hungan1
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PJ Fleck certainly made a splash nationally by announcing that his starting QB is not only a true freshman, but a PWO freshman (second only to Baker Mayfield).
In the process, media paid attention to what PJ Fleck is doing to elevate the Gophers PWO program as part of the master plan to compete for B1G titles.
Ian Boyd of SB Nation/The Daily Gopher did an expose' in his opinion piece,
"P.J. Fleck’s walk-on warriors", August 24, 2018:
https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2018/8/24/17774914/p-j-fleck-walk-on-warriors-zack-annexstad-veer-minnesota-gophers-rodney-smith
Ian underscored that there are some hidden treasure trove of talent in MN, a state where football is not the main emphasis, often overlooked, and are difficult to scout compared to Florida.
"While seeking to rebuild the roster, Fleck has taken nine Minnesotans in two classes but he’s also mimicking the Tom Osborne strategy of convincing as many local talents as possible to join the team as preferred walk-ons."
"Initially, the big win of landing Annexstad was that he convinced a pair of considerable IMG talents to join him. You get the sense that Annexstad could have had some good scholarship offers (indeed he had a few) but he was always intending to play for Minnesota (his father was a Gopher starter) and ready and willing to pay his own way while freeing up scholarships for other players. He then convinced IMG OL Curtis Dunlap (6-4, 368 pound 4-star) and Daniel Faalele (6-8, 400 pound 4-star) to take the room that was made by him and 10 other preferred walk-ons (mostly from Minnesota and Wisconsin) opting to forego scholarships."(actually 11 PWO commitments, with three uncertain ones).
"It’s a common strategy these days to fill out the 85 scholarship spots by snatching up players with the means to pay, drive to compete, and love of a school’s tradition to take preferred walk-on spots. It makes a team’s culture stronger to have guys like that and those ranks can regularly produce useful and sometimes even excellent players if they are scouted carefully and then developed in a strong program."
"P.J. Fleck has seemed more willing to roll with less heralded Minnesotans beyond just Zack Annexstad. The prospective 2018 OL will feature a fifth year senior Ohioan at center, a second year JUCO at LT, and then younger Minnesotans at the other three positions. The four starting LBs are also all Minnesotans."
"These are typically the spots that define the character of a team and Fleck has stacked them with locals that ideally would bring the kind of Minnesotan size and toughness that ND State looks for when they try to pillage the state for power run blockers or dominant defensive components."
2018 PWO Enrollees, Officially on Player Roster:
Zack Annexstad (Enrolled) - Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
Pro-Style Quarterback, Ht 6-2.5, Wt 202, 40 4.91. 0.8355 Composite (0.86)
https://247sports.com/player/zack-annexstad-84892
Owen Piche committed 3/30/18 – Naperville, IL (Neuqua Valley HS Class of 2017, PWO Transfer from Navy)
Outside Linebacker, Ht 6’ 3”, Wt 203 lbs, 0.8321
https://247sports.com/Player/Owen-Piche-85466
Max Jane, committed 2/7/18 - Mounds View Senior (St. Paul, MN)
Tight End, 6' 3", 230 lbs, 0.7998
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5687083...bfab0e082e7712
Micah Roane, committed 2/7/18 - Chaska, MN (Chaska)
Weak-Side Defensive End, Ht 6-4, Wt 235, 0.7497
https://247sports.com/player/micah-roane-46042657
Ty Barron, committed 2/7/18 - Minnetonka MN (Minnetonka Sr. HS)
Inside Linebacker, Ht 6' 0", Wt 220 lbs, 0.7397
https://247sports.com/Player/Ty-Barron-46042581
True Thompson (Enrolled) - Council Bluffs, IA (Iowa Western C.C., Robbinsdale Armstrong MPLS MN)
Wide Receiver, Ht 6' 4", Wt 195 lbs, 0.6997 (2016)
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3159372...a53e2a186df8e8
Michael Vojvodich, committed 2/7/18 - Fairfax, VA (Woodson)
Long Snapper, Ht 6-2, Wt 195
https://247sports.com/player/michael-vojvodich-46047877
Jack Kern, committed 2/7/18 - Eau Claire, WI (Memorial)
Defensive Tackle, Ht 6' 3", 275 lbs
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9753159...df620eecaf8f32
Brock Walker, committed 2/7/18 - Washington (Sioux Falls SD)
Kicker, 5' 10", 185 lbs
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5437608...b16b23444ff76c
Preston Jelen, committed 3/30/2018 – Prior Lake, MN (Prior Lake HS)
Athlete, Ht 5’ 10”, Wt 195 lbs, 40 4.60
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6022973...8f16117c3b7bb9
Jordan Howden, Committed 6/7/2018 - Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta HS)
Cornerback, Ht 5' 11", Wt 170 lbs (former HS teammate of Cameron Wiley)
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7180083...68d60cf07ad2ca
---------------------------------------------------------------
2018 PWO Commitments with unknown status
Jack McNeil, committed 2/7/18 - Madison, WI (Edgewood)
Tight End, Ht 6' 5", Wt 245 lbs
https://247sports.com/player/jack-mcneil-46039069
Ryan Keating, committed 2/7/18 - Strongsville OH (Strongsville)
Offensive Tackle, Ht 6' 3.5", Wt 273 lbs
https://247sports.com/player/ryan-keating-46041828
Cordell Tinch, committed 11/20/17 - Green Bay, WI (Bayport)
Wider Receiver, Ht 6' 2", Wt 175 lbs
https://www.nbc26.com/sports/bay-ports-tinch-prepares-for-football-track-and-field-at-university-of-minnesota
In the process, media paid attention to what PJ Fleck is doing to elevate the Gophers PWO program as part of the master plan to compete for B1G titles.
Ian Boyd of SB Nation/The Daily Gopher did an expose' in his opinion piece,
"P.J. Fleck’s walk-on warriors", August 24, 2018:
https://www.footballstudyhall.com/2018/8/24/17774914/p-j-fleck-walk-on-warriors-zack-annexstad-veer-minnesota-gophers-rodney-smith
Ian underscored that there are some hidden treasure trove of talent in MN, a state where football is not the main emphasis, often overlooked, and are difficult to scout compared to Florida.
"While seeking to rebuild the roster, Fleck has taken nine Minnesotans in two classes but he’s also mimicking the Tom Osborne strategy of convincing as many local talents as possible to join the team as preferred walk-ons."
"Initially, the big win of landing Annexstad was that he convinced a pair of considerable IMG talents to join him. You get the sense that Annexstad could have had some good scholarship offers (indeed he had a few) but he was always intending to play for Minnesota (his father was a Gopher starter) and ready and willing to pay his own way while freeing up scholarships for other players. He then convinced IMG OL Curtis Dunlap (6-4, 368 pound 4-star) and Daniel Faalele (6-8, 400 pound 4-star) to take the room that was made by him and 10 other preferred walk-ons (mostly from Minnesota and Wisconsin) opting to forego scholarships."(actually 11 PWO commitments, with three uncertain ones).
"It’s a common strategy these days to fill out the 85 scholarship spots by snatching up players with the means to pay, drive to compete, and love of a school’s tradition to take preferred walk-on spots. It makes a team’s culture stronger to have guys like that and those ranks can regularly produce useful and sometimes even excellent players if they are scouted carefully and then developed in a strong program."
"P.J. Fleck has seemed more willing to roll with less heralded Minnesotans beyond just Zack Annexstad. The prospective 2018 OL will feature a fifth year senior Ohioan at center, a second year JUCO at LT, and then younger Minnesotans at the other three positions. The four starting LBs are also all Minnesotans."
"These are typically the spots that define the character of a team and Fleck has stacked them with locals that ideally would bring the kind of Minnesotan size and toughness that ND State looks for when they try to pillage the state for power run blockers or dominant defensive components."
2018 PWO Enrollees, Officially on Player Roster:
Zack Annexstad (Enrolled) - Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
Pro-Style Quarterback, Ht 6-2.5, Wt 202, 40 4.91. 0.8355 Composite (0.86)
https://247sports.com/player/zack-annexstad-84892
Owen Piche committed 3/30/18 – Naperville, IL (Neuqua Valley HS Class of 2017, PWO Transfer from Navy)
Outside Linebacker, Ht 6’ 3”, Wt 203 lbs, 0.8321
https://247sports.com/Player/Owen-Piche-85466
Max Jane, committed 2/7/18 - Mounds View Senior (St. Paul, MN)
Tight End, 6' 3", 230 lbs, 0.7998
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5687083...bfab0e082e7712
Micah Roane, committed 2/7/18 - Chaska, MN (Chaska)
Weak-Side Defensive End, Ht 6-4, Wt 235, 0.7497
https://247sports.com/player/micah-roane-46042657
Ty Barron, committed 2/7/18 - Minnetonka MN (Minnetonka Sr. HS)
Inside Linebacker, Ht 6' 0", Wt 220 lbs, 0.7397
https://247sports.com/Player/Ty-Barron-46042581
True Thompson (Enrolled) - Council Bluffs, IA (Iowa Western C.C., Robbinsdale Armstrong MPLS MN)
Wide Receiver, Ht 6' 4", Wt 195 lbs, 0.6997 (2016)
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3159372...a53e2a186df8e8
Michael Vojvodich, committed 2/7/18 - Fairfax, VA (Woodson)
Long Snapper, Ht 6-2, Wt 195
https://247sports.com/player/michael-vojvodich-46047877
Jack Kern, committed 2/7/18 - Eau Claire, WI (Memorial)
Defensive Tackle, Ht 6' 3", 275 lbs
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9753159...df620eecaf8f32
Brock Walker, committed 2/7/18 - Washington (Sioux Falls SD)
Kicker, 5' 10", 185 lbs
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/5437608...b16b23444ff76c
Preston Jelen, committed 3/30/2018 – Prior Lake, MN (Prior Lake HS)
Athlete, Ht 5’ 10”, Wt 195 lbs, 40 4.60
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6022973...8f16117c3b7bb9
Jordan Howden, Committed 6/7/2018 - Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta HS)
Cornerback, Ht 5' 11", Wt 170 lbs (former HS teammate of Cameron Wiley)
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7180083...68d60cf07ad2ca
---------------------------------------------------------------
2018 PWO Commitments with unknown status
Jack McNeil, committed 2/7/18 - Madison, WI (Edgewood)
Tight End, Ht 6' 5", Wt 245 lbs
https://247sports.com/player/jack-mcneil-46039069
Ryan Keating, committed 2/7/18 - Strongsville OH (Strongsville)
Offensive Tackle, Ht 6' 3.5", Wt 273 lbs
https://247sports.com/player/ryan-keating-46041828
Cordell Tinch, committed 11/20/17 - Green Bay, WI (Bayport)
Wider Receiver, Ht 6' 2", Wt 175 lbs
https://www.nbc26.com/sports/bay-ports-tinch-prepares-for-football-track-and-field-at-university-of-minnesota
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