MN needed a good recruiting class in 2016 because the two before it sure haven't panned out. Most teams look to RS SRs to lead their teams. This years Gophers have only three (Wright, Wzniak and Carter) that will be starting against IL and four (Rhoda, Jackson, Poock and Ayinde) who are listed as back-ups.
At the other extreme, MN will have two true FR starting (Umlor and Handy-Holly) with five more (Andries, Autman-Bell, Robinson, Estes and Harris) listed as back-ups. What championship contending college football team would be playing as many true freshmen as RS SRs? Kill-Claeys promised that by this (what would have been their seventh) year, MN would be playing regularly for the Big 10 West championship. Without Fleck's 2017 recruits, Claeys would have been in even worse shape than his successor is.
The 2014 class gave us four starters (Richardson, Celestein, Weyler and Smith) with three back-ups (Lingren, Still and Stelter).
The 2015 class is pretty awful, at this point. It's giving MN two starters (Croft and Shenault) and seven back-ups (Brooks, Oseland, Dovich, Cashman, Huff, Watters and Dlttbr). These are our true juniors and RS-SOs.
The 2016 class is providing nine starters on Saturday (Johnson, Coughlin, Martin, Barber, Winfield, Durr, Olson Schueter and Williams) as well as two back-ups (Howard and Swenson). Unfortunately, six of this eleven players were not RS as FR. Several JUCOs were in this class and these players provide a few starters and a couple of back-ups.
At the other extreme, MN will have two true FR starting (Umlor and Handy-Holly) with five more (Andries, Autman-Bell, Robinson, Estes and Harris) listed as back-ups. What championship contending college football team would be playing as many true freshmen as RS SRs? Kill-Claeys promised that by this (what would have been their seventh) year, MN would be playing regularly for the Big 10 West championship. Without Fleck's 2017 recruits, Claeys would have been in even worse shape than his successor is.
The 2014 class gave us four starters (Richardson, Celestein, Weyler and Smith) with three back-ups (Lingren, Still and Stelter).
The 2015 class is pretty awful, at this point. It's giving MN two starters (Croft and Shenault) and seven back-ups (Brooks, Oseland, Dovich, Cashman, Huff, Watters and Dlttbr). These are our true juniors and RS-SOs.
The 2016 class is providing nine starters on Saturday (Johnson, Coughlin, Martin, Barber, Winfield, Durr, Olson Schueter and Williams) as well as two back-ups (Howard and Swenson). Unfortunately, six of this eleven players were not RS as FR. Several JUCOs were in this class and these players provide a few starters and a couple of back-ups.
