a place where he doesn't fit, which could lead to conflict, tension, resentment and bad team chemistry.

— It sounds as though RB will be an evolving, fluid situation. Mentioned Williams as the vet, and the young, upcoming fresh faces. Gave a bit of a shout-out to Max Grand.
Click to expand...
People forget we were still very run heavy in 2019, the passing was just way more efficient.
 

RememberMurray said:
of "newcomer coordinator" and in that capacity he will assist in the transition for freshmen and transfers who are entering the Gopher program.
Click to expand...
This type of thing is especially needed for Southerners who are coming to live in Minnesota for the first time in their lives.

For all the stuff Fleck makes up, this is a very good idea!
 


gopherdudepart2 said:
It's cause Greg Johnson is a big dude and has man strength. They know he will play early, to talented to keep on the sidelines.
Click to expand...
Great problem to have and Fleck said they like to play 6-7 guys and keep them fresh for 4th quarter when they tend to take over games. Still gotta have a back that can do what Mo could do. OL is not a worry for me.

Excited about Max Grand. Had an eye on him since he walked-on. Top back in WI and chose MN and seems to be providing great competition at the position.

Kudos to Williams for sticking around. Wonder if he is interested in a Coaching future or just loves the U's education and the program.

K/P is my biggest concern at this point.
 

Gophers_4life said:
This type of thing is especially needed for Southerners who are coming to live in Minnesota for the first time in their lives.

For all the stuff Fleck makes up, this is a very good idea!
Click to expand...
When I was attending the U I took a creative writing class with a FB player from Florida. Overheard his group talking him through what type of layers he needed for the winter and what to do if he couldn't get a good winter coat before it got cold.
 


swelna said:
When I was attending the U I took a creative writing class with a FB player from Florida. Overheard his group talking him through what type of layers he needed for the winter and what to do if he couldn't get a good winter coat before it got cold.
Click to expand...
A good friend of mine's daughter had a boyfriend from Jamaica. They met in college in Florida. He came to Minnesota to visit and had a North Face windbreaker type jacket on. It was -10 at the time. I asked him what the heck he was thinking and he told me the lady at the Florida Dick's Sporting Goods told him it was "a really warm jacket". :D:D:D It's hard to comprehend the climate up here until you've experienced it.
 

jonnyganas said:
Max Grand and Jordan Nubin are always mentioned in recent interviews (even Athan mentioned them in his interview on Gopher Gridiron Radio). Seems either they are doing well and getting reps in practice, or there is a concerted effort to name all the RBs so that public doesn't know who will get the carries.
Click to expand...
And Fleck is only naming RBs here for spring practice. We have another very promising Frosh RB, Marquese Williams, who isn't an early enrollee. He'll be on the campus sooner rather than later. We have got a lot of very good young talent in the RB room plus two savvy veterans. And, in a pinch, we can always borrow from the LB room the fan favorite: LeCaptain.
 

This was a really good press conference.

I encourage everyone to listen to it.

God knows this forum is often filled with folks asking questions that they could answer on their own or get some good insight from what PJ says in these conferences.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom