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Football Big Ten Media Days - Day One: Storylines to watch

Cross-populating here - I did a free story over at the Penn State site of five storylines to watch for today during Big Ten Media Days. I'll be providing coverage of P.J Fleck's portion this afternoon and any takeaways from it.


Football Doak Walker recognizes Ibrahim

University of Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List today. The award is presented annually to the nation's top running back.

This is the second watch list for Ibrahim, as he was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List earlier this week. That award recognizes the most outstanding player in college football.

Ibrahim is one of the most decorated running backs to ever wear the Maroon and Gold. The sixth-year senior holds or owns a share of 10 team records and was named the 2020 Big Ten Running Back of the Year. That year, he rushed 201 times for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven games as Minnesota played an abbreviated schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was also named All-Big Ten First Team and AP Third-Team All-America that year.

Last season, Ibrahim rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters against Ohio State in the season-opener before suffering a season-ending injury.

Ibrahim ranks eighth on Minnesota's career rushing list with 3,003 yards despite playing in only 29 games. He is tied for fourth in school history with 33 rushing touchdowns. His 5.49 yards per carry average ranks eighth all-time in school history (minimum 200 carries) while his 547 carries ranks tenth. Ibrahim is tied for first in school history with three career 200-yard rushing games and he is first in school history with nine straight 100-yard rushing games (1/1/20 - 9/2/21).

BBall Recruiting Kadyn Betts will enroll at Minnesota this fall.

Kadyn Betts will enroll at Minnesota this fall. He had planned to play at Huntington Prep, but the 4.0 student decided to enroll early as the Gopher are looking for frontcourt help with the loss of Parker Fox with a knee injury earlier this summer.

BBall Recruiting New Gopher target Ezequias “E. J.” Walker

I posted a recent Q&A interview with a new Gopher target, whose stock is rising quickly.

Ezequias “E. J.” Walker, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward from Earlinger (KY) Lloyd Memorial, is the second ranked player from the state of Kentucky in 2025 class. Walker recently shined with All-Ohio Red at the EYBL event in Kansas City, attracting attention from several top programs, including Minnesota as Gopher assistant coach Jason Kemp watched him.

Walker already has offers from Northern Kentucky, Duquesne, Ohio, Toledo and Youngstown State, but look for that list to get much longer. He has received interest from schools such as Xavier, Ohio State, Dayton, Michigan State, Western Kentucky, Minnesota and LSU recently.

Walker helped lead the Juggernauts to a 22-8 mark as a freshman, losing to Covington Catholic 71-52 in the playoffs.

Kemp is hoping that his relationship with the All-Ohio Red AAU program could help land this talented forward. Kemp helped Ohio University land six players from All-Ohio Red when he was an assistant for the Bobcats.

BBall Recruiting VERY ENCOURAGED BY BEN JOHNSON GETTING A JUMP ON THESE KIDS.

If you are serious about recruiting in basketball, you have to know your recruiting targets up to 3 years in advance of their graduating class. There are a handful of 2025 prospects at the Gophers' camp that Ben Johnson is getting an eyefull and I am sure will be followed by Gopher staff.

Jalen Wilson 6-7 Top rated 2025 in Minnesota
Jaleel Donley 6-1 2nd best in this class in Minnesota and a very athletic player in highlight film
Brady Wooley 6-7 Stretch 4 with a lot of talent
Mason Clabo 6-1 SG from Fargo North Dakota(watch for this kid)
JJ Sullivan 6-2 SG (Jake Sullivan's kid if you remember him)

3 more years and who knows how much will change with these kids in that time but these are starts for the GOPHER STAFF in recruiting 2025 basketball players that are local.

WHERE ARE MY LIBERAL "FRIENDS" ON HERE??

President Biden wants us to join him in yelling at those 'filthy rich' gas station owners to lower prices. So why isn't he also yelling at college presidents and boards to lower tuition prices?? Why not tell the producers of electric cars to lower prices, if his logic is supposed to work?? Honestly, I think Biden might be the worst President in my lifetime and I did not think that would be possible after 4 years of Jimmy Carter. How do you possibly defend him, if you are a fan of Biden??

BBall Recruiting Mason Klabo

I posted a recent Q&A interview with Mason Klabo, a 6-foot-1 2025 guard from Fargo (ND) Davies, who is considered North Dakota's top player in his class. He averaged 5.9 points as an 8th grader, but elevated his scoring to nearly 28 points as a freshman.

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