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Kid’s got some game. Was back at Minnesota’s Jr. Day on Monday

After a visit to Minneapolis this past weekend for junior day, the Gophers continue to solidify themselves as a top contender in 2024 safety Zahir Rainer's recruitment. He talks about his experience, conversations with the staff, future plans, and more with us below.


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Confirmed - January 16
- S Koi Perich (Esko, MN)
- WR Daniel Freitag (Bloomington, MN)
- DE Wyatt Gilmore (Rogers, MN)
- WR Jaylen Watson (River Rouge, MI)
- DB Zahir Rainer (Richmond, VA)
- TE Carson Bruhn (Sioux Center, IA)
- OL/DL Riley Sunram (Kindred, ND)
- WR Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman (Coon Rapids, MN)
- LB Mason Carrier (Detroit Lakes, MN) ***COMMIT***
- LB Brady Pretzlaff (Gaylord, MICH) - early offers from Illinois and Central Michigan
- DE Jide Abasiri (Savage, MN) - offers from K-State, Kansas, Iowa State
- RB Jaydon Wright (Kankakee, IL)

Kindred (ND) defensive end Riley Sunram was one of many of Minnesota's top 2024 prospects on campus for their junior day this past weekend.

He shares the latest on his experience, other visit plans, and more with us below ⬇️


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I was impressed with this interview of philosophy of Keegan Cook.. Did not comment on any Gopher players but it gives a small glimpse of the type of coach he will be for the Gophers. I think we will like him.

.. Rainer really enjoyed his Jr Day visit at Minnesota this past weekend. He comes from a football family, brother was recruited and plays CFB and his dad played in the NFL so he has a lot of experience and you can tell he really knows how to separate real love from fake love.

The Minnesota staff, particularly PJ Fleck and Danny Collins made a really strong impression on Rainer and his dad, who were both in attendance at Jr Day. They got to have some 1on1 conversations that really opened the eyes of Rainer and his father.

Rainer has over 20 offers and has a BUNCH of visits coming up, so this one will be a battle, but the Gophers have positioned themselves nicely.

We'll have a full story up tomorrow with quotes from Rainer.

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Dennis Evans up two spots to No. 11
Cam Christie down five spots to No. 139

Minnesota showed fight and passion in the first half, trailing Illinois 35-32 heading into the locker rooms at halftime.

However, the Gophers went ice-cold in the second twenty-minutes of action, shooting just 8-of-29 from the field as Illinois cruised to a 78-60 win.

The loss knocks the Gophers' back to 7-9 overall on the season and just 1-5 in Big Ten play. Illinois improves to 13-5 and 4-3 in conference play.

The Fighting Illini had a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures, led by Matthew Mayer with 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

Dawson Garcia led Minnesota with 17 points while Ta'lon Cooper also scored in double-figures with 16 points.

NOTES:

- As previously mentioned, Minnesota shot 8-of-29 in the second half compared to 17-of-30 for Illinois.

- Minnesota was punished on the glass, Illinois had 50 rebounds to 29 for the Gophers

- Illinois had 54 points in the paint, compared to 28 for Minnesota

- Illinois had 27 bench points, Minnesota had 13

- Minnesota's Jamison Battle left late in the game with an apparent low back injury after jumping for a rebound, so that will be something to monitor moving forward

- Illinois lead for over 34 minutes

Get ready boys. You heard it here first. He believes he has the special QB to do it. The next three years should be fun.

Right here:

Post your pregame, in-game, and postgame thoughts here

Can the Gophers keep the momentum going at home against the Illini?

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Transferred in last offseason from Vanderbilt

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We have another close dual match tonight, when #12 MN takes on #16 NE in Lincoln, NE!!!

The match is on BTN at 8pm, and there is another interesting match on ESPNU at 8pm when NU is at IA!!!

I was super conservative in predicting this match, and have it as a 15-15 tie, based solely on individual rankings. I actually think we should win as at least one of our lower ranked guys will win and we may also get bonus points somewhere!! Here's which matches could lift us to victory:

133 - #20 Aaron Nagao gets a major decision (MN +1)
141 - #11 Jake Bergeland beats #5 Brock Hardy (MN +3 - NE -3)
149 - Michael Blockhus gets a major decision (MN +1)
157 - #13 Brayton Lee beats #1 Peyton Robb (MN +3 - NE -3)
184 #12 Isaiah Salazar wins over #10 Lenny Pinto (MN +3 - NE -3)
197 #27 Michial Foy wins over #25 Silas Allred (MN +3 - NE -3)
285 #25 Garrett Joles gets a major decision over Cale Davidson (MN +1)

It's going to be a fun match to watch so get your popcorn, alcohol, and mood enhancers, and tune in!!!


Here's the article on this weekend's action from Gophersports.com:

Nebraska, Michigan State on Tap Next for No. 12 Gophers​

Gophersports.com
01/12/2023
Wrestling


MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 12 University of Minnesota wrestling program (7-1, 0-1 B1G) is set for week two of Big Ten competition as they travel to Lincoln, Neb., on Friday for an 8:00 p.m. dual against No. 16 Nebraska (4-2, 0-0 B1G) before returning to Maturi Pavilion to host No. 29 Michigan State (7-0, 0-0 B1G) at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The Gophers are looking to battle back from their first loss of the season after previously beginning the year 7-0, as they dropped an 18-11 dual to Northwestern in their conference opener last Saturday.

Both of the upcoming duals this weekend will be nationally broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network, while fans can also follow along to live match-by-match updates on Twitter at @GopherWrestling.

Tale of the Tape - The Cornhuskers
Nebraska is led by veteran head coach Mark Manning, who enters the weekend ranked fourth among active coaches in wins at their current school with 272. Returning three All-Americans from last season, the Cornhusker lineup is highlighted by top-ranked Peyton Robb and second-ranked Mikey Labriola. Nebraska has also seen contributions from fresh faces in the lineup, as first-year starters Brock Hardy and Lenny Pinto each have cracked the top-10 in the InterMat polls.

The Cornhuskers enter the weekend on a three-dual win streak as they hold a record of 4-2 on the year and have yet to compete in Big Ten competition. Nebraska made noise on the national stage earlier this season at the Cliff Keen Invitational, where the squad took home the team title for the fifth time in program history with three individual titles.

The Series with Nebraska
Minnesota holds the all-time series against the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a record of 52-23 in a series that dates back to 1922. Nebraska and Minnesota have split each of the previous ten meetings. The Gophers snapped Nebraska's five-dual win streak in their most recent meeting last season, as the Maroon & Gold took a 19-13 home victory inside Maturi Pavilion.

First Meeting: L, 22-26 (2/21/1922)
Last Meeting: W, 19-13 (1/14/2022)
Longest Win Streak: W13 (2/27/1954-1/9/1971)
Longest Losing Streak: L5 (1/10/2016-1/8/2021)
Current Streak: W1

Last Meeting:
The "U" hosted Nebraska last season for a top-15 home showdown on January 14, 2022, and defeated the Cornhuskers by a score of 19-13, as the Gophers took six of the ten bouts in a razor thin contest. The two teams traded the first four matchups, as Cael Carlson and Isaiah Salazar would each pick up decision wins. The Maroon & Gold later rattled off a three-match win streak as Gable Steveson earned a major decision at heavyweight, followed by Patrick McKee and Jake Gliva decision victories. With the dual in the balance for the final bout of the night at 157 pounds, Brayton Lee closed the door on the dual with a 4-0 win over Peyton Robb.

Tale of the Tape - The Spartans
Michigan State heads into their first B1G action of the season on the heels of their best start under current head coach Roger Chandler as they hold a 7-0 record on the year, good enough to slot in at No. 29 in the InterMat polls. The Spartans are led by their veteran trio of Rayvon Foley, Layne Malczewski, and Cameron Caffey.

While getting off to a hot start in the 2022-23 campaign, Michigan State is now slated for their toughest test of the season this weekend as they will see ranked competition for the first time all year. Their most impressive wins of their non-conference schedule include a 21-15 win over Princeton as well as shutout dual victories over Davidson and American.

The Series with Michigan State
Minnesota holds the all-time series against the Michigan State Spartans with a record of 34-23 in a series that dates back to the 1945-46 season. The Gophers have dominated the series as of late, winning 23 of the last 24 duals with the Spartans, including each of the last twelve contests with a streak that dates back to 2006. The most recent meeting came during the 2021 season in a triangular meet hosted by Michigan State in which Minnesota trounced the Spartans by a score of 28-6.

First Meeting: L, 8-23 (1945-46)
Last Meeting: W, 28-6 (1/16/2021)
Longest Win Streak: W12 (2/19/2006-1/16/2021)
Longest Losing Streak: L12 (1/22/1966-2/2/1985)
Current Streak: W1

Potential Matchups
Between the two duals this weekend, the Maroon & Gold could see a total of 12 ranked matchups with four Gopher grapplers prepared to face a ranked opponent in each contest.

Patrick McKee has two ranked tests ahead of him this weekend, as he is projected to take on No. 10 Liam Cronin (Nebraska) and No. 25 Tristan Lujan (Michigan State).

Aaron Nagao will look for the signature win of his young career on Sunday, as he will get a second crack at Michigan State's Rayvon Foley in a rematch of the 2022 Southern Scuffle finals.

All-American Jake Bergeland gets an opportunity against a top-5 opponent as he will square off against Brock Hardy in Lincoln on Friday night.

Brayton Lee will get a chance to knock off top-ranked 157-pounder Peyton Robb of Nebraska on Friday night before returning home to battle against Michigan State's Chase Saldate. Lee is a combined 3-0 all-time against his weekend opponents.

Isaiah Salazar looks to continue his climb up the ranks this weekend with a pair of top-20 opponents in No. 10 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) and No. 17 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State).

Up Next
Following this weekend's action, the Big Ten gauntlet continues for the Gophers as they prepare for another conference doubleheader next weekend. The "U" will first travel to Bloomington, Ind., to battle Indiana next Friday at 5:00 p.m. CST, before returning to Maturi Pavilion to celebrate Alumni Night with a Sunday afternoon tussle against the Purdue Boilermakers at 1:00 p.m. CST. Both duals will be broadcasted on the conference's subscription-based platform B1G+.

My Predictions:

MN vs. NE:

125 - #4 Patrick McKee wins over #10 Liam Cronin (MN 3 - NE 0)
133 - #20 Aaron Nagao wins over Boo Dryden (6-0)
141 #11 Jake Bergeland loses to #5 Brock Hardy (6-3)
149 - #14 Michael Blockhus wins over Dayne Morton (9-3)
157 #12 Brayton Lee loses to #1 Peyton Robb (9-6)
165 - #24 Andrew Sparks wins over #29 Bubba Wilson (12-6)
174 - #15 Bailee O’Reilly loses to #2 Mikey Labriola (12-9)
184 - #12 Isaiah Salazar loses to #10 Lenny Pinto (12-12)
197 - #27 Michial Foy loses to #25 Silas Allred (12-15)
285 #25 Garrett Joles wins over Cale Davidson (15-15)
Final Team Score MN 15 - NE 15

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2024 WR Jaylen Watson is transferring from River Rouge High School in Michigan to Toledo Central Catholic. Toledo Central Catholic is coming off of a state championship this past season but are losing all their key skill position people so Watson is going into a situation where he will be the star player, this upcoming season. He was hurt most of the year last year but is looking to have a big season this year.

This is also interesting in that, as of the beginning of next year, Toledo Central Catholic has joined the largest Catholic School league in the nation, based out of Detroit. There are 32 teams in the league, including roughly a half dozen private schools that are not Catholic. The league 'tiers' their teams into different levels of size to keep all the teams competitive. Toledo Central Catholic, Toledo St Johns, and Toledo St Francis have all joined this league as well as 2 Toledo area all girls Catholic schools. As you can imagine, there were quite a few meetings with the Ohio governing body for athletics(OHSAA) and Michigan's governing body to allow the Toledo schools to play in a primarily Michigan based league yet play in the playoffs in the state of Ohio. IF YOU WANT, I CAN WRITE A TYPICAL VIFAN POST(REALLY LONG) EXPLAINING THE POLITICS AND LOGISTICS BEHIND THE MOVES!! Actually, the travel wont be as bad as one may think as Toledo is right on the Michigan border. The farthest game to travel for Central Catholic in Michigan will be an hour and 15 minutes away.

I say all that to point out that Watson will be playing quite a few games in the area where he just lived. He will be the top receiver ranked in Ohio for the 2024 class.

The Gophers coaching staff has extended a few new offers today....

First, here's a story on ATH Isaiah McMorris after receiving an offer today...

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Thoughts on the additions?

INFO FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck has filled out his coaching staff with the announcement of four new assistant coaches. All four are dynamic recruiters and bring a healthy mixture of experience and fresh perspective to the Gophers.

On defense, former Minnesota defensive lineman Winston DeLattiboudere III is returning to his alma mater to serve as the Golden Gophers' defensive line coach and newcomer coordinator, and Minnesota native Nick Nick Monroe will coach the cornerbacks and be the team's co-defensive coordinator.

On offense, Nic McKissic-Luke was named the running backs coach and Andrew Sowder will oversee the tight ends.

Fleck also announced that safeties coach Danny Collins will also serve as the team's defensive pass game coordinator and that Troy Thompson has joined Minnesota's staff as an assistant director of athletic performance.

DeLattiboudere III spent the 2022 campaign as defensive line coach for the University of Akron. While with the Zips, he coached Victor Jones, who led the team in tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (5.5). Those figures ranked 11th and 13th in the MAC, respectively.

Prior to Akron, DeLattiboudere worked one season as a graduate assistant at Oregon working with the defensive line. During his tenure with the Ducks, he helped mentor a trio of All-Pac-12 performers in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Popo Aumavae and Brandon Dorlus. Thibodeaux, a first-team All-American and finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award, was taken fifth overall by the New York Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft.

DeLattiboudere III started his coaching career in 2020 as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line at Charlotte after a successful playing career at Minnesota. In his lone season at Charlotte, DeLattiboudere III worked with three defensive linemen who earned Conference USA all-league recognition. Defensive ends Romeo McKnight and Tyriq Harris and defensive tackle Timmy Horne all-claimed honorable mention All-Conference USA honors, while McKnight signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns after finishing his eligibility at Charlotte.

DeLattiboudere III also holds the title of newcomer coordinator and will assist in the transition for freshmen and transfers who are entering the Gopher program.

A native of Baltimore, Md., DeLattiboudere III spent five seasons with Minnesota, including the final four with Fleck as head coach. He played in 51 career games with 36 starts, finishing with 83 tackles (43 solo) with 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.He earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2019 as a senior, while also earning the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and the program's Tony Dungy Award (character and community service) that same season. In his true freshman season, he garnered the team's Defensive Scout Team Award.

DeLattiboudere III graduated with a degree in sociology of law, criminology, and deviance. He also earned a master's of education in youth development.

A dynamic recruiter who has recruited and developed NFL talent, Nick Monroe returns to his home state after seven seasons at Syracuse. He joined the Orange staff in 2016 and served as Syracuse's secondary coach for two seasons before narrowing his focus to the team's safeties and nickelbacks in 2018 and safeties and rovers in 2020, before taking on his role last season of defensive passing game coordinator..

A native of Mahtomedi, Minn., and a graduate of St Cloud State, Monroe is known for his elite recruiting ability, bringing in and developing of Andre Cisco (Jacksonville Jaguars), Trill Williams (Miami Dolphins) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (Detroit Lions), the three defensive backs in the Orange's 2021 NFL Draft Class that all went on to ink rookie contracts with the aforementioned teams.

Over the past five seasons, Monroe co-directed a Syracuse pass defense that thrived on creating turnovers. The Orange intercepted 58 passes in 60 games (0.97 per game) since the start of 2018, including a streak of 17 straight games with a pick from Aug. 31, 2018 to Sept. 21, 2019. The streak tied for the third-longest in major college football since 2004.

Monroe, whose father Marty was a GA for the Gophers under Jim Wacker in 1994-95, was elevated to defensive passing game coordinator in the winter prior to the 2022 season, yielding one of the best passing defenses in recent memory for the Orange. Syracuse finished 14th in the nation and second in the ACC, surrendering just 184.8 yards per game through the air in 2022. As a whole, the defense finished 21st nationally in total defense, allowing 328.6 yards per game. After defensive coordinator Tony White left to pursue another coaching opportunity, Monroe took over play calling duties for the Orange in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Minnesota.

The 2022 campaign was the second-straight season that the defense allowed under 330 yards per contest. The group excelled in 2021 as well, as the Orange put together their best total defense season in a decade, before being bested a year later, finishing second in the ACC and 19th nationally after allowing just 330 yards per game.

In his first year coaching safeties and rovers in the 3-3-5, Monroe took a group that lost a pair of NFL defensive backs due to injury early in the season in 2020, turning to start three freshmen at the three spots. Ja'Had Carter became a Freshman All-American under his watch, finishing the year with 67 tackles and two interceptions. Rob Hanna also notched north of 50 tackles in his first season of college football.

In 2018, Syracuse's defensive backfield was fifth nationally in interceptions (18). His unit was directly responsible for 11 picks, including an FBS-leading seven by freshman Cisco. The takeaways contributed to a 111-46 advantage in points off turnovers, as the Orange went 10-3 and won the 2018 Camping World Bowl. Cisco was voted the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and became the first true freshman in program history to earn All-America honors.

Cisco continued to flourish as a sophomore in 2019. He led the conference for the second year in row with five interceptions and ranked fourth nationally in interceptions per game (0.6). Cisco also tied for third in the ACC in passes defended per game (1.11) on his way to All-ACC Second Team honors. As a team, the Orange ranked fifth nationally in passes defended per game at 5.67 per contest.

In addition to his mentorship of Cisco, Monroe worked with Evan Foster from 2016-19. A three-year starter at strong safety, Foster concluded his career ninth among Syracuse defensive backs with 234 career tackles.

An injury to Cisco ended his 2020 season after two games but Monroe's protege was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.

Prior to Syracuse, Monroe served as the secondary coach at Bowling Green from 2010-15. He consistently produced units that ranked among the nation's best and helped the Falcons to four straight bowl games and two MAC titles. Monroe's guidance also helped turn Jude Adjei-Barimah into a contributor in the NFL. A defensive back for Bowling Green from 2011-14, Adjei-Barimah played 23 games (eight starts) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2015-16.

Monroe inherited an inexperienced unit at Bowling Green that featured four new starters. In two seasons, he molded them into one of the stingiest defensive backfields in the country. Featuring All-MAC performers BooBoo Gates and Cameron Truss, the 2012 Falcons ranked 13th nationally in passing defense (190.1 ypg) to help lift the team to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Military Bowl.

The following season, the Bowling Green secondary was even better. The Falcons finished sixth in the FBS against the pass (170.9 ypg) and Gates earned All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row. As a team, Bowling Green won its first conference championship since 1992 and played Pittsburgh in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

In 2014, Monroe successfully oversaw the maturation of safety Brian Sutton and the development of two young cornerbacks. Sutton's production skyrocketed from the previous season as he jumped from 43 to 102 tackles. In addition, rookie cornerbacks Nick Johnson and Clint Stephens combined for nine interceptions. The unit also featured Adjei-Barimah, who recorded 82 tackles. The Falcons won the MAC East title and defeated South Alabama in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.

In 2015, Bowling Green posted a 10-4 record, won the MAC championship for the second time in three seasons, and earned a berth in the GoDaddy Bowl. Monroe's defensive backfield finished eighth in the FBS with 20 interceptions, including a team-high six picks by cornerback Alfonso Mack.

Monroe coached defense for six years at Colgate University. He instructed the outside linebackers from 2004-05 and then shifted to secondary coach in 2006. In 2009, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and helped implement a scheme that led the Patriot League and was 29th nationally in total defense (308.2 ypg) that year. Colgate was 9-2 and held seven of its opponents to 20 points or less. Monroe also served as the team's recruiting coordinator for five seasons.

In his last three years with the Raiders, Monroe mentored four first-team All-Patriot League selection and one second-team honoree. In addition, defensive back Demitri Diamond was named the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Colgate won a pair of Patriot League titles (2005, 2008) while Monroe was on staff and made two Division I-AA (now FCS) playoff appearances.

Monroe was the secondary coach in 2002 and 2003 at Allegheny College. He helped the Gators capture the 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Monroe was a four-year letterwinner at cornerback for St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree in marketing from the school in 2001.

Nick and his wife, Nicole, have a son, Wyatt.

McKissic-Luke spent the past three seasons at Northern Illinois, first as running backs/fullbacks coach in 2020, adding run game coordinator and co-special teams coordinator titles in 2021 and then being run game coordinator, running backs coach and the sole special teams coordinator in 2022.

This past season, the Huskies had the No. 2 rushing offense in the MAC at 190.4 yards per game, while Antario Brown (6.26) and Harrison Waylee (5.45) ranked first and second, respectively, in the conference in yards per rush.

Working with a young crop of tailbacks in his first season, McKissic-Luke molded Waylee, then a freshman, into the team's leading rusher. In 2021 the Huskies had the fourth-best rushing offense in the nation. Led by MAC Freshman of the Year Jay Ducker who gained 1,148 yards, NIU averaged 241.4 rushing yards per game.

The Huskie special teams also excelled as Trayvon Rudolph earned All-MAC honors as a kick returner, while punter Matt Ference left NIU with every school record and kicker John Richardson made three game-winning kicks.

McKissick-Luke spent his first three seasons at Youngstown State as running backs coach before adding special teams coordinator to his duties in 2019. He tutored five players to seven All-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades at two different schools.

In 2016, YSU tailbacks Martin Ruiz and Jody Webb earned All-MVFC first team and honorable mention accolades, respectively, and played a key role in Youngstown State's run to the National Championship Game. The duo each rushed for 1,000 yards with Webb leading the way amassing 1,342 yards, while Ruiz tallied 1,153. Additionally, Webb set the school record for all-purpose yards in a season and was named a third team AP All-American.

Tailback Tevin McMaster earned first team All-MVFC honors in 2017 and 2018. Under McKissic-Luke's guidance, McMaster rushed for a career-high 1,235 yards and scored 12 touchdowns and finished his career with 2,970 yards rushing at 36 TDs.

Punt returner Jake Coates garnered second team all-conference honors after setting school records for punt return yards in a game and a season in 2019. Senior tailback Joe Alessi had his best rushing season of his career, gaining 803 yards on 136 carries and five touchdowns.

McKissic-Luke also spent three successful seasons at South Dakota State helping the Jackrabbits to the FCS Playoffs each year working alongside offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness. During his first two seasons in Brookings McKissic-Luke worked with Zach Zenner, a consensus All-American and two-time first team All-MVFC selection who later played five seasons in the NFL.

McKissic-Luke began his career at Benedict College. He spent five seasons as running backs and slot receivers coach. During his tenure, the Tigers led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in rushing in 2009 and 2010. The 2009 squad ranked seventh in Division II averaging 250 yards per game.

In addition to his collegiate coaching career, McKissic-Luke spent two summers (2011, 2012) with the Arizona Cardinals through the Bill Walsh-Minority Coaching Internship.

A graduate of Alabama A&M, McKissic-Luke finished second in career rushing yards with more than 2,000 yards in three seasons (2004-06) for the Bulldogs. During his senior year, he helped Alabama A&M to the 2006 Southwestern Athletic Conference crown.

McKissic-Luke is engaged to Emily Wollet and has a son Nicolas and daughters Georgia and Rylynn.

Sowder spent the past five seasons as Kent State's offensive coordinator. He also worked with quarterbacks and tight ends during his time with the Golden Flashes.

In 2022, Kent State had the MAC's No. 1 rushing attack, averaging 202.1 yards per game, and ranked second in total offense at 417.2 yards per contest. Six players on offense earned All-MAC honors, including four first-team honorees with wide receivers Dante Cephas, Devontez Walker, running back Marquez Cooper and offensive lineman Marcellus Marshall. Walker led the MAC with his 11 touchdown receptions, while Cephas' 82.7 receiving yards per game also ranked first in the conference. Quarterback Collin Schlee was first in the league with his 13.43 yards per completion.

In the 2021 season he helped the Flashes achieve a 7-7 record, including a berth in the MAC Championship and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. His offense put up at least 30 points in all but one regular season MAC game. The rushing attack was first or tied for first in the MAC for yards, yards per rush, touchdowns and yards per game. The offense as a whole led the MAC in total yards, yards per game and touchdowns. Quarterback Dustin Crum excelled in Sowder's offense, winning the Vern Smith Leadership Award (given to the best player in the MAC) and being named to the All-MAC First Team for the second year in a row. Wide receiver Dante Cephas also earned an All-MAC First Team selection. Three other members of the Flashes offense were All-MAC selections.

When compared to other programs across the nation in 2021, Sowder's offense stood out. The Flashes ranked third in the nation for rushing offense and first down offense, while ranking fourth for total offense. Sowder's offense in 2021 was one of the best, if not the best in Kent State history, setting records for total offense and passing yards.

In 2020, Sowder helped Kent State achieve a 3-1 record in the shortened season. The Flashes averaged the most total yards per game in the entire MAC at 606.5. They also led the conference in average points scored per game with 49.8. Four Kent State players earned All-MAC honors, and they were all on the offensive side of the ball and under Sowder's watch: quarterback Dustin Crum, wide receiver Isaiah McKoy, and offensive linemen Bill Kuduk and Nathan Monnin. Crum and McKoy were both named to the first team.

Sowder's second year at the helm of the Kent State offense was one to be remembered, in large part to the emergence of Crum. The rising star quarterback threw for 2,625 yards, completing 69 percent of his pass attempts, throwing for 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Crum ranked 11th in the country in passing efficiency and was the only quarterback in the country to throw for more than 20 touchdowns with two or fewer interceptions.

The Golden Flashes and Crum continued their offensive dominance with a 50-burger in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl. The 51-41 victory earned Kent State its first ever bowl win. Crum was 21-for-26 with 289 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding another 147 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The historic offense totaled 550 yards in the game.

The offense was not only lighting it up on the field, but also cementing themselves in the Kent State history books. The Golden Flashes' offense averaged 405.6 yards per game, which ranked third in program history. The 905 plays ran on offense also ranked third all-time. The 2,849 passing yards ranked second in Kent State history and the 42 total touchdowns ranked fifth.

The Flashes' offense put two wide receivers on the all-MAC third team, Isaiah McKoy and Mike Carrigan. McKoy led the Flashes with 56 receptions, 872 yards and eight touchdowns, cracking the top-10 in program history in all three categories. McKoy also led the Mid-American Conference with 72.7 yards per game as well as touchdowns. Carrigan caught 44 balls for 570 yards and five touchdowns.

In his first year as offensive coordinator at Kent State, Sowder saw an increase of 11.2 points per game from the previous season, and a massive 108.4 yards per game jump. The 383.3 yards per game was the fifth most in program history and he oversaw first year quarterback Woody Barrett, who completed a school-record 229 passes.

Sowder came to Kent by way of San Jose State where he served as the team's offensive coordinator and tight ends coach in 2017, implementing the spread offense. Prior to San Jose State, Sowder was at the University of Texas for one season as an offensive quality control coach, working primarily with the wide receivers.

Prior to Texas, Sowder spent two seasons at Bowling Green (2014-15) and two more at Eastern Illinois (2012-13).

As Bowling Green's wide receivers coach, Sowder helped the Falcons to back-to-back MAC East Division titles, a 2014 Camellia Bowl win and the 2015 MAC Championship, along with Monroe. He also served as director of player personnel and recruiting coordinator for the Falcons in 2014. In 2015, Bowling Green ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (546.8) and sixth in scoring offense (42.2 ppg). All-American wide receiver Roger Lewis finished second in the nation in receiving yards (1,544) and third in touchdown catches (16).

In 2012 and 2013, Eastern Illinois won back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships while Sowder served as wide receivers coach. Eastern Illinois was the FCS national leader in total offense in 2013 after ranking seventh in 2012. Sowder was on the 2012 staff along with Gophers offensive line coach Brian Callahan, who held the same title with the Panthers.

Prior to Eastern Illinois, Sowder coached running backs at West Texas A&M in 2011. The Buffs won the Kanza Bowl and ranked 14th in the nation in total offense.

A 2011 Baylor University graduate, Sowder majored in digital media. His coaching career began as a student assistant in 2009. In 2010, the Bears played in the Texas Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance in 16 years.

As a player at Baylor, Sowder was both a wide receiver and tight end in 2007 and 2008.

Sowder grew up in Shallowater, Texas. He married his wife Shawna in May of 2021.

Thompson spent last season at Stanford as a football sports performance assistant after eight years at Pace University where he was director of strength and conditioning. While at Pace, he oversaw the implementation of the strength and conditioning program for all of the 14 varsity sports programs with direct oversight of football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's lacrosse. He managed schedules for strength and conditioning facilities and staff, as well as the practice and pregame warm ups for football.

Thompson also designed and coordinated the completion of the new varsity athletics weight room, which was completed in January 2016. His responsibilities for the project included communicating with vendors, managing the budget, and designing the room to accommodate the needs of all varsity athletes at Pace.

Prior to Pace, Thompson spent the 2014 football season at Old Dominion and the 2013 campaign at Wofford. He was also a graduate assistant at Denison University in early 2013 after working three years as an intern at his alma mater, Capital University.

Thompson graduated with a B.A. in exercise science in 2012 from Capital and got his masters from Pace in 2018. He is certified and recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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A recap of Thursday's 70-67 over Ohio State as Minnesota breaks through with their first Big Ten win of the season

Some notes on where Minnesota coaches will be visiting throughout the day...

- 2024 DL/OL target Riley Sunram told me new Gophers DL coach Winston DeLattiboudere will be visiting him at his school today. Have to think he'll also swing by and see 2023 signee Karter Menz as well.

- Greg Harbaugh, who is now the QB coach, will be in Nebraska today to visit with 2024 QB target Daniel Kaelin. Reminder that Kaelin's brother is a part of the Gophers' swim/dive team and has visited campus multiple times.

- Fleck and Callahan will be in the Chicago area, most likely checking in on 2023 signees Pierce Walsh and Matt Kingsbury and some 2024 prospects.

- Matt Simon is expected to make his rounds in-state today.