This is a Big Ten West title team that can certainly play with UNC and will be ready to go toe-to-toe with Ohio State like 2019 Gophers did and with Michigan like 2015 Gophers did. PJ has made it obvious he loves this team. Raves about strength, speed, agility numbers. Raves about work ethic. Raves about leadership. Says all are in the boat, all are rowing in the same direction. Look for him to match or top his 11-2, top ten 2019 team or his 2016 Cotton Bowl team.
QB:
....Best QB arm I've seen in Maroon and Gold in 40 years in AK. One of very few QBs in Big Ten with Big Ten game experience. Was consensus 4-star and Gatorade player of year out of Illinois.
....Very solid 5th year back-up who bleeds Maroon and Gold and has ties to Couglin, Moe and Grant.
....Both guys can run better than Morgan.
....Fresh and hungry voice coaching this group with aide of newly allowed accomplished staffers.
WR:
....Deepest, fastest WR group in 40 years.
.... A 7th year guy offering great leadership in CAB who is a gamer who has proven big-time play skills.
....4-star recruit Daniel Jackson is in year 4 and may not be back for year 5 as NFL scouts are on him.
....Portal gifted us two hits in 5th year Crooms and 4th year Spencer. Both lit up the Spring game. Both experienced, fast with great hands and verticality. Crooms hungry to prove he is NFL-worthy.
...Badger-beater Brockington another guy PJ snuck out of talent-rich Georgia. Was All-State in Peach State.
...Fastest, most agile kid on team was a sleeper out of Alexandia - Minnesota, not Virginia.
...Lanier a great late flip in 2023 class.
...Group coach has put multiple guys in NFL in last decade and now has a stronger voice as co-OC. ...Head coach knows this position inside and out.
...Added an Ohio State staffer to further assist this group.
TE:
...Group features a 6th year pre-season All-American from St. Cloud who bleeds the RTB culture. Hungry to up his draft-stock. Enough said.
...Kallerup is a 5th year grown man who brings the physicality you need in the Big Ten, and Simon and Harbaugh love to use the TE.
...Geers is a guy we pulled out of Chicago that Iowa, WI, NW, IL, and PU all wanted. Ready to emerge in year 3.
...Fresh viewpoint leading this room as Andrew Sowder joins the staff. Sowder was OC at Kent State the last five years, one of the nation's top offenses. Friends with Callahan from early years so good fit.
...Last year's TE coach now co-OC and will use this group.
RB:
...Sean Tyler is third in NCAA in returning career yards. Among tops in nation in big gain runs. Veteran mature guy in year 5, eager to prove he is NFL worthy.
...Red shirt frosh RB Zach Evans was a Top 50 RB in 2022 class by 247; top ten all-purpose back by Rivals. Played at high level in Texas. Flashed in one limited outing last year and in Spring game.
...True frosh RB Darius Taylor picked us over Michigan. Might just pull a Marion Barber Sr, who, as a frosh in 1977, helped upset his home state-school in Mpls. Kid has burst, strength and shiftiness. His high school stats are insane.
...Tyler, Evans and Taylor all more of a weapon in pass game than Mo was.
...New voice leading this group had #4 rushing offense in nation in 2021, had #2 rushing offense in MAC last year, helped put Minnesota Zach Zenner into the NFL when he was at SDSU.
...Another unit with great veteran leadership as Bryce Williams returns for year 6. Special place in all Gopher fans hearts as the guy who helped end the skid against Bucky back in 2018. Solid, dependable and a great blocker in passing situations...which we will have a lot more of this year with great throwing and catching talent.
O-line:
...Loaded with 4th, 5th, and 6th year guys who are grown men with a lot of time in one of the top strength programs in the nation; coached by a guy in prime of his career who is just racking up all-big players and NFL players out of his room.
...4th year LT Ersery is an NFL talent. Fleck and Callahan says maybe best they have coached.
...5th year Likely RG Carroll is an NFL talent. Son of last guy who beat Ohio State in Mpls.
...likely C 6th year guy Nathan Boe has been kept off the field as he mentored under Weyler and Schmitz. A Lakeville kid, smartest kid on team, bleeds Maroon and Gold and has started in spots over career.
...Sounds like great competition between 6th year guy Karter Shaw (former starter at Utah State), 5th year guy Tyler Cooper, 5th year guy JJ Guedet, and 4th year guy Martes Lewis to fill two other spots on line. All of them 6'4" or longer, all of them 300 pounds plus. Being pushed by some very talented younger guys who are hungry.
K:
...One of biggest legs in nation has proved his value in kick-offs and now gets the FG gig. 4th year guy; locker room leader.
Safety:
...5th year Tyler Nubin a pre-season All-American; bleeds the RTB culture. Sets the tone. Hungry to up his draft-status
...3rd year Darius Green ready to step in. played in all 13 games last year, started and shined in Bowl game. Ran 10.6 hundred in high school and is the hardest hitter on the team; good combo.
...Great depth with Bowl game MVP Bryson and rising star Aidan Gousby.
...not a hungrier, harder working position coach in the nation than Danny Collins...as loyal to Fleck and Rossi as one can be
Corner:
...My fear is this last season we see 2021 Frosh All-American Justin Walley at corner. NFL loves corners and they have eyes on him.
...RS Frosh Watson ran a 10.43 100 in Louisiana as a high schooler; got to study under NFL'er T-Smith last year
...added some experience via portal in 5th year Jones and 4th year Bride; both hungry to prove they can compete at higher level...positive reports on both as possible upgrades over Bishop and Stapp
...Mahtomedi/St. Clous State boy Nick Monroe returns home to join buddy Joe Rossi's staff...Monroe has great track record putting guys in the League
Nickel:
...transfer Jack Henderson is this year's Jack Gibbens...4th year guy may elevate himself from SE Louisiana to NFL...the number one rave of defensive newcomers through Spring and into Fall...if Auburn-transfer Craig McDonald gets eligibility, Gophers are stacked here...a 4th year guy who has found his way home via Big12 and SEC stops
LB:
...Fleck says 4th year Cody Lindenberg is best LB he has coached and calls him one of best in nation....has the strength, speed, instincts, smarts, passion to be very, very good this year...kind of home-grown kid Iowa has beat us with for years ready to bring Floyd home
...Rossi brought in 6th year guy Selig from WMU, where they had very good scouting info from; in 2022 played in 12 games and made 73 tackles, while recording 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, broke up one pass, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble
...PJ sounds very optimistic that 3rd year guy Devon Williams may be ready to step in next to Cody...from powerhouse Dublin Coffman in Ohio, Williams was 2nd team All-State as a senior
...very good reports on rs frosh Maverick Baranowski stepping up as well
D-Line:
...Fleck can't stop talking about his d-line and its coach, former Gopher Winston DeLattiboudere; calls Winston best DL coach he has had and a fast-track head coach guy...was able to add an extra d-line staffer he loves
...he loves 5th year DT guy Kyler Baugh as returning starter
...he loves uber-talented DT Deven Eastern, Prior Lake kid who bleeds RTB and M&G, a 4-star recruit
...he has 6th year Clemson transfer Jefferies ready to rotate with Eastern
...he has 5th year Perham kid Logan Richter ready to rotate with Baugh
...he loves the 4th year DE Jalen Logan-Redding (beat out Mizzou for him), he killed the weight room in off-season
...he loves 4th year DE Jah Joyner (beat out BC and Rutgers for him) who led the team in pressure last year
...he loves 2nd year 4-star talent Anthony Smith, who looks like a Michigan DE
...he loves 4th year guy Danny Striggow from Orono, who was taking snaps from Thomas Rush (now getting some NFL run) at end of last year
Return Joe Rossi as DC
...Get to play year-zero coaches at WI, NE, Purdue and NW.
...Will have packed houses vs NE, Michigan and Wisconsin...get Bielema's bunch at home...get MSU, who they destroyed in East Lansing, at home
...get to play Iowa coming off a bye, while Iowa comes off trip to Camp Randall and will be eighth week with no bye
...get UNC after they face regional rivals SC and App State; will have a huge Maroon and Gold contingent supporting them...
