Gopher Football
Then:
Position Battle – QUARTERBACK
Players departed: Asad Abdul Khaliq, Benji Kamrath
Players battling: Bryan Cupito, Adam Ernst, John CarlsonGH.com take: Minnesota loses its top two QB’s from last year, Asad Abdul Khaliq and Benji Kamrath. Only one QB from last year’s roster returns this season, and that is sophomore Bryan Cupito. Bryan’s main challenge will come from Junior College transfer Adam Ernst. This will likely be the position battle where we will learn the most by the springs end, as very little is known about either of these two prospects. Cupito has been in the system the longest and is probably the better long term prospect. Ernst, on the other hand, is older and has a year of playing experience in Junior College, so it’s hard to say who has the clear advantage here. Cupito will likely start spring as the #1 guy, but that’s just based on his experience in the offense. Not to be overlooked is freshman John Carlson. A Hopkins graduate, Carlson should actually still be in high school, but he finished up those requirements early and started attending classes at the U this past January. He certainly will have a leg up on the other freshman QB’s this fall, but because of the wide open nature of this battle the opportunity is there for him to make some noise now.
Bottom Line: This is a key battle that could have a large impact on the overall success of this offense. The running game is proven, the receiving talent is there, and a good QB could make for another huge year for the offense. There appears to be no favorite going into spring.
Now:
At the Big Ten Conference Kickoff Luncheon on Wednesday, Coach Mason confirmed that sophomore Bryan Cuptio is clearly the number one guy going into fall practice, and it’s his job to lose. Cupito was impressive during the spring, surprising even Coach Mason with how far he had come with his command of the offense. Mason has also talked about the Gophers focusing on a “Gimmie” passing attack; one that will throw a lot of quick passes designed to counteract defenses that may be focusing too heavily on our running game. If this indeed in the case, it should really compliment Bryan’s strengths.
Adam Ernst heads into fall practice as the clear #2. During the spring Adam displayed a strong arm, but tended to be a little erratic. His biggest task this fall will be to try to catch up with Cupito on learning the offense. John Carlson wasn’t expected to make any moves in the spring, but his experience with the team thus far will really help him and the rest of the freshmen quarterbacks this fall.
Then:
Position Battle – RIGHT OFFENSIVE GUARD
Player departed: Joe Quinn
Players battling: Mike Nicholson, Tyson Swaggert, Brandon Harston, Brian Goblirsch.GH.com take: This might be the most hotly contested battle of the spring. Mike Nicholson has got to be just busting at the seams to prove he can play. When Mike came in as a true freshman, Mason raved about him, predicting he would start at center his redshirt freshman year. But, that was before Greg Eslinger arrived on campus. Nicholson sat on the bench in ’02, and then last year a spot at right tackle opened up. Nicholson won that job, but then freshman Joe Ainslie stepped up was starter by years end. Eslinger and Ainslie return, so this again is another chance for Nicholson. Mike is definitely talented enough to win it, but also ready for the challenge are sophomores Tyson Swaggert and Brian Goblirsch. Swaggert is a name that started popping up at the end of last year as a guy who could make a run for this opening, but very little is known him at this point. Goblirsch backed up Mark Setterstrom last year and will be entering his third year in the program. Mason has a history of finding lightly recruited talent in the O-line, so Goblirsch cannot be counted out.
Bottom Line: This spot will be in good hands whoever wins it. The Offensive Line should be at (or at least very close to) the level it was last year.
Now:
In what may be a little bit of a surprise to some, Brandon Harston has taken control of the starting spot at right guard. The only reason I say it’s a surprise is because last year, and for much of his four years here, Brandon’s name hasn’t come up very much. Brandon did see plenty of game time against Iowa, but that stint yielded less than spectacular results. Rather, a lot of last year was listening to rumors about Tyson Swaggert and seeing Mike Nicholson starting for half of the season. Never the less, coach Mason has stated several times that Brandon is the starter heading into fall, and he has also has predicted that Harston will be as good or better than Joe Quinn was last year. Considering Joe was a 2nd team All-Big Ten selection, this spot should remain in good hands. Walkon sophomore Josh Brenny is currently listed as the backup to Harston, but don’t count out the possibility of Nicholson, Swaggert or Goblirsch filling in here if needed.
Then:
Position Battle – FREE SAFETY
Player departed: Eli Ward
Players battling: Brandon Owens, John Pawielski, Quentin WhiteGH.com take: Replacing Eli Ward won’t be an easy task. Eli was a solid free safety for the Gophers, and was the brightest spot on an sometimes struggling defense. Leading the battle to replace Eli are a few guys; two of whom couldn’t be more different from each other, Brandon Owens and John Pawielski. Owens is a blue-chip recruit from Florida; Pawielski is a walk on from Wisconsin. Owens is 6’2″, Pawielski is 5’11”. No contest right? Well, not exactly. Owens played some special teams last year but didn’t get any looks with the first team defense in meaningful situations. Rather, Pawielski was the guy who found himself on the field in key times. While Owens is the better athlete, Pawielski has that fierce walk-on mentality that coaches love. Mason has said that Owens will be a good player when he learns the defense, but until that happens nothing is set in stone.
Another name to watch here is Junior Quinten White. After seeing playing time as a true freshman, some fans expected Quinten to have a larger role in the defense last year but he ended up being limited to mostly special teams. He has the size and athletic ability to play the position, so don’t be surprised if makes a run as well.
Bottom Line: Pawielski & White might be good free safeties for us, but most Gopher fans are probably hoping that Brandon Owens wins this job. Brandon is a gifted athlete, and him winning this job would likely mean that he is learning the defense and is ready to put it together on the field. Brandon is potentially the biggest star player we have on defense, and it would a discouraging sign for his future if he rides the pine again this year.
Now:
As you can see, I kind of predicted some doom and gloom for Brandon Owens future with Minnesota if he sat on the bench this year, but that was before we knew for sure that he had been permanently switched to Linebacker. Because of the position change, I will take this opportunity to recant that statement. (hee, hee”¦ I should be a politician!)
As most already knew, former star recruit Brandon Owens was switched to Linebacker after the spring game. When that happened, the future of the free safety became much more clear. John Pawielski, the walk-on from Wisconsin, has proven himself in the coaches eyes to the point that they felt comfortable going with him as starter and moving Owens to Linebacker. There isn’t a lot of flash to John’s game, but there is toughness, intelligence and consistency. It’s a cliché, but it’s true: Coaches love players like that. After the Owens move to linebacker, redshirt freshman Samad Cain got bumped up the depth chart one spot and is now the backup. Junior Quinten White has been moved over to strong safety and is listed third on the depth chart.
Then:
Position Battle – RIGHT DEFENSIVE END
Player Departed: Paul Nixon
Players Battling: Eric Clark, Keith Lipka, Mario ReeseGH.com take: Paul Nixon and Eric Clark split time about 50/50 here last year, and overall it was one of the weaker spots on the team. Nixon accounted for only 1.5 sacks and Clark had even less with 1. Nixon was a senior, but the encouraging fact with Clark is that he was just a redshirt freshman and has a lot of time to improve. Expect Clark to take a big step up going into the spring, but he will have some competition. Keith Lipka has the most experience of the challengers, but it really isn’t that much. He didn’t see hardly any action at all last year, and accumulated only 7 tackles and 1 sack. Mario Reese may be used as a situational pass rushing specialist, but the best guess at this time is not is not big enough to play full time. Based on the lack of experience of Lipka, Reese & Clark, don’t be surprised if a younger player such as Maurice Buchanan steps up. Maurice redshirted as a true freshman and didn’t see much action his redshirt year, but there would be no better time than now for him to make a move.
Bottom Line: Hopefully a large amount of competition happens here this spring, because the Gopher defense needs a large upgrade in production from this spot. The pass rush was the weakest area of the defense last year, and in order for things to improve this season there will need to be MUCH better play from the defensive ends.
Now:
This position battle is one that may not be completely decided yet. As of right now, Eric Clark is the starter. However, the player who has seen his stock dramatically rise over the spring and summer is sophomore Mario Reese. The coaches are just in love with the athleticism that he brings to the table. Mario is 6’3″, 225 lbs, runs a 4.7 40 yard dash, has a 38 inch vertical jump (wow!), and benches 345 lbs. Needless to say, he’s probably the best pound for pound athlete on the team. This great athleticism could help make Mario into a dominant pass rusher, something the Gopher defense sorely needs. Even if he doesn’t start, expect him to get his fair share of pass rushing opportunities.
Also listed in the preview was Keith Lipka. Keith has been moved to defensive tackle to provide some much needed depth there. Maurice Buchanon is currently listed as the backup at right defensive end behind Darrell Reid.
Overall, this will likely be the most interesting battle of the fall to watch. The coaches like both Clark and Reese. Both are sophomores and both should help push each other into producing good results on the field this fall.