Gliding among his offensive teammates in between running plays at a recent practice, Kramer looked every bit the part of confident leader. Between snaps, he moved through those waiting for their turns, football in his hand, stopping to share a joke or friendly banter. At the line of scrimmage, he barked out signals assuredly, then ran the play called by Grant. Usually, it resulted in a pinpoint throw to one of his receivers.
“He always hits me right here,” said tight end Matt Sherman, centering his hands in the middle of his chest. “It’s a perfect pass every time.”
Not satisfied solely with the scholarship offer, Kramer spent the summer determined to prove it was deserved.
“I worked on a lot of things — footwork inside the pocket, getting away from pass rushers. I’ve been practicing throwing on the run,” said Kramer, running through a lengthy to-do list. “Mainly building chemistry with my receivers.”
The payoff for the thousands of passes, the time in the weight room, the camps and film work, is already evident.
“He just walks in now and he’s in charge,” Grant said. “And that comes with being a senior. He’s bigger and stronger, more physical. He’s done all the work.”
Ryan Burns, the publisher of Gophers Illustrated website, which reports on all aspects of University of Minnesota football, was pleased that the Gophers’ staff pursued Kramer. Burns acknowledges the Kramer doesn’t have one elite-level “wow factor” aspect to his game, but instead has, in abundance, something more important: an unwavering desire to improve.
“I’m higher on him than most,” Burns said. “I’ve seen the development he’s made. He’s added muscle, he’s added arm strength. He went to a Nike camp and ran a 4.5 40. He’s gone above and beyond in terms of putting in time.”
