Gopher Football
TomD posted on 2/11 4:21 pm
Subject: Depth
I’m gonna take my own shot at this. Injuries and position changes, coupled with my own ignorance, could leave this looking pretty far removed from the way things actually wind up. SPRING PRACTICE:
WR: Ron Johnson, Jermaine Mays & Antoine Henderson for starters. If Jack Brewer moves from FS he supplants Henderson. Elvin Jones & Ben Utecht for backups.Ryan Keller, Grant Carter and Tony Patterson probably won’t find much PT. Keller might get a few cracks at passing off the end-around.
TE: Zach Vevea starting, with Scooter Baugus and Dan Gitlewski backing up. If Eric Larson shifts from OT he could move ahead of Gitlewski and maybe others.
OL: Ben Hamilton, Derek Burns, Randy Roth, Adam Haayer & Jake Kuppe start. Akeem Akinwale and Eric Larson (if not moved to TE) are the only sure fire second stringers). Joe Palke could make it at one OG spot. That leaves walk-0n Jeremiah Carter, Anthony Dabruzzi and Matt McIntosh competing for the other OG & OT slots. If phantom walk-on Damien Cannaday plays an OL position he could be added to the equation. If Vinnie Xanthos would return to campus he could provide high quality depth here and perhaps challenge for a starting spot if his lay off hasn’t left him too far behind.
QB: My guess is that Andy Persby starts out the Spring as the regular but doesn’t wind up there. I think Both Travis Cole and Asad Abdul-Khaliq will pass him by. Persby may not come back in the fall if this takes place. Benji Kamrath still arould to listen, learn and hopefully help later on.
RB: A healthy Thomas Tapeh is a lock here. Tellis Redmon so far has done more than anyone else to be called #2. Mabe Renato Fitzpatrick passes Redmon.
FB: Don’t know how much this position will be utilized but Robert Williams might be worth a look based just on his size. Walk-on Darren Laesch (formerly at Nebraska) might also get a shot. Then there’s always phantom Cannaday. Maybe they just use the position in short yardage situations and stick a third TE back there—possibly Dan Gitlewski.
PK:Dan Nystrom a lock to start. Back by Mike Albert
P :Preston Gruening starts with “who knows who” in reserve
KO: Albert and Gruening vying for the starting spot.
KR: Redmon and Henderson
PR: Redmon
LS: Possibly Joe Palke or one of the Walkons.
DE: Karon Riley & Greg White for starters. Maurice White and Drew Dehnicke in backup roles. Mike Cernoch & Dan Kwapinski hanging around (Kwapinski could be ther 4th TE).
DT: John Schlecht and Matt Anderle on 1st string with Chris Smith and Dave Sykora breathing down their necks.
LB: Sean Hoffman and Curtese Poole start if healthy. Joined by Ben Mezera. If Hoffman and Poole can’t go then Astein Osei and Justin Hall start. Jimmy Henry should play LB in passing situations (though he also could be returned to SS). Tony Dupree and DaVonta Bell move up if Osei and Hall becomes starters. Phil Archer could help but lack of speed might find him at DE. Paul Nixon also could add some speed to the position.
DB: Jimmy Wyricks and Willie Middlebrooks start at corners. If Wyricks isn’t granted another year then Andre Brown moves in. Brown and Trevis Graham (or Graham and Eli Ward) back up. Mike Lehan figures ahead of Ward but may be moved to Safety. Delvin Jones starts at one safety spot (could be either SS of FS). Brewer, Henry or Lehan could all be here, with Clorenzo Griffith and Mike Galloway figuring in also. The safety position is hardest to figure because of all the possible position changes.
In the fall I look for Antoine Burns to wind up starting at WR (possibly sending Brewer back to FS). Marcus Sanders could pass up all the RBs except Tapeh. If the Safety position can’t be resolved then Dominique Sims could move int though I think they’d like to red-shirt him. I don’t see any other frosh getting time (baring massive injuries) except for the possibility of special teams—specifically Peter Pruden at LS if Palke and the walk ons don’t work out in the spring, and Antoine Burns definitely as a KR and possibly a PR.
Well there it is. Submitted with egg on my face and many pending external factors that will probably leave this projection null and void. Wish I knew what the staff’s position change plans were. The things concerning me the most are OL depth, finding a competent LS, Getting 8 quality DBs together from about 13 candidates and establishing who is 1 & 2 at QB. Looking forward to spring practice and even more so to the fall. Go Gophs!!
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