By: Daniel House- Follow on Twitter: @DanielHouseNFL
Injuries, offseason surgeries, and transfers had the Gophers’ coaching staff in a tricky position during spring ball. 7-on-7 was the new craze as head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff improvised to accommodate the loss of three offensive linemen.
The Gophers consistently practiced with four offensive linemen, drastically limiting the amount of team drills they ran. Veterans Jared Weyler, Vincent Calhoun, and Garrison Wright all missed time during spring practices. In addition, Brandon Dovich and Quinn Oseland missed stints of practice. However, extensive credit goes to new offensive line coach Ed Warinner for his improvisation skills. He found ways to push the offensive line group and heavily emphasized individual skill work. Warinner is one of the best offensive line coaches in the country and will drastically overhaul the approach up front.
The biggest question mark heading into the season will be how the offensive line is structured. Can the group overcome depth issues and past injury problems? The Gophers lost a combined 65 starts between three players on the offensive line as Tyler Moore and Connor Mayes transferred and Jonah Pirsig graduated. Those are big holes to fill.
In my eyes, the Gophers have two starting options on the offensive line. After evaluating spring practices, I particularly favor option number two.
Option #1: LT: Greene, LG: Olson, C: Weyler, RG: Calhoun, RT: Wright
Option #2: LT: Greene, LG: Wright, C: Weyler, RG: Olson, RT: Connelly
The real battle will occur between Vincent Calhoun and Conner Olson for the right guard spot. Whoever loses the Olson/Calhoun battle will likely be the first interior offensive linemen off the bench. In addition, Blaise Andries and Ben Davis will provide depth at the tackle spot.
Donnell Greene- Junior
Junior Donnell Greene is the player I believe has the most potential on this offensive line unit. I’ve been waiting to see him take the next step and this could be the year. He has all the attributes you are looking for in an offensive lineman. Greene measures in at 6-foot-7, 345 pounds and has extremely long arms, along with a solid base as a pass protector. He sets his anchor and uses his hands to get position. His footwork has a tendency to be inconsistent, which gets him into trouble sometimes. In spring ball, I was most impressed with his continued growth as a run blocker. He uses his lower body strength to drive through defenders. I want to see his vision improve as a blocker, especially to find blockers in the second level. His fundamentals were inconsistent, but they already were starting to improve under the instruction of Ed Warinner. I’ve always felt like Greene is a future NFL player if he can develop the smaller details of his game. With Ed Warinner coaching him, I’m more optimistic than ever about this prediction.
Garrison Wright- RS Senior
Redshirt senior Garrison Wright battled injuries last season and missed spring ball as he recovered from offseason surgery. Wright needs to play on the inside because he is a natural run blocker. He does a great job of setting a strong anchor and delivering a strong punch with inside hand position. For the most part, he stays low and wins because of it. He needs more work on his footwork as a pass blocker and often gets off balance, which could get him into trouble against power inside rushers. Wright started all 13 games and played a significant role in the rushing success the Gophers had last season. More importantly, he displayed his toughness as he played through injury on a consistent basis. Wright won’t be playing out of position, which should drastically improve his performance this year.
Jared Weyler- RS Junior
Redshirt junior Jared Weyler is another victim of the injury bug that bit the Gophers last season. Weyler started eight games last season and rotated between guard and center. Weyler is a player I see as a natural center because of his ability to stay low and drive through his punch. He has a very strong base and is light on his feet to change direction laterally. Weyler can shift between guard and center if injuries strike. His physical playing style and attention to the fundamentals stand out from his tape. He’ll be able to pull and pave the way in the second level for the Gophers’ impressive running attack.
Conner Olson- RS Freshman
Redshirt freshman Conner Olson has been taking reps at center while Jared Weyler recovers from surgery. During the spring game, he struggled snapping the football, but stood out in other ways. His footwork is developing at a faster rate than you would anticipate. Not to mention, he has above average lower body strength to finish off blockers in the second level. He is a power run blocker and is fantastic as a pulling guard. Olson has long arms for a guard and uses it to his advantage as he explodes to the second level and delivers a strong block on a linebacker. Olson will likely be in a battle with Vincent Calhoun for the starting right guard spot throughout the fall. When the job is up for grabs this fall, the extra reps Olson received might benefit him.
Nick Connelly- RS Sophomore
With Garrison Wright likely staying on the inside, the Gophers will be looking for a new starting right tackle. I was impressed with the strides redshirt sophomore Nick Connelly made during spring ball. Connelly has yet to make a start on the offensive line, but is developing every day. At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Connelly has a massive frame and is starting to refine the smaller details of his game. His footwork is progressing, and he isn’t lunging, which was a problem in the past. He provides above average ability as a run blocker and performs at a high level when he stays low and gets position. Connelly has progressed over the last few months, particularly with his fundamentals as a pass protector. He can be a starter this year, but there could be some early growing pains.
Vincent Calhoun- Senior
As I explained earlier, senior Vincent Calhoun will likely be in a battle with Conner Olson for the starting right guard job. Calhoun missed spring ball as he recovered from offseason surgery. Olson took advantage of the reps and performed well this spring. Calhoun has established himself as a solid interior pulling guard, but was exposed against interior defensive lineman that had a blend of speed and power. He had trouble with push-pull moves and really struggled with upper body strength. It seemed to get worse as the season progressed, which makes me wonder if this was related to his nagging injuries. Calhoun needs polishing as a player and must quickly learn the new system after missing time. If he can, he’ll win the starting right guard job.
Blaise Andries- Freshman
Freshman Blaise Andries has it all: size, athleticism, and strength. At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, he is a mauler in the running game, who plays through the whistle on a consistent basis. The top recruit in Minnesota, Andries is one of the best offensive line prospects the Gophers have secured in years. He is an extremely polished player in every aspect of his game. Andries was one of the most talented run blocking tackles I have seen on tape in quite some time. It is rare to find a young player with his type of footwork, hand technique, and overall strength. He delivers a strong punch and sets an anchor after reading the edge rusher’s outside shoulder. I would be surprised if Andries was a redshirt, particularly due to the depth concerns up front. He’ll be an anchor on the offensive line for seasons to come.
Ben Davis- Sophomore
The Gophers picked up Ben Davis as a late JUCO transfer to bolster their depth on the offensive line. The real benefit of Davis is his position flexibility. He has experience as a guard and tackle, which is important with all of the uncertainties surrounding the stability of this offensive line. He is very athletic and has good vision to find defenders in the second level. I really see potential in his skill-set and will be eager to evaluate him in on-field drills this fall. It was critical to add another capable offensive linemen and Davis certainly provides that.
Kyle Sassack- Freshman
Kyle Sassack needs technique work to refine certain aspects of his game, especially as a pass protector. He is a mauler who plays to the whistle. He wins the leverage battle every time because of his disciplined focus on staying as low as possible. He doesn’t have amazing lateral agility, which worries me when he is tested by Big Ten defensive ends. He’ll need to learn how to use his arms and hands to punch out of his stance as a pass protector, but that will easily develop. Sassack has strong upside and fits the mold of power run blocking tackles the Gophers have recruited in this class. In fall practices, I’ll be monitoring these freshman during field workouts.
John Michael Schmitz- Freshman
Of the freshman offensive lineman not named Blaise Andries, I’m most impressed with John Michael Schmitz. He is a road grader who wins consistently by staying low and playing fundamentally sound. Michael Schmitz explodes out of his stance uses his lower body strength to finish through the whistle. His focus on the smaller details of the game really stand out. He is one tough offensive linemen. Michael Schmitz is the perfect interior guard because of his above average athleticism to get into the second level. He finds defenders on a consistent basis and finishes blocks to the whistle. I see a little Forrest Lamp in his skill-set and I’m very curious to see how he develops under the instruction of Ed Warinner.
Redshirt sophomore Bronson Dovich, redshirt freshman Sam Schlueter, and redshirt sophomore Quinn Oseland benefited from the additional reps they received during spring practices. In the event injuries strike, those additional snaps will be extremely important.
Junior Vincent Magaña, freshman Eric Rousemiller, and freshman Axel Ruschmeyer will provide deep depth for the future.
Overall, the progression and devlelopment of the offensive line is the single biggest key on the Minnesota offense this year. If the group gets beat up and can’t overcome injuries, they will be relying on inexperience to step up.